*According to the online Merriam-Webster dictionary, the words “stupid” and “stupidity” entered the English language in 1541. Since then, stupidity has taken place along with “fool,” “idiot,” “dumb,” “moron,” and related concepts as a pejorative appellation for human misdeeds, whether purposeful or accidental, due to absence of mental capacity.*
Yesterday once again proved to me that the work ethic and personal responsibility level of the average person is crap. Now, I feel this way pretty much all the time but sometimes things happen that make is SO glaringly obvious, it makes me sad for mankind’s future.
Yesterday I received our FSA accounting for the new plan year from the company that handles our COBRA and FSA administration. I’ve had issues with them in the past but I complained about the account manager and told the CEO that the idiot needed to be removed from our account and never deal with me or our account ever again. Anyway, yesterday I was going through the data they sent over and I found 2 people missing from the spreadsheet and not showing any contributions for the 2012 Plan Year (which there were in January.) No big deal, I send our account rep an email saying “Hey, you forgot to add these 2 people. Please correct it and send me the updated info.”
I get back an email, in a rather terse tone, saying I never sent the enrollment forms for those 2 people nor were they on the spreadsheet I sent her so it all had to be re-done and to please send over the missing information ASAP. Umm. OK. So, I’m pretty anal retentive about making sure people’s benefits are correct. I pulled up the email I sent her on January 17 and oh look – there are not only the 2 “missing” enrollment forms attached along with all the others but the spreadsheet attached has them listed with all of their data as well (so even IF I hadn’t sent the enrollment forms, you’d think she would see the names on the spreadsheet and ask me about them?) So I forward that email to her with a simple note “Here is the email/data you were sent on 1/17/12.” I get back “Oh, sorry. You are right. I missed the scroll. Sometime I am too blond.”
Now, I wasn’t upset by the initial mistake. They happen. Whatever. And you could have avoided looking SO stupid on this one by first searching for the data I sent you to make sure you didn’t leave it off and then, seeing that you did, fixing the error and letting me know it’s all fixed. No big deal. But no. You felt it more fitting to get pissy with me and say how I must have not sent it to you. And then your response to being wrong is Oops you are too blond? Really? That’s how you handle clients?
Happened a couple weeks ago with our old 401k vendor. They insisted we hadn’t paid for a Final Plan Report (we switched vendors after our acquisition) and were quite rude in their assertion. Really? So I dig through my old file and emails and find copies of all the emails where we discussed the costs, the reports needed and finally my signed form requesting the report along with a copy of the check we sent with the fed-ex airbill. The check that was cashed by them in August of 2010. The email I get back is “Oh. right.” So there was no way for you to look for that data before being a jerk with me and me having to spend time getting it out and sending it to you again?
In my job, I see this kind of stuff fairly often (again…sad) from employees doing things incorrectly. I don’t understand that since it directly effects you – so shouldn’t you understand insurance, 401k, payroll, payroll taxes, etc??? A little bit?? The basics? You’ve been in the workforce for how long now? BUT, from companies whose sole jobs it is to manage these things, I expect you do to your job very well. Silly wabbit.
Maybe I’m the odd one because I will make sure I have the back-up data before calling someone out on something. Stupidity bothers me. Mistakes don’t bother me so much (unless they are mine) when they are identified, easily fixable and fixed without much fuss (as long as you don’t keep making them.)
But stupidity? Or laziness No, there is no excuse for that. I wonder quite frequently how people manage to get through life if they typically handle things with such (non) care and (non) attention to detail. I would assume your job is a place you DID pay attention and want to do well. But I know that assumption is making an ass out of u and me.
And rudeness? Well, you sure as hell better be right if you are going to play that card with me. And that doesn’t excuse it – just makes you appear not necessarily stupid and instead simply like the ass you are.
Just ranting examples of why I want my own island. And why I prefer dogs. And now I think I should have a glass of wine…
