By:Curtis Morton
The way I see it, sometimes one has so much to write about and at other times, one is left in a quandary as to what to write.
This week, as I sat to type my usual column, I was in a quandary as to what to focus on. I had a variety of options:
I thought about writing about the need for an upgrade in our customer service, as I was very disappointed in the customer service meted my way, by a particular courier service, but after I finally got my passport in hand and saw the prestigious visa stamped in it, I guess I decided to leave them alone—cause ‘they will come home, wagging their tails behind them…..’
I also thought about the same area of customer service meted out by a certain cable TV provider, but having made a decision in that regard, I thought that we all have the option to take or not to take poor customer service, especially when you are paying good money. So there!
I also thought about talking about President Trump, the 45th president of the United States and wondered what his next set of utterances will be, as the world waits with baited breaths to see what his legacy would be, but I thought to myself—more times for that!
I also briefly struggled with a breaking news story about a local man who is claiming that the Police robbed him of a hefty sum of money, but the Police’s story is acutely different. I decided to leave that.
And so I come to my focus for this week:
I find that too many Civil Servants are showing up to work late and they always have a ‘legitimate’ excuse. And when I say late-I mean LATE! Try 8.30 or minutes after 9 am when they were due to start at 8 am.
Well I newa!
Try this one for an excuse: ‘My bed had feel too warm and outside was dark. I did not realize it was already after 6!’
Now what Civil Servants have to realize, is that if they are working for privately owned companies such as the Four Seasons, you better drag yourself out of your warm bed and get to work on time, cause those people don’t play!
What happens within the civil service, is that such lateness is accepted as a norm.
One worker told me recently: ‘Rain was falling,’ so I pointed out that although rain was falling, everyone else was at the office. His quick response was: All the others have trans!’
Well I newa!
And when anybody in a supervisory position within the government circles attempt to establish a time book, some people feel that they are being too harsh.
I remember working at an institution when ‘time was really money’. I am referring to Social Security.
I mean, we were due in at 8.15 am and when I say 8.15 am, I don’t mean that you were walking through the door at 8.15 am. You were supposed to be prepared and waiting to serve your first customer, by 8.15 am.
You received monetary awards at the end of the year, if you were present and punctual on a regular basis and on the contrary, if you were regularly late, your salary would reflect relevant deductions. You understand?
I remember one morning, I was running a bit late and it was already after 8 and as I was going through Beach Road, I realized that there were four vehicles ahead of me. I had not been late for one day in the year so far, and in my mind these guys were not going to change that for me.
The idiot in me, decided to pass all four vehicles, starting by COST ME LESS and just managed to squeeze past the fourth one, just ahead of the corner and barely avoiding an oncoming vehicle.
It was the STUPIDEST piece of driving that I have ever done—if there is such a word!
And I now know that I will never do such again, because Nurse Roxie who witnessed it firsthand, send me a text, which I dare not repeat but at the end of it, she said: ‘If you don’t care for yourself, just know that there are people who love and care for you.’
That moved me to tears and I sought her immediate forgiveness, just thanking God that I was still alive.
The hurtful thing about it, even after all of that, I still arrived at the office at 8.17 am!
So my advice to all government employees: You have a set time to start work. It means that you have to literally force yourself from your warm bed—dark or no dark and get busy with your chores. Maybe you can iron all of your work clothes on the Sunday and I understand that you also save energy cost in that way.
So from here on, let’s make a pledge that we will do our utmost best to get to work on time and put in an honest day’s work and be customer friendly and efficient in the process.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?