WHY YOU GOTTA TREAT ME SO BAD?!!!

As I pondered on the way that we are sometimes treated at our local VA facilities, I wondered exactly what could the problem be.  Why is it that there are those who seem to treat us as if they are doing us a favor by even deigning to speak with us?  This made me think about why I got into the type of work that I currently do.  I do a lot of thinking - J. 

Currently I work with the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act (WIOA) of 2014.  Under this act we have various programs that assist individuals in getting back to work including training and job placement.  We also help employers offset the cost of training new employees.  I chose this type of work because I was once laid off and I went into a State office and they too treated me as if they were doing me a favor.  They looked at me as if to say just because I was laid off I don’t deserve good service and I “MUST” somehow be beneath them in this old human food chain.  Right then and there I made up my mind that I would work in an area that would allow me to be of service to those who are in need.  Not just any old service, but some gold star, world class service.  Heck, I even got my undergrad degree in Counseling and Human Services, but then I realized that may not be the right move for me.  I’d probably spend more time on the couch than the people I was trying to help.  I’m just a little bit too empathetic for my own good.

So back to these individuals who treat us as if we are a burden to them.  I’ve always thought that the only way to solve a problem is to treat the problem and not the symptom.  What is it in these individuals that cause them to behave the way they do because the way they treat us is only a symptom.  Is it because they think that we are beneath them or is it just a simple matter of proper training?  In my job we hear a lot about “soft skills”.  This is one of the things employers say many employees are missing today.  It is just the basics such as showing up to work on time, dressing appropriately, staying off cellphones, working with others, and those types of things.  I truly believe that if the VA were to conduct soft skills training with their employees many of the issues we encounter would go away. 

I also believe that as users of these services that we have to understand that the people we encounter may not have a problem with us but may have other things going on in their lives that again, translates into bad customer service.  Is that an excuse for bad behavior?  No it isn’t but sometimes we have to just be patient with one another.  I always try first to smile and be polite even when I’m greeted in a less than friendly manner.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.  For those times it doesn’t, that’s when I pull out my trusty computer and send an email to someone. 

I don’t know the answer to the question, but I do know that there is always a way to get a questioned answered.  Write, Write, Write, until we are all treated fairly.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL – Be blessed.