Aaaaaarrrrrgggyhhhhh!

It isn't often that I rant. (Check my other posts if you doubt, ye of little faith). So without further ado I present:

South African Business Non-Sense (with a tip-of-the-hat to Dreamweaver)

I am SICK of the stupid excuses I get from companies as to why stuff is not done. My top peeves are:

"Miss. Awol is on leave"
This is NOT an excuse. The world does not stop turning just because you are in Latvia or wherever. It is the responsibility of the company to provide alternative means of completing your workload (temps, delegation, whatever) and your job to ensure that you explain your work so that it can be completed by someone else. This brings me to another point: if you know that your industry is insanely busy on a particular day / season. Don't take leave then. Simple. You want to work in an industry, deal with it. This is like Santa taking leave in December. Irish pub owners don't go on leave on St. Patrick's, teachers don't go on leave during final exams, accountants don't go on leave during tax season - and if they did I would want a VERY good explanation as to why.

"We've been very busy"
Tough. If an employee can't hack it, hire someone else or additional staff. Your problems are not mine.

"She is not at her desk"
Get off your fat ass, go over to the water cooler and call her. Otherwise, find out where she is and tell me when I can reach her. And don't say when she's back from leave.

My number-one-hit-the-roof-want-to-stab-someone-peeve:

"We will not do this the simpler/ more logical/ fairer / better way because it's company policy."
'Company policy' is NOT written in stone. There is always someone who can accommodate a unique case. Contrary to popular belief 'customer service' jobs are about finding ways to make customers happier not finding ways to produce lawsuits. I think perhaps employees should contemplate the fact that companies traditionally promote those people who have the initiative to point out faults in company systems and think of ways to improve them. 'Company policy' is just a way of saying 'I am too lazy to try and find a solution and create a satisfied customer for my employer.'

I want to go home - I am sick of dealing with idiots.