a whole new world for the NCPs

[Originally posted on my old moblog site. Republishing here now.]

I cannot figure this out.

A particular someone, [let's call him disgruntled nincompoop (D.NCP)], submitted a request through a website and this request got channelled to a central database that is checked regularly by an admin staff (AS) who then sorts all such requests received and directs them to the relevant person to handle them.

D.NCP's request was sent by AS to me. I required additional information from D.NCP and sent him an email.

More than 2 weeks later, D.NCP submitted another request through the same website and got his request channelled to the same central database that was checked by the same AS who then directed the request to me:

"Someone from your company sent me an email mentioning about the lack of information to process my request. Can you get that someone to tell me what exactly you require?"

1. This D.NCP obviously did not know there is such a function called "reply" for emails received such that you can reach the sender directly instead of submitting another request through the same website so that his request can then be channelled to the same central database that will get checked by the same AS who will then direct it to the same person who emailed him.

2. Or it could be that this D.NCP enjoyed sending his requests through the same website so that his requests can then be channelled to the same central database that will get checked by the same AS who will then direct the requests to the same person who will eventually handle them.

3. Or it could be that this D.NCP feels that by sending his requests through the same website so that his requests can then be channelled to the same central database that will get checked by the same AS who will then direct the requests to the same person who will eventually handle them, he is helping the organisation find reasons for the existence of having such a website and such a central database and hiring such an AS, ie. job creation.

And it is precisely these kinds of people such as D.NCP who ultimately complain about the time taken for them to receive a response to their requests such that they have to send in another and another request, and eventually complaint after complaint, through the same website where they get channelled to the same central database that will then get checked by the same AS who will then direct them to the relevant person handling them.

So what does this all mean to me?

I get the pleasure of:

1. Spending time to read through the D.NCP's first request, gather the info required to be able to process the request, and then draft a reply to D.NCP; and

2. Spending time to read through a second request from D.NCP and drafting a second reply that is exactly the same as the first (or I can spend time searching through my archive emails to find that first email to send to him) and send it to D.NCP; and

3. Spending time to read through his subsequent complaints and explain to D.NCP why we take so long to respond to him without hurting his feelings because I cannot just tell him in the face the real reason was because of his fuucking stupidity (not knowing how to hit the "reply" button on the email to get to the sender directly) and/or his sadism (the enjoyment he derives seeing people double-work) and/or his unwelcome consideration for the organisation's and its staff's well-being (by providing reasons for their existence); and

4. Spending time wondering if it was just me or is everyone else around me absolutely stupid; and

5. Spending time convincing myself no, it's not me; and

6. Spending time calming AS and explaining to her the importance of her role in the organisation such that she has to waste such unnecessary time on people such as D.NCP; and

7. Spending time wondering if I can just create a whole new world and banish all such stupid and irritating people like D.NCP to this whole new world exclusively for NCPs and then come to a sudden realisation that no, it's not possible and that yes, I've got to continue taking such shite from these NCPs; and

8. Spending more time trying to get myself out of depression mode arising from the sudden realisation that #7 is not going to happen; and

9. Hence more time spend on doing unnecessary stuff like typing this uber long stupid entry that doesn't make much sense except maybe to the D.NCP.

This is on top of having to work with people who take 10 seconds to type "Can you please delete this column and this row from this spreadsheet and send it back to me?" and another 10 minutes for the email to reach me, for me to make the change, then send it back to him - a total of 10 minutes and 10 seconds spent and maybe 10.49 joules of energy, than to just spend 5 seconds to delete this column and this row from this spreadsheet and about 5.63 joules of energy.

You can bet to your last dollar I really enjoy working here.