Trying

Blogger.com is trying my patience. And stupid people try my patience. Do they see me coming? Can they hear, as their phone rings, that they will be able to torment me with the first utterance of wasted breath from their lips?

Last week, I phoned someone at work – let's call her Mary. Mary's phone was answered by a guy, who informed me she was still on leave. I asked who else I could speak to regarding this matter. He gave me another extension to call, which I duly did.

Phone rings. Same voice answers.

Me: Hi, I'd like to find out how… hey, didn't I just speak to you?
Same voice: Yes.
Me: Are you still in the same room?
Same voice: Yes. You need to send an email with your request.

Is it just me, or could we have cut down that process by one phonecall? I phone Mary's extension, he tells me (via Mary's extension) that I needed to email my request.

Yesterday, I went on a crusade to find out why I haven't been paid for December. Christmas is expensive without an income.

I call Helen in Payroll. According to her records, I have been paid. According to my records, I haven't. We take our debate to Ally in Finance. She confirms that I have been paid – into a Nedbank account. I question how it is that they paid into a Nedbank account, seeing as I entered banking details for my ABSA account.

"Oh, we found your information on the system from when you were working for us (in another office for a total of three weeks) in 2000…"

I point out that was seven years ago – and if they still had me on the system in the first place, why the hell didn't they say so when I handed in my invoice for December. At the end of last year, they informed me that because I was on a new contract they required my full banking details, a copy of my ID, a birth certificate, a chunk of hair and a harvested egg from one of my ovaries.

Then they magically found me on the system, with a bank account that is no longer used and chose to use those details instead. Ignore current bank account, current phone details, current anything. No need to update. People don't change once every seven years. Just use what's on the system folks!

Fekking idiots. I'm going to the Kruger Park for the rest of the week. I'll look out for the missing link while I'm there, but I think enough evidence has already been found in the corporate world.

On the upside yesterday, I also got to watch Baywatch Hawaii… The Movie. Thong-clad kwality entertainment.