WHO WOULD KNOW?

WHO WOULD KNOW?

There will be further examples of the experiences with public servants posted here in the future. 

This post will describe an exchange with a public servant went.

If you need to obtain information on a situation, you will just need to pick a phone number close to the department you need.  It won’t matter; you need to just call someone.  

The following is an example of needing information on storing fuel in large quantities.  A call was placed to the DNR.  Someone did answer, but was referred to a different department.  After calling the second office, and getting another number to call, frustration was setting in.  I was referred to eleven, yes 11, other contacts, and ended up back at the DNR, at the first number I called.  The DNR guy was a little embarrassed. 

Over the past ten years of this sort of thing, one conclusion of public service is quite clear, if a thing is going to cause some work to land on my desk, I want nothing to do with it. 

If you are a private citizen and not “connected”, you don’t have a chance.  “Connected” means that you know someone that has power and influence over the person you are trying to deal with.  If you are not connected, you will be handled.  Someone will listen to you who will know nothing about what you are trying to explain to them.  They will interrupt and ask you a question about something they do know about, that will have nothing to do with the situation that you are trying to explain, and could be found on any website.  As you go on to continue to explain the situation, you will experience a “PAUSE” from this person after you are finished. 

The “PAUSE”.  This is used in several ways. 

First:  The person you are talking to has no idea on what to do.  Where to send you, or has never heard anything like what you are describing.  There is nothing wrong with being in this position; no one knows everything about anything.  But, what you will probably hear next will be, “I will have someone call you.”

You will never hear anything back, and if you call back; the phone call never happened, don’t recall talking to you, it must have been someone else, you have called the wrong department, I have talked to my boss, and he does not know anything about it, he is in a meeting, he is away from his desk, I am out of the office, and won’t be back until a month from next Tuesday. 

More than likely they have caller ID and will never answer that number again.   In order to talk to this office again, you will need another phone line with a different number.  When you call and they answer this time, and you tell them who you are, and that you had talked to them before and you are following up because no one called you back.  Then you will get another “PAUSE” this one will be longer, they will not be able to react, being caught off guard. 

Where it goes from here is infinite, there are as many routes as there are laterals on a spider web, but be certain of one thing.  YOU ARE GOING TO GET NOTHING.