Good help

I’m reminded again and again how hard it is to get good help.

Or communicate clearly.

In August, I emailed a local organization asking that my recurring $10 donation, which they process automatically on their end, be stopped. A month later, the donation showed up again. I emailed yet again, and this time got a response saying that the person I emailed no longer worked there, apologizing that my donation had not be canceled, and telling me it would be now.

And so it was that Wednesday night last week the donation shows up yet again as pending on my bank account. This time I called. Explained. Asked for an explanation. And asked that this charge be reversed.

And now I’m disinclined to ever give again to this particular organization.

Meanwhile, in my hotel room in Normal, Illinois last Thursday morning, I went to the coffee maker in the little niche by the closet. Housekeeping had stocked with only decaf! (This happens more often that you might realize.) The front desk staff and I had a good laugh, and the situation was remedied, by where’s the common sense and the checklist?

I realize that housekeeping staff are likely underpaid and pressed for time. But if I have to choose between a made bed and coffee, I’m going with coffee.

Meanwhile, for a recent non-Webster project, I went back and forth by text about something, asking each time for a specific Web link to help me understand. And each time I got an answer that the link had already been sent.

“Just send it to me again,” I wanted to scream in ALL CAPS.

Once I finally got the link, I saw why I was confused, and saw the mistake made by other people on the team. But the back-and-forth to get there could have been avoided had my request for the specific URL just been handled expeditiously.

As I explain to my students all the time, everything I do as a teacher has a purpose. And as a volunteer and sometime-administrator, likewise.

But we are all probably better off that the entire world is not populated with other versions of me.

Here endeth the rant.