Customer Service?

I have complained previously about the lack of customer service in my host country. Remember the T-Com saga? And I've heard the same complaints from the natives here. And read similar complaints on other expat blogs. But I was reminded today that the customer service in the US isn't always stellar.....

I downloaded the application for an absentee ballot from the Michigan Secretary of State's website. But I couldn't tell if they would mail the ballot overseas as the form required a state to be part of the mailing address and did not provide a spot for the country. I also wanted to know if I could fax my request in rather than mailing it, since the election is getting pretty close. So I called the City Clerk's office.

When I asked if they would mail an absentee ballot overseas, the first woman I spoke with said, "Well it's getting kind of late to be mailing a ballot overseas. Hold on." and transferred me. Nice talking to you, too. Hmm, what percentage of the population of Michigan doesn't bother to vote at all? (Good question, huh? I Googled it and only 25% of Michigan voters ages 18 to 29 voted in the 2002 election.) You'd think they'd be happy that I'm attempting to do my civic duty from overseas, nonetheless, even if it is a little tight on the timing.

The next lady I got asked me if I was "the young woman in Germany?" Umm, scary! How did she know? Caller ID? So I said yes, but asked how she knew. And she tells me that they already sent me everything via email. And I replied that I hadn't requested anything via email. And she said that my mom had requested it for me. (Mom, as far as I know, she's talking about another Mom and another Michigander in Germany. Right??) Don't think that was me. Oh, she replied, then I must be somebody else. Yup. But how did I find the form? (Has she not heard of the web? Does she not know that their form is online??) Anyways, yes, she'll send the ballot overseas; yes, I can fax in my form; and oh, be sure to have it notarized.

[Notarized? Are there notarys in Germany? Have to ask at work tomorrow.] Well, it's required on the form, she said. Me, trying to be polite as possible, "Where?" Isn't it there? Umm, not on the form I downloaded..... She says, oh, well it is on my form. Well, super dandy! And where do I find "your" form? Well, on the city's website, of course. (Silly me, using the Secretary of State's form.) And THEN [this is where it gets good - or better!] she asks why I didn't come into the City Clerk's office before I left the country to pick up my ballot. So I asked how I was supposed to know that I should come into the city clerk's office ~5 months before the election to pick up my ballot.

She didn't answer. I guess she thinks it's a given that everybody knows that. She instead answered my question with her own, asking when I left the country. A couple of months ago, I said. Oh well, then I really should have come into the Clerk's office.....Okay, I think we already covered that and we've even been over the fact that I didn't know to come into the Clerk's office. It didn't show up on my checklist, sorry! I mentioned that the Secretary of State could have told me when I asked them about moving overseas. And she replied that I really should have known to stop by.

HOW????????????????? (Question will probably never be answered.)

Trying not to be smarmy, I replied that I have never in my life been to the City Clerk's office, it didn't cross my mind to go to the City Clerk's office and that I had a few things to do before I left to move to a foreign country an ocean away.

Well, I should hurry and send in my notarized form, so that she can send me the ballot. Okey-dokey. Then she proceeds to ask me my name so they can look for my form. I was so tempted to give her a fake name. But I didn't. I hope this doesn't go onto my record, so that every government official in the city or maybe the state of MI can read in my record that I was too dumb to go to the City Clerk's office to pick up my ballot before I moved overseas......I think I might pop in at Christmas time, just in case I can pick up my ballot for some minor election next year.....And maybe I'll make it a ritual, stopping at the City Clerk's office every time I'm in MI......Pretty soon, they'll know me by name. And they'll anticipate my visits - "Oh, it's getting to be Christmastime again. Sarah should be in soon for her ballot." "Oh, it's summer and time for Sarah's annual home trip. She should be by soon to pick up her absentee ballot."

I went to the City's website to download "her form."

There

is

NOT

an

Absentee

Ballot

Request

Form

to be found

on the

city's

website

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Instead, I found an affadavit that you live overseas on the Secretary of State's website, which does require a notary's signature. Is that what she was referring to? Why didn't she just say so!

The washing machine's still leaking, even with the Silicone my neighbor used to seal it. I think I have to go ask him for more help.....

The TV man is coming on Friday. It will take about two hours (!!!!) for him to install the satellite cable.

In the good news section, my cold is better. I still sneeze a little and my nose is pretty sore, but I didn't even go through a whole package of tissues today. (On Monday, I went through 4 packages!)
Oh, and the US Federal deficit is at it's smallest level in 4 years. But don't get too excited, the Dems say that the Baby Boomers are going to ruin that trend and the deficit is going to "explode" as they start to retire.