I just got finished tangling with a telephone messaging system that
undoubtedly was sold to the provincial government as a "labour saving /
cost saving device." In the short term, it probably saves a few dollars on
paper by concentrating workload on fewer employees. In the longer run,
those employees get stressed out and go on sick leave, disability etc. and
cost more than it would cost to fully staff the govt. service. Meanwhile,
a heap of unpaid "self-serve" work is dumped on the hapless clients, who,
if they're less educated or already overloaded with work have to simply
abandon any hope of receiving the elusive govt. service at the end of the
endless phone tree.
Tom Walker
(604) 947-2213
