GEORGE TOWN: It’s the unwritten part of the job description for those who are in public service.
Getting hassled, berated, and dealing with impatient customers are part of the job, as many civil servants would attest to.
Administrative assistant Nurul Idayu Mohd Kamal, 36, said she had her fair share of being at the receiving end of disgruntled visitors.
Recalling an incident a few years ago, she said she was on counter duty during her time at a state department office when a customer walked in and sought explanation on an issue.
“He wanted me to explain it to him, which I did. But he didn’t understand it and he launched into a tirade,” said Nurul Idayu, 36,
“The man hurled abusive words at me. But I had to remain calm,” she added.
Nurul Idayu said she then accompanied the person to another room and calmed him down.
She gave him time to explain his problem again and proceeded to brief him about the procedures and help him to work out how he could get his matter settled.
For Nurul Idayu, who now works at another state office, she said she is guided by a simple work principle: “Be cool-headed and don’t judge the other person.”
Another civil servant, who only wanted to be known as Raga, recalled the case of a man who refused to budge until he met the department director.
“I was alone at that time. This man wanted to lodge a complaint and refused to leave.
“I offered to take the complaint and forward it to the director, but he demanded to see the director himself,” she said.
The director, who was out-of-state at the time, advised her to call for security to escort the man out.
“Luckily, he eventually obliged and left,” Raga said.
A university administration officer, identified only as Nadiah, said she had witnessed several confrontations between officers and international students due to misunderstandings.
“Sometimes, when foreign students aren’t happy with their progress reports, they would argue with the officer and try to seek better assessments.
“This is because if they don’t perform well, the renewal of their student visas could be denied and they would be ordered to return to their home countries,” she said.
Sometimes, she said, the confrontations would turn into ugly situations.
Nadiah, 29, said that government officers were only doing their duty in accordance to the law.
“We’re just doing our job. The public needs to understand that.
“However, for the sake of professionalism, we must remain calm and properly guide the person to possible solutions,” she said.
Cuepacs secretary-general Abdul Rahman Mohd Nordin said it was generally known that some processes in the public sector would need a long waiting time.
This would sometimes lead to dissatisfaction among the public procuring such services, he said.
He said civil servants must remain calm and control their emotions at work and this could be done by enhancing communication or training programmes.
“When someone is angry while waiting to be served, as civil servants, we can’t reciprocate with the same negative emotions.
“We need better training in handling emotions and improving communication skills,” he said.
He also said that providing extra facilities such as fast Internet access could also assist in reducing dissatisfaction among the public while at government offices.
At the same time, Abdul Rahman said the public, too, must be knowledgeable about the functions and processes involved in the government departments so they could manage their expectations.
