The rise of incompetence
Are you partial to a game of phone-roulette? It’s that game you play when you’ve called a helpline and instantly find yourself wondering how the support person fits so much stupid in one head. The only way to escape the stupidly is to hang up immediately and, once the will to live returns, you call again hoping the roulette gods reward you with someone partially competent for round two.
Phone-roulette used to be a rare occurrence, perhaps reserved for niggly tax department phone calls. Now it’s required so often it feels like tolerating incompetence is the norm. Whether it’s a barista regularly failing to put chocolate in your hot chocolate or a mammogram technologist too busy with her phone to detect stage four cancer (true stories), the level of incompetence seems to be rising dramatically, which comes at a huge cost to business.
For your reading pleasure we’re sharing some examples of the incompetence our clients are venting about. We’ll follow that up with our musing about why kiwi workers, once regarded as some of the best on the planet, are now red-lining in the competence department.
You know that premium-waiver-fee you pay on your insurance bill every month? One of our clients was off work, on income protection, but the insurance company kept on charging. The premiums weren’t waived until we got stuck into the incompetent insurer.
If you ran the Auckland marathon, you might know about the parking infringement company who lost masses of revenue because their signs were dated incorrectly. Another sends out fines for Sundays, even though parking is free on Sundays.
We know of a Waikato pharmacist who counts pills incorrectly and regularly gives customers the wrong medication.
There’s a Geotech, in Rotorua, who refused to answer client calls and emails. When the report was delivered months late, it had tripled in price and was a copy of another clients report with the name changed.
A top tier economist is desperately trying to rid themselves of a new hire who spends the day trading the financial markets, instead of doing his job.
Unbelievably a local Veterinary practice has no actual vets! They’re running on locums and when there’s no locums, customers wait weeks.
Our industry isn’t immune with plenty of accountants who don’t know how to account. Some are even printing out Xero, charging thousands, and doing none of the standard checks and balances required by the profession.
One of our cosmetic surgeons heard her receptionist reassuring the patient the bill was correct, despite the patient querying it. Weeks later, the receptionists chipmunk brain clicked, and she demanded the patient drive back to pay thousands more. Thankfully this overconfident employee has left to share her special talent with Australians.
So why is incompetence rising? Our musings include under-resourcing with people too busy to do their job properly, the growing plague of self entitlement as people put themselves before customers or perhaps the schooling methods are to blame with students passing just for showing up and treating the workplace the same way. Is it the talent exodus, the older generations aging out of the workforce, a lack of respect for others or the growing diversity altering our work-ethic, changing societal norms and fraying social fabric? Or is it more about short-termism, connectivity distractions, a growing lack of unity, personal stressors or weaponized incompetence? Has the kiwi she’ll-be-right motto gone too far or maybe, just maybe, businesses are enjoying their own version of roulette where the fastest to anger customers wins.
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