Mr. Maximum Tolerance

Mr. Max is a man who visited my window yesterday. He’s a big but fit, mid 40s guy who can probably kill me in an instant if he wanted to. He went to my window yesterday because he wanted his visa re-stamped in his new passport. This, I must say is a very illogical requirement for foreigners. I think we’re the only country who actually require foreigners to re-stamp their visas once their passports expire. I mean, cant they just stick their old passport to the new one?

But anyway, Mr. E.D. reminded us the other day that we should have maximum tolerance towards our subjects as we are in the line of service. So that would mean that no matter how mean a subject gets, we have to be the bigger person and absorb these kinds of things. How… HARD CAN IT BE, RIGHT?

I am telling you right now that if you believe in the motto: do unto others what others do unto you, this job is not for you. Everyday we get at least one person who gets, as we say “high blood” just because they feel like it. And yesterday, we won the jackpot of all jackpots for having experience the most “high blood” people. You see, there are four people in the frontline, the remaining ten are our allies and support. These four people (including me) RECEIVE and ABSORB all those disrespectful and very rude comments from our clients. We don’t usually complain because we make the most out of it and laugh about it afterwards.  But yesterday was a combination of a crying lady, a masungit old lady, a hot headed man, and an impatient family.

SO, what I want to say is that, even though we are in a service-oriented work, it does not mean that we are suppose to be treated that way. Maximum tolerance from us, and maybe a little patience from you wont hurt.

Service-oriented jobs are required to serve you, and as for us, we are responsible to accept, process and implement your visas, BUT we are also NOT JUST responsible to serve you. YOU are one of the MANY people we serve everyday. We are sorry if we don’t remember the folder number or the date of agenda of YOUR folder. We are sorry if we don’t remember your name or whatever case you are, because quite frankly, we see too many kumars and singhs for Indians, choo, choi, cheu for Koreans, and a lot more. So if we ask you what your story is, tell us. Help us remember. Help us, help you serve faster and better. We are not manghuhulas. We may remember your face, but we cant remember everything.

As for Mr. Max, he was the only person that day that made our day. Because even though he had to fulfill all the requirements the whole day, he still had a smiling face, he was still very patient, and lastly, he was still very grateful. And to also mention that I almost lost his authenticated copy of his birthday correction. HE WAS STILL LAUGHING WITH US. And that my friends was Mr. Max—Mr. Maximum Tolerance.

I hope we get more of him once the CGAF (more on that soon) starts being implemented.

** Mr. Max is a real person, but obviously that’s not his real name. 

    Mr. Max, thank you for making July 10, 2012 a good ending for all of us in the office. You are one of a kind! I hope our clients have your patience and sense of appreciation.