Dear Government of Canada
Tyaeda
Published
11/12/2010
Dear Government of Canada,
First off, I'd like to say that I love Canada. I love our freedoms, our landscapes, and even most of the people. However, I have a probably common suggestion and possible solution that can lead to solving more than one major issue.
See, I am a unemployed individual who has managed to be accepted for unemployment insurance benefits. As you are aware, it is my responsibility to truthfully give you the information you ask of me regarding my employment and claim, and up until this point, you will see I have done so correctly, and honestly. Next Tuesday I plan on attending the interview/seminar you have demanded that I go to, with the questionnaire filled with many personal questions, record of my education, and record of my recent job skill training. I very much would like to continue paying taxes... so much so that I have put much effort into improving my resume, so I can earn you more money, and hopefully not have to trouble you with this type of claim again. I very much look forward to a day in the near future where I will no longer have to look to you for assistance. Until then, I ask of you another favor;
PLEASE, for the sake of us all, do something about how you communicate and provide information to the public. See, I didn't get the check I was supposed to get this week. Remembrance day was yesterday, and I realize that (because the guy on your automated telephone program told me 6 times), but I was expecting a check early this week. When I didn't get it, I turned to my online Service Canada Account for answers. There I found a notice that my last report was not processed, and instructions to call a phone number for more information... it even told me to push '0' for assistance. So, call I did.... 6 times. After weaving through extensions and options I was FINALLY in line to speak to a representative. No rep answered my call... I was informed by a recording that all of the reps were busy with lottery winners, I mean other people. But, I wasn't deterred at this point... I know these things happen.
Fortunately, the recording did quickly list a phone number (which I had to call back and be put back in line so I could hear it again) that I could call. Apparently I was cursing at the reporting department phone line, and not the overall EI benefit inquiry number.... Never the less, I saw it as an option and opportunity for potential answers as to why you needed me to call, and hopefully when to expect my late check. So I called...
I was very politely greeted and even thanked by another recording (if you can't - fake it... right?)
who listed off a similar, but shorter list of options, and reminded that it was a paid holiday for government workers yesterday. One particular option that sparked my interest was the first. I'm sure you know, but in the case that you don't; it was the one where you can gather claim information (if you "have your access code and SIN number ready"). At that point, I very much needed information, so... I chose it. But I must have chose wrong because, instead of the friendly recording voice I had, at this point, grown very accustom to, I got a new, harsher voice informing me, that "This service is not available at this time".
Back to square one. It's ok... there was the internet, 2 phone numbers, and numerous options left to take a stab at. I was growing frustrated.. so I took a break from calling and pulled down the calendar to see if I was making a mistake. Nope... paid Wednesday every other week... this was the week I was supposed to be paid. Today also just so happened to be the day I was supposed to report again. So back to the internet it was. I accessed my service Canada account, and moseyed on over to the reporting page... which for some reason is on an entirely different website, where I typed in my Access Code and SIN, like I do every two weeks, expecting to find the page where I answer the questions. Instead, another disappointing surprise... "service is currently unavailable". You have got to be kidding Canada.... that's just messed up.
Tried the phone reporting service... (yes... again I called you, and again no one answered me) but THAT too was down.
Why does it have to be so fucking difficult and flawed? Your website is the WORST website to navigate around that I have EVER seen... keep in mind.. I am a young, technologically inclined, website designer. For example... when someone clicks an option in a list as direct and intentional as "Apply for EI benefits online" they do not want to be taken to another list filled with all of the social services you can apply for. There is a serious issue with organization and site mapping... it's so bad... that more often than not, the end of the navigation line is a link to a totally different government website's home page to start the search all over again. Listen... not everyone is as extremely good at finding and exploiting small loop holes as you, alright? I've gone to websites to call numbers that tell me to go to different, but sometimes the same website.
Here's how we solve this, and this is how we can solve two problems at once. HIRE REPS FFS!!! Enough to meet demand. Put it this way... the more people you hire, the less demand there will be... so really it won't be as bad as you estimate. Find knowledgeable, professionally respectful, human beings! You know better than any of us that there's enough of them floating around.... hell some of them are already on your pay roll (unemployed and seeking government assistance). Seriously... I bet most of them wouldn't even care whether they get government employee holidays.
I have attached a copy of my resume and claim information... I was hoping someone could review either or, and get back to me.
- Sincerely,
Access Code **** SIN *********
First off, I'd like to say that I love Canada. I love our freedoms, our landscapes, and even most of the people. However, I have a probably common suggestion and possible solution that can lead to solving more than one major issue.
See, I am a unemployed individual who has managed to be accepted for unemployment insurance benefits. As you are aware, it is my responsibility to truthfully give you the information you ask of me regarding my employment and claim, and up until this point, you will see I have done so correctly, and honestly. Next Tuesday I plan on attending the interview/seminar you have demanded that I go to, with the questionnaire filled with many personal questions, record of my education, and record of my recent job skill training. I very much would like to continue paying taxes... so much so that I have put much effort into improving my resume, so I can earn you more money, and hopefully not have to trouble you with this type of claim again. I very much look forward to a day in the near future where I will no longer have to look to you for assistance. Until then, I ask of you another favor;
PLEASE, for the sake of us all, do something about how you communicate and provide information to the public. See, I didn't get the check I was supposed to get this week. Remembrance day was yesterday, and I realize that (because the guy on your automated telephone program told me 6 times), but I was expecting a check early this week. When I didn't get it, I turned to my online Service Canada Account for answers. There I found a notice that my last report was not processed, and instructions to call a phone number for more information... it even told me to push '0' for assistance. So, call I did.... 6 times. After weaving through extensions and options I was FINALLY in line to speak to a representative. No rep answered my call... I was informed by a recording that all of the reps were busy with lottery winners, I mean other people. But, I wasn't deterred at this point... I know these things happen.
Fortunately, the recording did quickly list a phone number (which I had to call back and be put back in line so I could hear it again) that I could call. Apparently I was cursing at the reporting department phone line, and not the overall EI benefit inquiry number.... Never the less, I saw it as an option and opportunity for potential answers as to why you needed me to call, and hopefully when to expect my late check. So I called...
I was very politely greeted and even thanked by another recording (if you can't - fake it... right?)
who listed off a similar, but shorter list of options, and reminded that it was a paid holiday for government workers yesterday. One particular option that sparked my interest was the first. I'm sure you know, but in the case that you don't; it was the one where you can gather claim information (if you "have your access code and SIN number ready"). At that point, I very much needed information, so... I chose it. But I must have chose wrong because, instead of the friendly recording voice I had, at this point, grown very accustom to, I got a new, harsher voice informing me, that "This service is not available at this time".
Back to square one. It's ok... there was the internet, 2 phone numbers, and numerous options left to take a stab at. I was growing frustrated.. so I took a break from calling and pulled down the calendar to see if I was making a mistake. Nope... paid Wednesday every other week... this was the week I was supposed to be paid. Today also just so happened to be the day I was supposed to report again. So back to the internet it was. I accessed my service Canada account, and moseyed on over to the reporting page... which for some reason is on an entirely different website, where I typed in my Access Code and SIN, like I do every two weeks, expecting to find the page where I answer the questions. Instead, another disappointing surprise... "service is currently unavailable". You have got to be kidding Canada.... that's just messed up.
Tried the phone reporting service... (yes... again I called you, and again no one answered me) but THAT too was down.
Why does it have to be so fucking difficult and flawed? Your website is the WORST website to navigate around that I have EVER seen... keep in mind.. I am a young, technologically inclined, website designer. For example... when someone clicks an option in a list as direct and intentional as "Apply for EI benefits online" they do not want to be taken to another list filled with all of the social services you can apply for. There is a serious issue with organization and site mapping... it's so bad... that more often than not, the end of the navigation line is a link to a totally different government website's home page to start the search all over again. Listen... not everyone is as extremely good at finding and exploiting small loop holes as you, alright? I've gone to websites to call numbers that tell me to go to different, but sometimes the same website.
Here's how we solve this, and this is how we can solve two problems at once. HIRE REPS FFS!!! Enough to meet demand. Put it this way... the more people you hire, the less demand there will be... so really it won't be as bad as you estimate. Find knowledgeable, professionally respectful, human beings! You know better than any of us that there's enough of them floating around.... hell some of them are already on your pay roll (unemployed and seeking government assistance). Seriously... I bet most of them wouldn't even care whether they get government employee holidays.
I have attached a copy of my resume and claim information... I was hoping someone could review either or, and get back to me.
- Sincerely,
Access Code **** SIN *********
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