Reply #3: Making "People fit the System...Instead of the System fitting the People."

[KoKo]

I was just talking about this with a friend the other day, about how many changes we've seen since the late 80's in how "customers" are treated everywhere. And by customers, I mean those of us who are patients in this assembly line medicince where one is treated like "clinic" patients used to be treated where even with insurance or money in your pocket, you wait hours and see someone who doesn't spend more than a couple of minutes with you. Hospitals are dreadful with over-worked staff and very few volunteers like the "candy stripers" (nurses in training) and the volunteer older women who would stop by and bring you magazines or fluff your pillows and water your flowers asking if you needed anything. People are too busy to bother and "nurses in training" don't wear those cute little uniforms that made them "special." Even the professional staff show up in outfits with bunnies and happy things printed which look like little kid's pajamas.

Our stores are filled with bored checkers, folks trying to earn a living but have to pass the customer through faster and faster. Many stores have new immigrants checking out who can't really understand what you are saying.

The "casualness" of our society where someone coming to repair an appliance or handle a home repair job, doesn't bother to introduce themself and never addresses you by any name whether Mr. or Ms. or Joe or Sally....they just don't acknowledge you and don't want you to acknowledge them.

Alot of "professionalism" has been ripped out of workplace. Taken over by the swaggering folks who think their money and power is more important than the "jobs" of others.

I could go on with my observations....but my friend and I agreed, that
America is not a nice place to live these days, and there aren't any places we've found where this "culture of systems" hasn't pervaded everything in it's final onslaught particularly since Bush usurped the Presidency, but it started earlier..about when Studs noticed it. :-(