Email Out of Office - Symptomatic of what is wrong at the council - no-one gives a hoot

http://verydemotivational.memebase.com/

Today Mr Mustard sent an email to

Mr Michael Lai

Group Manager
Waste & Sustainability Team
Environment, Planning and Regeneration

He is one of the 462 managers at the council. 

It looks like he has gone on holiday and so what will happen to the email between now and when he comes back. Nothing at all.

Thank you for your email. I am out of the office until 21 February 2012 and unable to respond at this time. Please note that your email will not be forwarded. 

I will review your message following my return on 21 February. If you need immediate assistance please contact the Waste & Sustainability Team on 020 8359 7352, or email recycling@barnet.gov.uk

Thank you

Michael Lai

Maybe Mr Mustard's email isn't that important but Mr Lai doesn't know that until he comes back and he obviously doesn't care nor do the more senior management otherwise they would squash this practice. It isn't only Mr Lai who indulges in this dilatory behaviour, it is common practice. It is simply not good enough; it is not providing a service.

The council have a target to answer correspondence within 10 days. This will be missed for this item of correspondence. Perhaps it will simply not be counted at all?

What should happen in a well run workplace? You delegate your emails to an assistant, a peer or your senior. You do not make the customer do the running around. You forward all of your emails automatically to a colleague to deal with if possible.

Is his phone going to voicemail as well? 

Sort yourselves out Barnet Council. You compound problems by not dealing with them.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard