i dislike inefficiency.
i also can't stand personnel who can't be bothered to go the extra mile outside of their regimented list of duties and make service an overall pleasant experience on both sides.

today i went to the canadian high commission in singapore, to check on the status of my student visa extension application. the office is open from only 8am to 1230pm. i unfortunately, work from 9 onwards and only have a lunch break at 1pm, leaving me with a one-hour window to get things settled.

i get to the high com, and there is only 1 person servicing all requests. (ok i understand if she gets harried in the end).

but because there is only 1 person, the process is undoubtedly slow. i'm no.18, but she takes the full hour to serve no. 11 to no. 14.

seeing that i have to leave to go to work, i walk up to the counter and ask if there is any telephone number i can phone instead.

this is the part that annoys me. she completely disregards my question and replies,

"please wait in line. you're not being fair to the other people."

duh i know this. that's why i'm asking for a phone number to call, not for you to attend to me now.
and while i'm at it, why don't you tell me why you let two other people cut queue before hand??? and they weren't asking for phone numbers since it took you a bloody long time to go through and service their requests.

ANYWAY.

i repeat my question and tell her that i'm just interested in getting a phone number and i'll leave.

she then promptly tells me that the canadian high com has no telephone number.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? which building in singapore has no phone number these days??? even if it's an automated call centre thing, most places have phone numbers albeit with an electronic voice at the other end.

what a sucky way to start the morning.

i eventually got the canadian high com telephone number from a family friend who was recently granted PR status in canada.

so much for your non-existent telephone number.