What happened to kindness?

What happened to manners? What happened to consideration? What happened to just being kind?

There is a lot of crap going on at work right now due to recent staffing activity. It happens any time someone leaves the company - we are all mid- about 50 files in varying degrees at some point, and if you leave the company, you are going to be leaving files unfinished. There is no way around it. So I have been doing some work on some of these files, as has another very new escrow officer. The ones I have been doing have had a few issues here and there, nothing that can't be corrected, nothing major. The ones the other girl has been doing seem to be disasters. Or at least she would like you to think that.

My theory in pretty much every part of life is that there is no problem that cannot be solved. Obviously this applies to work in the same way that it applies to every day life. So if you are working on an inherited file, and you find an issue, why not just fix it and shut the fuck up? Why announce it to everyone? What, you never made a mistake? Considering the original owners of these files had about 4 days to clean up there desks and get out, I think they did pretty well.

So I found myself having a bit of a meltdown today at work because of this. I had one file that I inherited where the file had been worked up and signed by the original closer. All I did was balance on the buyer side - barely even glanced at the seller side, since I didn't actually own the file. Upon payout, a particularly bitchy assistant (to whom I gave the file because that is what assistants do - pay out files) found that an error had been made on the seller side. Not only did she flip out about it, but she told me she was going to call the seller and rank on the original closer.

Why? I just don't get it. The error made was easily handled - the seller KNEW, above all else, that he owed this particular fee - no question about it. So just make the adjustment and finish the file. But no. This particular crab-ass decided to make sure the entire office new and had no problem letting others know too. I find that to be the heighth of unprofessionalism. First of all, it is a poor reflection on First American (remember, the people who pay you, you bitch?) and henceforth anyone who works there (namely, me), and secondly, what exactly did this now ex-employee ever do to you? I told her very firmly, "Make the correction and close the file. There is no reason for you to take any of this personally. You do not need to make it a big deal because it isn't, and handling it any other way is absolutely unprofessional." Then I stormed back into my signing.

There have been slurs and comments and all manner of snide remarks being thrown around the office since the departure of this unit, and it sickens me. I am disgusted by the blatant racism displayed by my coworkers toward the customers who call in only to find there is no longer any one here that speaks Spanish. Back before I moved to Mexico I was about the closest thing to a Spanish speaking employee that we had - and that is saying something. Something bad. So then in 2005 we hire three bilingual Spanish people, and draw the business in, and customers are more comfortable about phoning in after a while. Then one day, there is no one there to help.

I had a discussion with another closer this evening - she said, "I'm sorry but if you are going to live here you have to speak the language." I told her I agreed with her. I do. But Friday when someone called in with no English, there was someone here to help, and now today there is no one. Is that any reason for us to be outwardly RUDE? I told her, under no circumstances should bad manners be tolerated. I'm sorry that we cannot help the non-English speaking folks, but you can't give them shit just because we set a precedent and now that help is gone. The customers will go back to having their kids call or the brokers call soon enough, but for now, why are we being so rude?

Which brings me back to the initial question: What happened to being nice? I just don't get it. The media and politicians have blown this thing so far out of whack (smoke and mirrors, baby, smoke and mirrors) that suddenly we are ALLOWED to be inconsiderate to others? How is THAT okay?

When I was in Mexico I managed fine with my limited Spanish, but there were plenty of times I needed more - PLENTY of times. I didn't have the luxury of calling Cablemas or CFE and speaking English to someone. I had to either find someone else to call, become fluent quick, or sit in the dark. So I completely concur with the whole If-you're-going-to-live-here-learn-the-language thing. But for those out there that haven't yet, or even who have a little bit of English, yet we can't (won't) listen for it, why suddenly is it okay to be impolite? We (the US) set the precedent - don't blame the non-English speakers for growing comfortable.

I guess I am just exhausted and amazed that it is 2006 and suddenly it is okay to be rude, impolite, downright mean and hateful. It sickens me that suddenly it is okay to slam our ex-coworkers. I don't know what to do with any of this. I am trying to let it slide off and let the dust settle, but it is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do.