Press 1 for Help, 2 to Scream: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

The other day I volunteered to get in touch with Student Employment Services to see if there was some bright young budding student who is either taking journalism or wanted to learn the business.

We at Opinion 250 were (and still are) looking to hire an extra reporter.

I can say the experience of trying to  link up with someone at the Student Employment Services office was more than enlightening.

First, lets try to find a phone number.

Look under the blue pages for the Federal Government.  Ahhh , Service Canada Centers  phone 561-5200 , local number that should get the job done, well not quite, an answering service refers you to a toll free number at 1-888-800-9612 , but wait, I want the local outfit, too bad, call is now ended and I’m talking to a dead phone.

Oh well lets give the 888 number a call.  It’s now 9.25 a.m. but no one’s home. I’m told (in both French and English) to leave a message,   then I’m told I can put my ad on the Web. But all I want is to talk to someone to ask them if I’m heading in the right direction.

Sorrree, that’s the end of that call, they just hung up.

Well that does it, surely they must have a local student employment office open by now.  Lets call 411, get the number and do an end around.

Get the number no problem, 561-5165 by God it’s a local number.

Dialed it, ‘this number is no longer in service". Must have copied the number down wrong, back to the operator at 411.  Yup it’s the right number, well lets try it again .. No longer in service you say they why in hell give me the number?  

Oh well its 9.50 am, take a break and then try that 888 number again.

Here we go 1-888-800-9612... Leave a message and we’ll get back to you… No I want to talk to a real warm body, so long buster, dead line.

Okay lets call back as the final try and see what happens, look out I’ve hit the jack pot , they’re going to answer... well not yet,  but I’m hearing some music that obviously is designed to drive me nuts but I can live through another ten minutes of this, after all its down to the principle .

"Hi can I help you?". (Now 10.17 am) "Yahh don’t hang up on me I just want to ask about hiring a student."

"Sorry I don’t do that sort of thing but here is the number that you dial,"

(Ah Hah , now I’m going to get somewhere)

"call 1-800-663-6882  and here are some locals (notice the words some locals) try 329,429,462,353 , Do you want some more ? "

No thanks that ought to do it.

Well now let’s try these numbers, dial up the number and and guess what. "I’m not at my desk, leave me a message and I’ll get back to you"  O.K. lets try 429, same thing, lets try 462, same thing, how about  353? Noooooo, same thing. Okay I’ll leave a message because it’s now 10.47 am. And all I want to do is ask some questions.

Finally, is there a budding reporter or someone out there who wants to try their hand as a reporter?  If there is, phone me….at Opinion250….

And oh yes, leave me a message.

I’m Meisner and that is one man’s opinion.

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