Two different offices, two separate locations, two completely different reps. Same rudeness and lack of professionalism or even humanism. I applied for food stamps back in December after losing my job in October and experiencing first hand how harshly the economy is effecting everyone, even a regular everyday working stiff like myself. My assigned case worker was Ms. F. Burton who claimed she did not receive my materials by the appointed deadline, so my case was rejected. I mailed in all the documents, as suggested by a Rep who answered the main number one day and actually assisted me, including the fax cover sheet and receipt displaying that I did indeed send/fax the materials in on time. Still nothing. My next option was too appeal the decision, which I did immediately. So the date was set for me to meet this caseworker face to face and give her my undeniable proof and don't you know the day before the Friday morning appeals appointment (which was at 8am) I finally got a call from the ever elusive Ms. Burton who said this to me: 'Hi Ms. I'm going to be honest with you, I really don't want to have to get up early on a Friday so I'm just going to go ahead and approve your stamps and we'll pay you for the last two months. Just come in tomorrow and we'll move that along'. I obliged. After our meeting, she informed me that she would no longer be my contact person and that I could receive my Access card it the front. Well after two torturous hours I was informed that Ms. Burton was in fact supposed to print out the card herself and supply it to me. I haven't spoken to her since that day and oh guess what, she WAS my contact person until the expiration of my case, which would be June.

Skip ahead to June. I was to receive a renewal notice in the mail to update welfare on my financial status. Well, July 15th I received two notices, one was a notice telling me my case was closed because they did not receive my renewal form, along with appropriate proofs, by the deadline. The next separate notice was the RENEWAL FORMS stating the due date as July 23rd. So why was my case closed if the deadline hasn't even happened, not even as I type this!? So, I sit here confused. I reached out to Ms. Burton, nothing and she's the one who closed it. On the 'close of account' notice, I'm geven the option to appeal once again, so I decide to do that and see if that early morning appointment puts fire under Burton's butt, but instead I was advise by one of the main operators to 'just go ahead and refile a whole new case because appealing would take to long and not the best idea if I need assistance right away.' I take her advice and say good riddance to Burton. Besides I'm moving in a week so maybe a new office and a new case worker would be....well it doesn't matter what I thought. I apply on online with my new address and am assigned to Mrs. T. Tukes. I received a letter from the office stating to call Tukes asap in order to go forward with this case. I receive the letter Friday afternoon and call right and leave a message. After leaving that message, I realized I didn't leave all the requested info from her voicemail message, so given past experience, the last thing I wanna do is provide a lack of information to these folks. I call back again but get voicemail again, I don't leave a message, instead I call back Monday and leave another voice mail, this time with all info requested. Tukes calls me back a couple hours later and the first thing she says after I say hello is: "Listen Ms. McNeil, I got your numerous messages and I'd to like to ask you to never do that again. You only need to leave one message I will get back to you as soon as I can. Leaving numerous messages will not get you called back any faster." I hesitantly apologize and bring attention to the reason for the two messages and that I only hoping to make her job easier, but as I'm giving her my explanation she's huffing and puffing and repeating my name in the most irked fashion. "Ms. McNeil, Ms. McNeil no no no listen just leave one message in the future ok? So I don't why they word those letters that way but all you need to do is send your information in" I start to explain the confusion of last time and that I'm moving and I just wanted to make sure I understood everything. She interrupts again: "Ms. McNeil, I have nothing to do with whatever happened before, that is not my problem, you didn't really need to contact me, you just need to send your stuff in." SO much more rudeness ensued after, but I finally said I don't deserve this and hung up.

This has to stop, it has to stop. People like me, with superior customer service/care skills and I'm unemployed and these persons are not only with job but just relentlessly, scathingly negative! This is a very sensitive place to be in, to have to ask for help and be treated like a low life for no reason, meanwhile this employed person I'm speaking to is less articulate than my dog. All because they got a good score on a cattle call exam...this can't decide everything, it just cannot! There has to be a more efficient way to hire people who care, at least, about the fate of their jobs enough to act like a person at least for the hours they're obligated. People are desperate out here and to met with such behavior at your most down moment could drive one to make terrible decisions. They need to be humbles with the loss of their jobs, nothing short of.