I moved offices today, which is extremely exciting. I've gone from a hybrid cubicle with a door and walls that end a foot short of the ceiling to an office with full walls and blinds in the window so I can actually have some privacy. Considering that office space is at a premium in our building, this is considerable step up. The only bad part, besides temporary disorganization, is the hassle of exchanging keys.
It is beyond me, why, at a Research I Institution with loads of technology and inventions, we are still in the dark ages when it comes to our key system. Even worse than archaic door entry systems, is facing the beauracracy known as The Key Office. These people are on a power trip! They know that you need then and don't you forget it!
My colleague, who was moving from a traditional cubicle into my old cubicle hybrid, and I left at 9:30am and walked across campus to Keys. It was already 96 degrees out. When we arrived, I explained that I was changing offices, needed to change keys and that my colleague would need the key I was submitting. She took my ID and looked me up in the system. The conversation went as follows.
Key Lady: Are you turning in both of the keys that you have?
Me: I only have one key.
Key Lady: No, you didn't or else we wouldn't still have this envelope with your name on it in the slot.
Me: Last time I was here, I waited for 3 hours to exchange keys. I'm certain that I turned it in.
Key Lady: The envelope is here.
Me: Okay, well are you sure that they didn't forget to remove it? They were kind of busy.
Key Lady: Yes, I'm sure.
Me: Okay, well, I will talk to our office manager and try to figure out what happened. In the meantime, I'll just exchange the other keys.
Key Lady, takes my key request slip and looks it up in the system: This key doesn't exist.
Me: I'm sorry?
Key Lady: The key you're asking for doesn't exist. You need a different number. Because you remodeled and you didn't coordinate with our office. So now your door numbers don't match the key numbers so I can't give you a key.
And it's true. I did in fact remodel the entire 4th Floor of the SSB by myself. And I chose not to coordinate with keys. And I selected random door numbers to slap on people's offices regardless of any archaic key system. You got me lady. I am so sorry!
It required my colleague and I to go back to the office to have our office manager sign new key requests (because talking on the phone wasn't good enough) and a phone call to keys to make sure we had the "right" key number and then a final hike across campus to the key office. It was then 100 degrees and we were sweaty and smelly.
It is beyond me, why, at a Research I Institution with loads of technology and inventions, we are still in the dark ages when it comes to our key system. Even worse than archaic door entry systems, is facing the beauracracy known as The Key Office. These people are on a power trip! They know that you need then and don't you forget it!
My colleague, who was moving from a traditional cubicle into my old cubicle hybrid, and I left at 9:30am and walked across campus to Keys. It was already 96 degrees out. When we arrived, I explained that I was changing offices, needed to change keys and that my colleague would need the key I was submitting. She took my ID and looked me up in the system. The conversation went as follows.
Key Lady: Are you turning in both of the keys that you have?
Me: I only have one key.
Key Lady: No, you didn't or else we wouldn't still have this envelope with your name on it in the slot.
Me: Last time I was here, I waited for 3 hours to exchange keys. I'm certain that I turned it in.
Key Lady: The envelope is here.
Me: Okay, well are you sure that they didn't forget to remove it? They were kind of busy.
Key Lady: Yes, I'm sure.
Me: Okay, well, I will talk to our office manager and try to figure out what happened. In the meantime, I'll just exchange the other keys.
Key Lady, takes my key request slip and looks it up in the system: This key doesn't exist.
Me: I'm sorry?
Key Lady: The key you're asking for doesn't exist. You need a different number. Because you remodeled and you didn't coordinate with our office. So now your door numbers don't match the key numbers so I can't give you a key.
And it's true. I did in fact remodel the entire 4th Floor of the SSB by myself. And I chose not to coordinate with keys. And I selected random door numbers to slap on people's offices regardless of any archaic key system. You got me lady. I am so sorry!
It required my colleague and I to go back to the office to have our office manager sign new key requests (because talking on the phone wasn't good enough) and a phone call to keys to make sure we had the "right" key number and then a final hike across campus to the key office. It was then 100 degrees and we were sweaty and smelly.
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1 comment:
I have signed the form to get a key to the lab room I'm teaching in this semester, I'm betting I'll have the key by the time I give them their final exam.
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