Name:   architect - Subject:   There are bad folks in ALL large organizations Date:   2/24/2016 7:10:50 PM

One of the most reviled government agencies is the post office and much of it is deserved...but they do get a letter from Key West to Nome in 2 or 3 days for 49 cents!

a couple of weeks before Christmas I received a letter from the IRS.  It said I owed about $3000 plus penalties  because of an error in my 2014 return.  It pointed out where the calculation error occured and said in a very unpleasant manner that the underpayment must be received in 21 days or bad things would happen.  It had a toll free number to call to discuss.  Concerned, I got out my tax files and checked the math and could find no error.  I called the number and was of course put on hold...for 42 minutes!  Finally an IRS employee came on the line, I am not sure, but she sounded as if she was African American.  She listened to my explanation while looking at the return.  She asked if she could put me on hold while she did some checking.  I agreed and after another hold of 10 minutes she finally came back on the line and said she and an associate had carefully considered the situation, found my figures were correct and their auditor's were wrong and asked that I accept the apology of the IRS.  She instructed me to expect a letter confirming the reversal within 2 to 3 weeks.  I received the confirmation 19 days later!  Several years ago I had a similar error (a double withdrawal from my account) by a very large nationally known bank.  It took 2 weeks to get an admission of the error, the funds restored to my account,  overdraw  fees for "bounced" checks due to their error restored and a letters of apology sent to each receiver of the bad checks....no apology was ever offered to me!

Big breeds bad...in government and private business, but big does not always have to result in rudeness.