He was a laid-back and easygoing guy, but recently found himself in a frustrating situation with a financial aid officer at his college.
His exchange with this financial aid representative left him feeling exasperated and angry.
College as an Adult Learner
He is pursuing further education as an adult, but facing financial constraints after a messy separation from his ex-spouse.
The financial aid officer asked for a copy of their separation agreement to prove that they were no longer together, and the original poster (OP) promptly sent them a blank PDF of the full agreement along with a photo of the signatures.
He Explained Everything to Her
He put in the body of the email that they had to print the agreement and sign it in person, which is why they included the signatures as proof.
Was She Tech-Savvy?
But a few weeks later, OP received a condescending phone call from the financial aid officer.
Her tone was rude and dismissive, and she claimed that OP had sent her a blank PDF with no signatures.
She Had It Out for Him
She accused him of wasting her time and energy, refusing to believe that there could be more than one attachment in the email!
Despite OP’s attempts to explain that there was a second attachment with the signatures, the financial aid officer remained hostile and uncooperative.
He Tried to Help Her
OP remained calm and polite, trying to guide the financial aid officer to locate the missing attachment.
He pointed out that the signatures were on a separate page, which was identical to the one in the PDF, but had been printed and signed.
But She Wasn’t Having It
But the financial aid officer continued to berate him, accusing him of not sending the complete agreement and ignoring his explanations.
Frustrated, OP decided to resend the attachment again, asking if she could see it now.
The financial aid officer finally acknowledged the attachment but then complained that it was only the signature page and demanded the rest of the agreement!
He Was Trying So Hard to Be Patient With Her
OP patiently explained that the rest of the agreement was the same as the PDF he had sent earlier, which was lengthy and detailed.
He questioned why she needed it again, as she already had the PDF.
But the financial aid officer insisted that she wanted the printed version as well, claiming they were different.
Yet She Was Just Being Incredibly Rude
She was relentlessly harassing OP, accusing him of stuff, and constantly talking over him.
He felt like it was clear that she had already made up her mind and was just looking for excuses to deny his financial aid application.
Queue the Malicious Compliance
OP offered to take photos of the remaining pages and send them to her, but she rudely interrupted him, demanding that he do so immediately.
Despite his efforts to explain, she hung up on him, leaving him frustrated and perplexed.
So OP decided to enact some malicious compliance.
It Was What She Wanted
Determined to prove his point, OP took photos of every single page and emailed them to the financial aid officer.
However, due to Gmail’s limit of 5 items per email, he had to send them in multiple emails, one page at a time.
Did It Backfire?
In response, the financial aid officer sent him an email, curtly stating that she would get back to him regarding his eligibility and asked him to please stop sending emails.
OP was worried that he might have jeopardized his chances of getting a bursary for school, but he felt that the financial aid officer was biased against him and unwilling to listen to his explanations.
Hopefully, She Doesn’t Decide His Eligibility
He hoped that the next person who dealt with her would have a better experience and be able to communicate effectively.
He’s already resolved to ask to speak to a supervisor or to dispute the matter if his request for a bursary comes back as a no, so here’s hoping it works out for him!
She Should Have Respected Him
Reflecting on the situation, OP feels a mix of emotions. He was angry and frustrated at the financial aid officer’s dismissive attitude and lack of professionalism.
He had provided all the necessary documentation, but she had refused to acknowledge it and treated him disrespectfully.
He Had No Other Options
He also feels guilty for resorting to malicious compliance, sending multiple emails with photos of every page, but he had no other option in the face of her stubbornness.
People Can Be Uncooperative at the Worst Times
OP’s experience highlighted some individuals’ challenges when dealing with bureaucratic processes and uncooperative officials.
He followed the instructions and provided the requested documentation, but it was not enough for the financial aid officer.
She Just Wouldn’t Let Up
Her rude behavior and refusal to listen had left him feeling unheard and frustrated. He had tried to maintain his composure and explain his situation, but she had been unwilling to consider his perspective.
Hopefully, she isn’t the person who judges whether he is eligible for the bursary! He may have ruined his chance of going to college if she is.
What do you think of his tale of malicious compliance? It seems like this could hinder his chances of getting an education – hopefully, it doesn’t!
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The post He May Not Realise His College Dreams if His Malicious Compliance Backfires! Was It Too Big of a Risk to Take? first appeared on Career Step Up.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Cast Of Thousands. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
Source: Reddit