Anonymity becomes anarchy

Almost all customer service reps in government and private companies now use fake names. Governments and companies do this to shield employees from threats by dissatisfied customers upset with decisions or service. I empathize with the need for protection, but this approach only treats symptoms, not the root cause. Unfortunately, anonymity creates other serious problems.

In my view, these have been greatly exacerbated by the explosion of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. I know several studies claim remote work has neutral or even positive effects on productivity. But these must be weighed against potential biases.

For example, the 2026 Remote Work Well-Being Survey (published February 5, 2026, by CoworkingCafe) reports mostly positive effects: 62% of remote workers say they get more done at home, and over half report better focus. Yet CoworkingCafe benefits indirectly but substantially from continued remote/hybrid work growth—as a platform that lists and promotes coworking spaces as a "solution" for remote workers needing variety or collaboration.

Since the pandemic, remote work has surged dramatically. In my experience and opinion, this has caused a clear drop in service quality from both companies and public authorities. I'm convinced remote workers often underperform compared to on-site work.

Remote setups make employees "invisible": shortcomings—or outright failure to do the job—rarely carry consequences. No consequences → private companies risk long-term decline or bankruptcy as frustrated customers switch to competitors.

This market pressure doesn't exist for government agencies funded by taxpayers. I believe they should face some form of competition too—so they actually have to earn their funding.

AI generated image with Grok