working for a dull, humourless bureaucracy that drains them of any warmth?

The first makes sense, as it prepares the client for what is probably going to be a fairly unpleasant experience, but the second would also be understandable.

Their website said that you can get parking permits for courtesy cars but on arrival the scowly receptionist gave me a standard permit application which I had to fill in, despite it being seemingly inapplicable. When my number came up I was told by the next surly operative that the person who applied for the original permit should be the one signing that form. I explained that she came in at 8.00am yesterday to do so, (the opening time according to the website) but was told that it didn't open till 9.00am. "It's changed" I was told.

Anyway I signed it anyway and when I handed it back to he she seemed to brighten up, and stapled it to something else without even looking at it. Conclusion: all they want is to make people fill in forms. It doesn't matter what you say, or whether it is the correct form, just fill in a form and you make them happy.