The Unexpected The Office Character Fans Thought Was The Most Competent

When it comes to the workers of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, each has a role to play in the success of its daily operations. However, some of these employees seen on "The Office" aren't as competent as others.

Take, for example, Creed Bratton, who is rarely seen doing any actual work. He fails majorly in his role as quality assurance manager when, in Season 3, Episode 21 ("Product Recall"), he lets countless reams of paper with an obscene watermark be distributed. However, he does take his New Year's resolution of performing a cartwheel rather seriously.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, others like Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez) are able to execute their job duties effortlessly. In fact, Oscar sometimes comes off as too confident in his abilities and knowledge. There's also Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson), who is one of the only employees to consistently climb the ladder. He works his way up and out of the warehouse, eventually holding the title of marketing director.

However, there's another Dunder Mifflin worker who, surprisingly, fans feel is even more competent. This person is not only excellent at their job, but they're also passionate about what they do and willing to share helpful tips with their colleagues.

Throughout "The Office," Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling) serves as the Scranton branch's sole customer service representative. Kelly often comes off as ditzy, air-headed and boy-crazy, especially regarding Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak), but her personable nature allows her to excel at her job.

Kelly ultimately comes to the rescue when a paper featuring an inappropriate watermark is released. As the office becomes flooded with angry client calls, she trains the accounting department of Oscar, Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), and Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey) in answering the phones. It's a feat that proves difficult, especially with Angela, who pops an aspirin prior to spending the day with Kelly. Still, Kelly is unwaveringly patient and encouraging as Angela snaps at the customers. Kelly also regularly takes on new accents and identities to keep her calls more entertaining.

On Reddit, u/wigglebuttbiscuits shared the "hot take" that Kelly is actually the most competent employee. This user said, "[A] running theme is that nobody understands why the Scranton branch is so successful, despite Michael's terrible management. It's also repeatedly reinforced that the reason customers buy from Dunder Mifflin despite their higher prices is their customer service. Which Kelly is responsible for."

A number of fans were in agreement with the supposed hot take. U/dsjunior1388 wrote, "[A]s someone who worked in telephone customer service, Kelly would be great to get on the line when you have a problem..." U/Knitapeace hated to admit it, but acknowledged, "I am so very reluctantly on board with this theory."

While "The Office" fans hailed Kelly Kapoor as the most competent Dunder Mifflin employee, show creator Greg Daniels hailed Mindy Kaling as the show's top writer. He told The New York Times, "I always call her the best writer on our staff. It's probably completely the wrong thing to do."

Additionally, just as Kelly is surprisingly great at her job, Daniels explained that Kaling's writing talents emerged out of nowhere. "Your average writer, when they get really good, I know how they got it. I can see the steps. But I love how with Mindy, I don't see how she does it."

In a Q&A for Office Tally, Kaling revealed the secret to her success in portraying Kelly –- intentionally penning basic, lackluster lines for her character. These include, "You guys, I'm like really smart now. You don't even know," and, "I have a lot of questions. Number one – how dare you?" This is in addition to Kelly's encyclopedic knowledge of rom-coms and the personal lives of various celebrities, such as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes.

"I never intentionally give myself the funniest lines," explained Kaling. "However, they often resonate as the funniest because of my gifts as a comic actor. Sometimes I try to give myself really drab, unfunny lines so as to not steal focus. But even that doesn't work because they always sparkle upon delivery. It's hard."