Work-Foo -- Venting Therapy
So, here's my grumble and moan about my co-office-worker. I am actually grateful because this work situation could be worse. I've heard some really amazing stories of other co-workers and bosses... The best, so far is did you know: "Kitty Litter" is an employee codeword for talking about management?My co-worker is an angry and hurt woman: married 13 years, dumped by a husband she "groomed for greatness" only to lose him to a younger woman (who is now, as she screams and rants in the office from time to time, reaping the rewards of her hard work), has some college education, no degree, no career, and aspires to be a writer]. Rounding out that is a self-image of being: better and smarter than everybody.
"Seriously?" I asked my boss, "Yes, seriously." Hmmm, does Steven Hawkings have competition?
Let's start with motto... courtesy? Please explain how courteous it is to shout at *customers* on the phone? To pound the desk with your fist or snap your fingers in the receiver simply because the customer isn't supplying the information fast enough? You're probably thinking I'm exaggerating... Nope... got witnesses...
Gratefully, after me taking on phones full time and her occasionally listening to my customer service strategies. She rarely yells or pounds the desk at customers while on the phone. On the rare occasion she does lose it, she waits until she hangs up. YAY! Still makes me jump.
Her treatment of me... she once exclaimed "I almost spewed my coffee, you *actually* used a word correctly!" Blink blink. Me, Tarzan, you office bitch.
She's quite proud of her large vocabulary and I believe sees it as an indicator of her intelligence. She throws obtuse words into mundane conversation and preens when I don't know what the word means (sigh, time to *fake* it). When was the last time you heard someone use vituperous in a conversation? This is not to say having an extensive vocabulary isn't cool but, sheesh.
If you're asking her a question and she doesn't feel you're bright enough to get it, she resays the information but increases the volume until she's pretty much yelling. Unfortunately another office worker does the same thing. It sometimes gets quite loud in here. I never thought I'd wish for cube walls... or... [hands clasped in prayer] a hard-wall office with a door!
And, her temper. I placed some papers on her desk, where she told me to place them. She picked up the stack of papers (as I walked around her) and slammed then down (I jumped, of course). She apologized saying she was really frustrated with herself because she'd promised to clear off that pile so I could place the sheets inside the folder as opposed to on top of the stack of stuff she had there.
Work ethics? Recently she was given a task to do, that had to be done that morning. She was planning on leaving early that day. You'd think she'd get that task done first? Nope. She "all of a sudden" decided billing (which she'd put off doing all week) had to be done right then. (And no, it wasn't end of month... so there was really no urgency). Because I'm caught up, she gives the task to me. I was *so* angry. I did *finally* stand up for myself and very politely told her I would appreciate her curtailing her use of email and chatting so she wouldn't have to pass her work off to me. Funny, since that talk, she's managed to get the billing done, *every* day AND file it. Hmmmm.
Back to rudeness... Why, is she rude to paying customers and potentially browning them off? Dunno. I do know (based on conversations with her) that she has no respect for people she considers less than intelligent than herself. I initially thought she was abrupt with clients because she was so over-worked. That was why they hired me, wasn't it? And I really thought so too, at first. Sucker!
I didn't have a computer at my desk and wasn't situated to see what she did... All I knew was she did an amazing amount of typing. She rarely left her desk except to feed, drink, or use the restroom. And she feed at least 5 times a day, messing up the kitchen, leaving dirty dishes in the sink. Helpful (sucker) that I was I cleaned the office and did her dishes because I thought she was soo busy. FYI, the business is too small to afford janitorial service. GAH fool!
Later, my new desk was situated such that I could see her screen, about 6' away... It's easy to see what applications she was running...quickbooks, excel, word, email and chats... what-have-you.
On a lark, I started noting how much time she spent doing what. Lemme tell ya, she's a wiz with Alt+Tab. Alt+Tab Chat (1 min), Alt+Tab Email (2 min), Alt+Tab Quickbooks (1 min), Alt+Tab Chat (1 minute), Alt-Tab Email (15 minutes), Alt+Tab Quickbooks (1 minute)... etc. And she'd do this all day, except when the boss was back and then she'd be furiously and industriously busy. Except for a couple of times when she was chatting and the boss watched her because he was waiting to hand her some paperwork.
Okay... you're probably saying if I'm finding the time to watch I must not be working either so why should this bother me? I asked the head of the firm to put me to part time... he said, emphatically NO... he doesn't want her back on the phones. He said he would rather pay me to read a book than have her back answering the phones and potentially lose customers.
So, then this begs the question... why doesn't he fire her. Well, there's the accounting she's setup partially with quickbooks and partially with spreadsheets (she's never done actual accounting before, I think. Nor has she fully learned how to use quickbooks). She also confided in me that she intentionally withholds information from the boss so he has to rely on her, job security.
So, the only way for him to let her go is to have her teach me the last remaining functions of her job. He finally talked with her about it last Friday... she's spent a day doing a 'direction' sheet on how to enter billing. I don't think she understands I'm supposed to *know* all of her job, not just just entering the billing. Anyway...
So, the point of writing this... to get the anger and frustration out so I can act and behave in a clear and rational fashion when she does blow up, treats me and clients rudely, is abusive to me, or other insidiousness.
Oh, you must be wondering why I'm even sticking around... the boss is a friend and I promised that before I was thinking of leaving that I would tell him and give him an opportunity to correct the problem. Sigh...
So, thank you web universe for letting me type my frustrations. And for any poor soul who's managed to wade through this... Know that I'm doing my best to be patient and understanding with her... to be patient and understanding with myself and to actually look at these interaction challenges as opportunities to grow. Okay, sounds like hooey, but, heck... why not. If I can deal with her, that'll make dealing with my stepmother one step easier! GRIN
posted by Chiara @ 12:31 PM
5 Comments:
Hey - I still have all that kitty little shit (pardon the pun) saved somewhere! It was just too classic!
- kitty litter surviver
2 new things to add:
1. My sister who lives out of state is being activated and will be gone for a year. So she's planning on visiting. I advised 'office woman' of this and that I'd be taking vacation (duh, Ms. super-intelligence, what do you think I'm doing right now?!). She responded in an admonishing voice that I need to tell her when I'm taking vacation because she's planning on taking a trip to Disneyland. Okay... Why do I have to advise her of my plans but she doesn't have to advise me of hers? ARGH... She goes to Disneyland *alot*... whadda B*****
2. She showed me directions (i.e., held them up for me to see, but didn't give them to me) for billing and she wanted me to muck with them while she went to the bank. 15 minutes didn't seem like enough so (I didn't mention this to her, my bad) I figured I'd do it after she left. She's convinced quickbooks (even though it allows multi-user) can't and *must* be done from her computer. So, she leaves, I'm caught up and I go to her desk to read thru the instructions. Guess what? They're GONE. No where, nada, I went through everything. So, I hoped Word had it still listed and it did. Sigh.
Vacation... need vacation soon!
Dagn woman, what a novel! You go girl! BIG HUGS!
Yep, a novel... sorry. LOL, it was a day tho!
Today's much better, so far! YAY
Alright...I'm going to have to vent also. I went to work today (I work at T.G.I.Fridays) and let's just say that people need to have Restaurant Etiquette when they go out. People can be so rude! It sometimes seems like the modern day Nazis feel the need to bring people down by coming into my work and being not so nice. Okay, most of them are not literally Nazis, but that's how I refer to them because of their behavior. Anyways, let me start from the beginning. I've been on vacation for a little while and I came back to work to find that everything was different!!! I was in such a great mood all day! However, good people turned their evil stupid public heads. One table I had left me a nasty note stating that "The food was terrible. The service was terrible. And the management is clueless." Now, I know that had to have been a lie. Everyone at the table ate all their food. I went by their table approximately 4-8 times to see how they were and to ask how their food was. "Everything's fine" they would reply with smiles. How am I supposed to tell that their food was terrible if they eat it all and then tell me they like it?! I went by their table and talked with them SEVERAL times so I know the terrible service thing was a lie and the only encounter they had with the management was when my manager came to their table and commented about how cute their baby was. I tried to figure out what had happened to make them write such a mean note and that's when I remembered that they were upset because they couldn't get Happy Hour in the restaurant...they had to be in the bar. The mother of the one year old baby said to me, "Well, we wanted to eat in the bar, but he can't go in there." Too bad! If you want to have Happy Hour in the restaurant, then GO TO APPLEBEES! Plus, if you have a baby/child with you, then you shouldn't be drinking anyways...ESPECIALLY DRINKING AND DRIVING!!!
Well, the next day I went to work, I found that a complaint was sent to corporate and it was about me. My name wasn't on it, but I knew it was. It was the first table I had that day. I was so confused because the people were great. I didn't know why they would want to complain. Part of their complaint was that I wasn't very familiar with the menu and soup of the day and stuff. Fair enough. Since I had been gone, the menu had changed A LOT and same with the soup of the day. I didn't not know that our JD items no longer come with soup or salad. She also complained that it was her son's birthday and I didn't sing to him. Funny thing is, no one told me it was his birthday! How am I supposed to know if she doesn't tell me? I can't read minds! People, you have to tell your server these things!!!! The lady went on to complain that the only laughs they had there were about me behind my back. That was so rude. Let's be honest here! I went to their table with a smile on my face each time, I was bubbly and happy and they looked like they were enjoying themselves. They also left me a good tip.
The point of all of this venting is to state that much of the public is mean and harsh. If one has a problem with something, then they need to politely address the problem with the server...if need be, ask to see a manager. HOWEVER, DON'T GET MAD BECAUSE THE SERVER CAN'T READ YOUR MIND. Also, if you are anything like those people I complained about above, then the restaraunt doesn't want you back. It's basically a "don't let the door hit you on the way out" kinda thing. Treat people with respect. Don't come into a restaraunt and think that "server" means "servant". Don't you dare come in and be racist! Don't let your husband try and bully us girls around just 'cause they're big guys and we're skinny girls. Don't be rude. Also, treat others like you would want to be treated.
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