Hurr hurr.
So after last summer working at The Museum I found my internship over and myself out of a job.
Also, my school was like "What? You wanna come back? NOPE!"
Fuuuu...dge and crackers.
So I'm sitting in Calgary hurrumphing over needing to figure out what to do with my life.
When things like this happen, I would love to say I am a calm person in personal crisis; but that would be a lie.
I panic, hardcore.
When there's problems at work I can keep a level head, but when it comes to my personal life; the farmer basically just cut off my head.
So I applied like crazy for anything I could think of that wasn't retail. Been there, did that, would rather sleep with spiders. Okay maybe not, but retail = noooooooo.
So anyways, after a few interviews and such and such job chasing later I landed a job as a receptionist for an oil company. Now, I'm not going to be naming names because the last thing I want is to get in trouble with people of Considerable Status Above Me.
Bascially, I'm the girl who sits by herself in the front waiting area greeting you as you walk in and trying to figure out what meeting you are supposed to be in (because nobody tells me anything >.<) I answer the phone.. when it rings.. once in a while, and answer emails (which are like, never).
Basically I sit here and do school work and clean the boardrooms.. and possibly blog. Errr.
Although, there are two things I do in my job that I'm pretty most other receptionists don't have to do. However, if they do I feel for them.
1) I sometimes have the joy of running my bosses personal errands. Like picking up her sons stocking for Christmas, or picking out the Presidents new car, or their furniture, or their towing company, or their dishwasher repair-man, or (and possibly the best) their entire Christmas celebration and gift for the embassy. Oh joy of joys. And no, I don't get additional pay for this. I do this out of the "goodness of my employee heart".
Usually most people are like "but that means you don't have to sit behind a desk all day!" or "it must be so fun!'
No. Just, no.
I have to do their errands, plus my work I have. Also, my bosses are PICKY. Like, I mean they put your gluten-free, vegan-friendly, "I won't eat dog" American cousin visiting China to shame.
I once picked out 5 different set of Christmas lights before I was told to pick out "exactly these ones", the gaudiest of the gaudy I may add.
Why could you not tell me in the first place? And then, when I pick those ones out, there may still be something wrong with them. Like they aren't bright enough.
THEY DON'T SELL SPOTLIGHTS AT CANADIAN TIRE! *facedesk*
*sigh*
Okay, so in honesty that isn't so bad. Just really frustrating sometimes, especially when I have files stacked on the desk, and I am told continuously that "No no, not that." and then they thing they want is almost the same thing. Whatever! I can deal with it. It's not too bad, just really, really frustrating.
It's #2 that rubs me raaaawwww
2) I am not only a mind reader but I make "executive decisions" to the people no one wants to deal with.
Now, let me elaborate.
Firstly on the mind reading. It slightly coincides with the afore mentioned but mostly it has to do with actual day-to-day job.
For example, I will be sitting at my desk doing work.. Err, yes.. and suddenly a group of 10 people from a law firm and some other oil company and the bank will all walk in. Now, I will smile and greet them while thinking in my head "What?! Who are they for?! Which boardroom do I put them in? I haven't made coffee! There's no water set out!"
Then I will look like a total idiot asking them who they are here for, they'll all raise their eyebrows at me and tell me who. So I will ask them to please wait, take a seat and go find my boss.
Now, at the beginning of my job this was a big problem. I was constantly running around like a chicken trying to figure who went where. Sometimes I would put one meeting in our large boardroom and a second meeting would walk in moments later and the person they were meeting with would be mad that they didn't get the big boardroom. The poor Administration Assistant before me had dealt with this longer and she said it was always like this.
So, eventually I learned to always have water set on the tables and the boardrooms prepped. However, I wasn't up for this who charade. So if people didn't get the boardroom they wanted:
Tough cookies you guys. Should have booked your meeting. You've only received ten thousand emails from me about this.
At first some of the temp workers from overseas weren't cool with my stand point, luckily my boss knows I'm just trying to work on efficiency and told them they had to deal with me.
So I tell them kindly they need to book it and when they do I ask them if they want me to set out tea and coffee. It's gotten better, though sometimes the overseas business people still drive me nuts. Actually, all the time. >.>
Now, the "executive decisions" isn't really as fancy as it sounds.
My basic job for answering the phones is really just screening calls. Most calls I get in a day are telemarketers. I now have a serious zero-tolerance policy with them. I used to be like "No thank you.. Well.. I.. I don't want to talk to you.. I'm busy"
Interruption, interruption.
Now I'm just like "Look, this is a company. We don't have time for this. Sorry, but don't call again." If it's a Canadian number I add "Call again and I call CRTC."
Because telemarketers are illegal in Canada, did you know that? Oh yays. I am kinda mean.. I know. But you don't understand how many of them call
O_O
SO MANY!
The other phone calls I get that no one else wants are the people who want an "in" with us, or a donation, or to sell a new idea. These people, though they mean well, annoy me to no ends.
Simply because of the fact that they cannot seem to grasp one concept.
We are NOT, I repeat, NOT, the head office.
See, my oil company is based from another country. We don't make new business decisions, we don't deal with new companies unless told to, and no we cannot fund your new "innovation". Yet somehow, no matter how much I tell people we cannot help them they continue to push and push to talk to my "manager" and insist that we may be able to just hear them out.
I usually hear:
"Well, I've dealt with our companies from [insert country name here] and they had offices back there."
Do we look like that company? No, I'm sorry I can't help you.
Usually, I try to be professional and kind to these people. It was weird to me at first too that we got all orders from out of country and didn't act unless told to. Eventually you see it makes sense in a business way. Some people that call and keep getting pushy and insistent though I lose a little patience with. I was never blessed with lots of patience anyways, but these people are a number. They keep telling me:
"Well you can do something I'm sure, you're a prominent company."
Applying to my ego doesn't help you.
"Well can I talk to your manager anyways?" (asked about 5 times)
No
"Well can't we talk to them and then meet with your head office?"
No
"You mean I have to go to [insert country name here]"
No, just talk to them then if they want to do business you can do it through us.
"Well why can't we do it now?"
Because you have to talk to them first! Argh!
"Can I have you bosses name?"
NO!
"Can I just talk to you manager about who to contact?"
Oh you're so sly. No.
"This is a great opportunity you're missing."
I'm sure it is.
"Can I talk to your business manager then..?"
NOOO!!
*facedesk*
These people, they have more persistence and gumption than a door-to-door salesman or something.
*sigh*
xoxo
p.s. I get married in 26 days. OH MY GOSH!
Hipster mannequin anyone?
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| It scares me mommy... It mustache. It stares into my soul... |
This post was so entertaining. Hahaha. Seriously, totally enjoyed it.
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