August 6, 2013

• A Day in the Life of a "Receptionist"

  This was originally posted on my other blog on July 31st, but I realized I'd have to keep it private for fear someone at work might see it... but since I can still post on here, I'm doing it! There will also be some additions from today's aggro 

  Go to this link and play this song. Pay a special, close attention to the lyrics of the first thirty seconds... this is what I was singing in my head all day, so that should give you a good idea as to how my day was going.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snPgFNMCXBs

  Now for the breakdown:

  As my schedule of twelve hours a week doesn't have me start until 1pm, I told "SC" not to come in until after that time so I could be there to help. So what do I see as I am walking down the street towards work? SC's truck. SC was fifteen minutes early, so I ran the rest of the way to the studio because, knowing SC, help is expected even from other people who don't know what they're doing.

  Then once SC was dealt with and I finished the opening duties (turning on lights, unlocking doors, prepping the till, etc), I moved on to checking phone and email messages. And guess what I found... A message from my boss saying a client lodged a complaint against me for not finishing his project. Excuse me? This would be the client whom I've told FOUR times that I was missing information and couldn't get any further without it? I don't think so! I sent a very polite "reminder" email of exactly the information I needed and BCC'd my boss in on it.

  I also had an email from my boss saying what had to get done today and what was due on Monday (as I don't work Thurs through Sat). Some of these things are projects she said not to worry about because there was plenty of time to do them, so I was not to stress about having too much to do and not enough hours. One said project will take me approximately three days to do, and I'm supposed to get it done in four hours on Monday... along with two other assignments.

  There are approximately twelve to fifteen things on my to-do list, most of which are research and/or writing assignments. I don't think my boss fully comprehends how much time and effort such things take, especially when I have to also deal with other "emergency" assignments I get (as in when I'm told "I need this done immediately") along the way.

  It certainly doesn't help that my previous boss, the studio owner --remember, he sold the company I now work for but they are still in the same building-- doesn't seem to recall that I NO LONGER WORK FOR HIM and keeps giving me things to do. Some of them are relevant to my role as a receptionist, but others just don't fit in my job description. At all. Such as hauling things out of the storage room to be loaded into a truck thus getting my lovely dress covered with dust and setting off my allergies for the remainder of the day. Or cleaning broken glass outside while wearing sandals and getting glass shards embedded into my foot. And then there is creating a financial projection for a company when I have absolutely no business or accounting education whatsoever.

  I thought I lucked out today, because the owner didn't come in at all during my shift. For nearly the first time ever I was actually the last person in the building, as everyone else left before 5pm. I had finished my closing duties and slipped into the loo before starting my walk home when I heard a door slam. Needless to say I was a little freaked out, particularly when I saw someone sitting at my desk. It seems the owner thought I didn't close up properly leaving the lights and computer on in the main room. Um, my bag wasn't a big clue I was still there?

  So as always happens, he had to tell me about everything going on in his life with his indecisive manner and thus keeping me another ten to fifteen minutes after my finish time. On my way home I texted any relevant information I thought the gallery administrator should know (we tend to give each other FYIs  due to the owner giving incomplete information, and we can usually cobble together what he wants based on what he tells us two plus the project manager) only to find out he's telling us completely opposite information! Now both the GA and I are doing some serious *facedesk*ing; she's contemplating giving her notice as she has another job that wants her to go full time, whereas I don't even work for him and have to deal with his stressing me out!

  On a plus note, I'm still exercising five or six times a week and eating fairly healthy, the weather was really nice --if a little warm for running-- and a cute guy came into the gallery today. I hadn't seen him in a while as he used to come earlier in the day and I'm no longer working then. I managed to get him word that my schedule changed and he came by this afternoon instead

  Oh, and chocolate is about to get eaten *yum*

  UPDATE: I had to deal with old boss, new boss, and the project manager all giving me things to do. Even when I reminded my boss that I was already given a priority project to complete today --two actually-- I still have more work piled on. So I did the things the three of them asked of me, then moved onto my first priority project. Remember that content writing thing I mentioned above that should take three days? Well some how or another I managed to get a first draft done in just under three hours. The project manager's assignment didn't get done, but that was do to a temperamental computer and I had already given it enough time struggling with it.

  Then at the end of the day I handed old boss his project, but he decided to sit down and tell me about how he spent his weekend thus causing him to be so tired and blah blah blah. Oh, and he was on my computer while doing it so I couldn't sign out or close the thing down. Finally I told him I was attending a play tonight and I was short on time so did he mind if I left now? I'm not even working for the guy, but what else could I do? He sighed and said he could finish closing up so I could leave. Um, excuse me? I would have been gone by now if it weren't for him and all he needed to do was shut off said computer he was using and turn off the lights in the room when he was done. What is so sigh-worthy about that? 

  On my way home I started texting my friends to remind them again of the play tonight only to have every single one of them bail on me! I understood why GA did as her friend was coming from the west coast a day early (said visit being the reason why I'm taking her thursday shift as well), but the others have far less reason. One is visiting his girlfriend --um, bring her!-- and two others didn't think they could make it after all because one claimed to have "too much on my plate" and the other "overbooked". I really hate it when people cancel plans last minute for ridiculous excuses. I mean, it's one thing if you've come down with the flu or got a surprise visit from a relative, but just not feeling like it anymore is plain ol' rude. I don't even feel well, but I'm still going!

  SUMR

  • 5:48 pm
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