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I've been doing this job for 2 weeks with no training, but it's not that complicated. Additionally, she's been working as a back up receptionist for years.
I have never done it, but she didn't do it yesterday so this morning I went around and picked up the outgoing mail. No one has ever showed me how, I just went to each department which had stacks of brown inter-company envelopes along with regular white stamped envelopes sitting together and picked them up and put them in the outgoing mail box in the front of the building. A box that this girl has used every single day she's worked there.
If that has to be explained to someone working in an office support capacity (which is what she does) then she's incompetent.
But like I said, I actually think she's just lazy and playing stupid. She spent half the day trying to pick nothing fights with me, which I didn't respond too.
Big mistake. Now shes knows all she has to do is dump anything she doesn't feel like doing on you - and you'll do it. You should have left it all sitting there and waited until the sh1t hit the fan. Let her get chewed for not doing it.
Big mistake. Now shes knows all she has to do is dump anything she doesn't feel like doing on you - and you'll do it. You should have left it all sitting there and waited until the sh1t hit the fan. Let her get chewed for not doing it.
I disagree. The right thing to do would have been to get a manager/supervisor involved to make sure this other girl new how to do it. Then you can let it sit. By doing nothing you leave yourself open for discipline.
If I walk away and leave it and something bad happens the excuse of she should have known how to do it will not look good for me.
I do agree she should have not done it by herself without involving someone else. At least she should have done it with this other person that way there is no debating the issue of "does she know or doesn't she"
I never said I was the smartest person in the world.
But not understanding how to pick up the outgoing mail when you've worked at the place for years and picked up outgoing mail for your own department (as well as the one next to yours) and then pretending (since I'm pretty sure she was pretending) that you don't get it equates to laziness or stupidity.
Or both.
Like I said, I've watched her behavior change over the last couple days and she went from being slightly rude (which is no big deal) to just flat out being argumentative and mean. And again, it's not just me that's noticing, others have noticed as well.
Attention OP and other posters. When you post a thread please include all of the information about the story. When you describe a basic situation and then ASK for feedback you have to be prepared for what people are going to say.
When you start adding to the story in later posts it starts to seem as if you are covering and defending yourself. This girl may very well be mean, trying to pick fights, saying nasty things but at this point it is hard for me to believe that. Your first post indicated it was a company wide problem and many people don't pick up the slack.
Now suddenly its this girl and she does all of these bad things that you made no mention of in your first post. Really if your just a temp and you don't need the job why would you not say something to a manager? At this point the whole story seems a little fishy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisan23
Anyway, please tell me it isn't just me, that picking up mail isn't really something that should have to be explained in such detail.
And to all other future posters. Don't ask questions like this if you really don't want other opinions.
The obtuseness in this thread is ridiculous. OP, I agree with you. As a retired business owner, I agree with you. It was not your place to teach her. I commend you for simply doing what she left undone without comment.
It's obvious to me that some posters have never either worked as a temp or managed a company/dept.
Quote:
Originally Posted by littleelvis
So its the persons responsiblity to learn how to do a job without someone showing them? And if someone in the company didn't show them then its their responsibility to find out how to do it. Its a two way street when it comes to training.
Yes, if the job (as backup) was assigned to this person 2 years ago, and she was not shown how, then it IS her responsibility to find out. Why does it become the job of the temp to teach the permanent employee how to when the temp stated she had not done it, was not required to do it, it was to be done AFTER the temp's hours are over and during the regular course of business for the permanent employee. Obviously you have something against the OP's position as a temp.
(small letters for YOU to read)
I understand that maybe this person should have known how to do the job but what I can't do is say the OP's response was appropriate either.
Instead of whining and complaining you can offer to HELP and be a GOOD employee. Instead she chose what some people think is the cool thing to do "thats not my job!" It seems the OP has personal problems with this employee which is what she based her response on.
Next time the OP should be the bigger person and offer her help inspite of the personal problems she has.
It might make her noticed in the company! Wow theres a thought
And you can cool it with the big bold letters.
I am visually impaired - you have a problem with that also?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aptor hours
This is why you work for a staffing agency not a regular full time employer though You have "I'm just a temp tude".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aptor hours
I see you are doing them a favor so you really shouldn't have to be working with or around such stupid people I get it it and you must be late for your MENSA meeting tonight
Quote:
Originally Posted by Aptor hours
Good grief......you said you were a manager in a past life so try a different training skill to get past this situation. I'm moving past this issue with you and let's just think of this as a a learning experience. See how much trouble you have had explaining to me how bad this girl is and I'm not understanding exactly where you are coming from. Try and have some empathy for this girl and don't just assume that she is playing dumb as not everybody thinks just like you. You really need to remember that when it comes to teaching and training and real life situations. Have a better day tomorrow
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tek_Freek
Shorter skirts, lower necklines, push up bra, flirt. Sometimes that's the only explanation I can find.
When I was in the corporate world I spent a lot of time resisting the temptation to say, "You are truly stupid."
I probably would have asked to be shown as well... I've worked in some rather quirky places. At my current workplace one of of our managers leaves his mail underneath one of the cabinets and you would never know that unless you were told... perhaps she's worked with people like that and just wanted clarification?
You supposedly posted this story to get feedback and to see if you were overacting or not, but then when people disagree with you, you seem to not be able to comprehend how that could happen.
The OP is like that on all of her posts. She must be a real piece of work.
She can't along with people even when she is doing a part time temporary job.
you may be a practical "genius" but you don't know the basics of psychology...
Quote:
Originally Posted by lisan23
I took a part time temporary job to help my friends out at the staffing agency until they can find someone to take the job full time. I have to leave at 3PM in order to pick up my child from school. The usual backup receptionist is going to be out of the office this week so the other backup (they work in other departments but have been trained to do the job) is filling in. The job is literally a cake walk. I answer the phone and transfer the call to the correct person, open mail and then give it to the right people, and that's it. The usual backup goes around at 4:30 and picks up all the outgoing mail from all the different departments. It's typically either in large brown envelopes or it's already stamped and addressed and sitting out ready to be picked up.
Before I left today I let the other backup know that the outgoing mail needed to be picked up at 4:30. She comes back with "I don't know how to do that". At first I was stunned... I mean, how difficult can it be to walk around and pick up outgoing mail? Don't know where it is? Well, then ask someone. I proceed to tell her that I always leave at 3PM and have never actually done it before, but that I'm guessing all you have to do is walk around to each department and just check to see if they have any outgoing mail.
She looks at me like she's completely confused. So I try to explain that the big brown envelopes that we use to send things to other locations need to be picked up from other departments along with any other outgoing mail they might have. If she can't find it or doesn't know where it is then she can just ask someone since there are usually employees everywhere in all the departments.
At this point she gets upset with me because this is "my job", despite the fact that her manager knew from day ONE that I was not a long term solution and that I would be leaving at 3PM EVERYDAY. I'm only there to help man the phones (which are relatively busy). Picking up the outgoing mail is not my job. Additionally, this girl (along with a huge portion of the rest of the staff) spends the majority of their day walking around the building talking to their work buddies and not actually working. I can't tell you how many times I've had to deal with irate customers because they've left voicemails, left messages with me (which I always promptly deliver), and are still unable to get in contact with these people for days. The majority of employees don't seem capable of multi-tasking and almost NO ONE returns phone calls.
It's awful... I can't wait until they find someone full time.
Anyway, please tell me it isn't just me, that picking up mail isn't really something that should have to be explained in such detail.
You say she knows where the departments are and what the mail looks like..maybe she just didn't understand the term "outgoing mail". Seriously try to tone down your ego. Do you want a cookie for knowing how to do something someone else didnt? Yeah it probably isnt in your job description to train other employees to do certain tasks but how about being a decent human being, and taking 5 minutes out of your day to clarify things so she can learn.
Seriously the next time someone doesn't know how to do something show some compassion, that way the next time they're faced with a task they don't know how to do they'll be encouraged to learn instead of shrinking with fear to avoid feeling inferior--judging from how much you've blown this situation out of proportion--enough to start a THREAD on it I'm guessing you shot her a condescending, incredulous look when she showed her confusion (or she had to have sensed your attitude cuz it reeks in your posts) and her reacting by becoming upset with you was her way of getting some of her power back since you probably made her feel very very small.
No, you just don't like me because I keep pointing out that you're assumptions about a situation you know nothing about are all wrong.
Yet you keep assuming. Unless you moved to North Dakota... have you?
Lol, to those of you who don't get it, clearly you're on the same level as this girl.
No you just don't like the responses you got from various posters.
Then you start adding details to the story which may or may not be true.
Next thing it will be she is an axe murderer...LOL.
IMO you're difficult to get along with. If you're working somewhere short term and part time why create angst.
I think because you know the owners and they so "desperately" want you to work for them, you think you're Queen Bee.
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I get it it and you must be late for your MENSA meeting tonight
you may be a practical "genius" but you don't know the basics of psychology...
So I try to explain that the big brown envelopes that we use to send things to other locations need to be picked up from other departments along with any other outgoing mail they might have. If she can't find it or doesn't know where it is then she can just ask someone since there are usually employees everywhere in all the departments.
