I got a new job recently, that I like okay (but since I was verbally abused at my last job, the bar is pretty low). My co workers are nice enough. Laid back. But here is my major complaint. (It’s an insurance office by the way.)
This office is VERY sales oriented. They are focused on growth. Which is fine. I was hired to be a client service rep, because I am better at that than sales. I hate sales. I would rather help people than push them for more money. So I am doing what I prefer. BUT, I am the ONLY client service rep. Which I knew going in. But here is my issue.
The other two girls (my boss is the 3rd, but she’s never here) will almost never answer the phone if it rings. Even if I am already on another call. They will let it go to voicemail, which I am expected to check as soon as I hang up. Then, as I am listening to that voicemail, another call comes in, they don’t answer it…you get the idea. So, now I have a long list of tasks I need to do. Because no one else is answering the phone. In fact, now I am elbow deep in 50 million things, the phone is ringing off the hook…and what are they doing? Chit chatting. Like, today for example. While I was answering call after call after call, trying to catch up on my tasks, they were talking about the president. The president! How do you have time to talk politics while this phone is going off!
I literally do all of the tasks, answer all the calls. I get almost no help at all. I did not realize that I would not get any help. I just figured I would be doing most of the service work. Not literally all of it! And as busy as this office is, we need at least two service workers.
And get this, while I am here answering every phone call, servicing each of these people, and frantically trying to get my work that is now getting behind, I am suddenly being expected to have all my stuff done by the end of the day. I can tell you, anyone who’s worked insurance (especially in a busy, low staffed office) you know how almost impossible it is to get all the day’s work done that day. Some stuff has to carry over. And it’s not a big deal 90% of the time. Sometimes there are those really important things that absolutely need to be done that day. But Sue calling at 4:45 because she wants a quote on a car she might buy, is not one of those things. Sorry but I am using that 15 minutes I have left to get my task from this morning caught up. And I am NOT staying late so you know how much your, maybe, Mazda will be. Maybe if I had some HELP I could get this stuff done sooner. Also, the two sales girls spend the end of the evening chit chatting and gossipping while I am desperately trying to grind out my work. All while the phone is still ringing and they would rather talk than answer it.
I can say this, I am not staying late if I am not done. They can forget it! Especially when the other two girls leave early a couple times a week. Even if it’s only 15 minutes early. I hope they don’t expect me to pick up every call while they are gone. Because I don’t. In fact, when they leave early (because they can because their work load is never enough to not get done in a day) I just stop answering the phone. Why do I have to stay here and continue working if they don’t?
So I have two sales co workers who’d rather chat than help me, and a boss that is never here and complains if she has to do any of the ”leg work.” Which…whatever. Nothing I can do about that. But, if my boss is never here, my co workers since they’re sales and not service don‘t have an overwhelming workload and get to chit chat and leave early every day, then I am throwing in the towel myself when they leave. And whatever I get done, is whatever I get done. You cannot tell me that I HAVE to have my work done by 4:30 every day, while you guys talk about your kids or whatever…