Monday, October 17, 2005
My new job
I started my new job on Wednesday last week, and by Thursday afternoon, I was about ready to walk out and forget about every finding a decent work place around here! The woman they had training me is apparently one of their best sales reps, but she really is not a trainer. Rather than find some documentation for me, or write out approved scripts (every sales organization has scripts!) she just jumps right in with the “let’s role play” crap, and “Rebecca, you be the sales person, I’ll be the customer, sell me some pictures”. So as soon as I open my mouth, she starts flailing and saying “no no no, you can’t say THAT! Here, write this down, write this down, honey, where’s your pen and paper? You have to write this down”. That was pretty much it, for all of Wednesday and the greater part of Tuesday morning. Then I lost it. I started to ask her isn’t there anything about the company I should know? How can I sell the company product, if I don’t know anything about the company? Why the heck am I selling possibly $200 worth of photographs if these people could just go down the road to Wall Mart and pay only $14.95? Then she said “in the year that I’ve been working here, no one has ever asked me that.” I looked straight at her and reminded her that a customer had asked her that just the day before! You’d think that as a sales person, she would understand these questions, but nooooooooOOOOOOooooo. She looked at me like I’m from Mars. I said its difficult to sell a product that I don’t’ believe in, and at the moment, because I know nothing about it, I don’t believe in this product. She looked at me and said “oh, you’re one of those” ugh…one of what? Sheesh!
Luckily tho, on Wednesday she had taken me over to the studio where I’d actually be working, and she introduced m to the photographer there. Jane is a really nice lady, easy to get along with, and I think pretty much on the same wavelength I’m at. If I hadn’t met her, I certainly would have quit, because the lady who was training me was not a very good first impression of the company! And the photographer in the studio where I was being trained was making me dizzy. She never sits down, she’s always flittering everywhere, and she talks about a zillion miles a minute, I couldn’t understand a single thing she said.
But then, despite how desperate I was feeling, I got out of bed on Thursday morning and drove to the studio where I was now supposed to start selling stuff on my own, with only 2 days of very bad training. I tell ya, I learned more in one day from the “non sales person” photographer than I learned from the other one in 2 days! I told her of the incredibly bad experience and she agreed that someone needs to tell the district manager that she should not be a trainer.
I think I will enjoy this job working with Jane in her studio. Jane is a young grandmother, with 3 grown daughters (all younger than me), and 2 grandchildren. During our down times in the studio, we have had a couple of nice chats and I think we’ll get along great. My first day I don’t think I sold anything, except maybe one extra print, but yesterday (Sunday) I sold to every single person who sat down. Not a whole lot, but it brought my average up considerably, and I’m starting to feel more comfortable with what I’m doing. The only thing I don’t like about it is that we’re in a K-Mart, and every 10 minutes they play that stupid “I fell in love in a K-Mart Store” song all day long, every day. Its driving me nutz!
I’m not sure how long I’ll be working there, but for now, its some money in my pocket and we can get some bills paid off, and the dogs won’t have to worry about being switched to cheap food ;-) Although, they’re none too happy with me for leaving them all day long now. I leave just after 9am, and on Wed, Thurs, and Friday I didn’t get home til well after 9pm. Saturday I was home just after 8, and Sunday it was about 8 when I got home I think.. Long days, and they’re out in the yard getting muddy while we’re at work.
James tho has been able to cut a few of his own hours, and was home before me most of those days, so they’re not outside until 9pm every day. But if he gets this job in New Orleans, it’ll just be me and the dogs here for a short while, maybe a month, while James goes there to decide whether or not he wants to move there and take us with him. The communication however between his owner/franchiser and the owner/franchiser in New Orleans and then to him is not clear exactly what the job is to be. Whether its temporary or a permanent move. And now the franchiser here is about panicked because James has actually said he’d leave here and move to New Orleans!
So all in all, neither one of us is sure what we’re doing. I’ll keep my job until whenever, whether til we move, or until I retire I have no idea. Right now everything stems from the franchiser in New Orleans to actually speak to James and not his boss. James said even if its temporary, its still a whole lot of money, and he’ll go and help them out for a few weeks, then come back here. Which means leaving me and the dogs for a while, but I guess we’ve done that before, and it was just usually me doing the leaving. I guess it’ll all work out in the wash eh?
Speaking of wash, I got home last night and James was already home, he’d done the dishes, did a load of laundry, and put the garbage out. I wish he could have more normal hours more often! I’d been so tired all week, all I could do was come in and flop on the couch.
Well, I have to phone the vet and see if I can get Bruno in for his bi-annual check up and booster shot. Then go grocery shopping, we’re about out of food. ¶ 10:19 AM
Luckily tho, on Wednesday she had taken me over to the studio where I’d actually be working, and she introduced m to the photographer there. Jane is a really nice lady, easy to get along with, and I think pretty much on the same wavelength I’m at. If I hadn’t met her, I certainly would have quit, because the lady who was training me was not a very good first impression of the company! And the photographer in the studio where I was being trained was making me dizzy. She never sits down, she’s always flittering everywhere, and she talks about a zillion miles a minute, I couldn’t understand a single thing she said.
But then, despite how desperate I was feeling, I got out of bed on Thursday morning and drove to the studio where I was now supposed to start selling stuff on my own, with only 2 days of very bad training. I tell ya, I learned more in one day from the “non sales person” photographer than I learned from the other one in 2 days! I told her of the incredibly bad experience and she agreed that someone needs to tell the district manager that she should not be a trainer.
I think I will enjoy this job working with Jane in her studio. Jane is a young grandmother, with 3 grown daughters (all younger than me), and 2 grandchildren. During our down times in the studio, we have had a couple of nice chats and I think we’ll get along great. My first day I don’t think I sold anything, except maybe one extra print, but yesterday (Sunday) I sold to every single person who sat down. Not a whole lot, but it brought my average up considerably, and I’m starting to feel more comfortable with what I’m doing. The only thing I don’t like about it is that we’re in a K-Mart, and every 10 minutes they play that stupid “I fell in love in a K-Mart Store” song all day long, every day. Its driving me nutz!
I’m not sure how long I’ll be working there, but for now, its some money in my pocket and we can get some bills paid off, and the dogs won’t have to worry about being switched to cheap food ;-) Although, they’re none too happy with me for leaving them all day long now. I leave just after 9am, and on Wed, Thurs, and Friday I didn’t get home til well after 9pm. Saturday I was home just after 8, and Sunday it was about 8 when I got home I think.. Long days, and they’re out in the yard getting muddy while we’re at work.
James tho has been able to cut a few of his own hours, and was home before me most of those days, so they’re not outside until 9pm every day. But if he gets this job in New Orleans, it’ll just be me and the dogs here for a short while, maybe a month, while James goes there to decide whether or not he wants to move there and take us with him. The communication however between his owner/franchiser and the owner/franchiser in New Orleans and then to him is not clear exactly what the job is to be. Whether its temporary or a permanent move. And now the franchiser here is about panicked because James has actually said he’d leave here and move to New Orleans!
So all in all, neither one of us is sure what we’re doing. I’ll keep my job until whenever, whether til we move, or until I retire I have no idea. Right now everything stems from the franchiser in New Orleans to actually speak to James and not his boss. James said even if its temporary, its still a whole lot of money, and he’ll go and help them out for a few weeks, then come back here. Which means leaving me and the dogs for a while, but I guess we’ve done that before, and it was just usually me doing the leaving. I guess it’ll all work out in the wash eh?
Speaking of wash, I got home last night and James was already home, he’d done the dishes, did a load of laundry, and put the garbage out. I wish he could have more normal hours more often! I’d been so tired all week, all I could do was come in and flop on the couch.
Well, I have to phone the vet and see if I can get Bruno in for his bi-annual check up and booster shot. Then go grocery shopping, we’re about out of food. ¶ 10:19 AM
