Oh, You’re Asking For It!

A few years ago, I took a customer service job and my boss, Shirley, was the laziest, snarkiest person I’ve ever worked around. She spent her day on social media and personal calls while her in-box grew. Shirley’s boss rarely came around and was happy as long as Shirley didn’t bring any problems to her, so of course, Shirley didn’t; she buried any problems.

After I’d been there a couple of weeks, Shirley was showing us some new procedure. I don’t even remember what it was, but it was something I’d done in a previous position, and there was a much easier way of doing it. I asked if I could make a suggestion. Shirley instantly shot it down. “No. I don’t want suggestions or help unless I specifically ask for them. Just do what I tell you to do.” It was embarrassing and demeaning to say the least.

When Shirley went to lunch, the gal who had been training me asked me what I was going to suggest, and I showed her. She agreed it was much more efficient, and she showed the others. She told me they just worked around Shirley. They all disliked her and just waited until she was away to discuss problems, come up with solutions, and left Shirley out of it.

A year later, the lady who trained me retired. Before she left, she showed me how to run phone statistic reports… they showed how many calls each rep took, how long the calls lasted, how many rings before each call was answered; typical call center stuff. She asked me to take over putting together a report including email statistics each month to send to the ecommerce manager. Shirley was to give me the email statistics.

After the first month, I emailed Shirley asking for the email stats. She ignored it. After the second month, same thing. I decided if it wasn’t important to her, then I just wouldn’t do it. I figured if questioned, I would show the emails I sent Shirley reminding her, so my butt would be covered. Nothing ever came of it.

So things went on like that for the next couple of years. Then came the announcement that Shirley’s boss had been fired, and while they searched for a replacement, Shirley would be reporting to the president of the company.

She was terrified.

He had her jumping through hoops. He had her submitting reports to him, attending meetings, answering questions. She returned from one meeting frantic. She told the senior rep, Angela, that he wanted her to bring him phone statistics that afternoon, and she had no idea where to get them.

Hmmm… I knew. Angela knew I knew.

While Shirley sat at her desk trying to figure out what to do, Angela came to me and said, “You aren’t going to tell her, right?” I said, “Well, she once told me she didn’t want my help unless she specifically asked for it, right? Well, she hasn’t specifically asked me.” We grinned at each other.

Shirley went to her meeting empty-handed. She ended up getting fired a week or so later. I don’t think it was because she didn’t have the phone statistics, but that was probably one of many things that made it apparent that she didn’t know what she was doing.