This story is relayed to me by my old manager only a month or so after I quit my marketing job at a small, private company.

With a marketing campaign strategy meeting happening later in the day, my manager sends over plans and mocks via email to our CEO so they can look at them before the meeting. In response, the CEO immediately forwards the marketing strategies to ALL department managers and asks them to weigh in — sales, HR, accounting, etc. The first to reply is the HR manager:

HR Manager: “These sale email mocks don’t look very exciting. What if we had [Graphic Designer] make a whole story of a warrior who has a sword and goes on an adventure? You keep scrolling as the email goes on and on and you watch their story as they go through their adventure. They get to the end of their adventure and they are victorious because they chose our product! That would be really exciting.”

The CEO replies minutes later before my manager can even say anything.

CEO: “PERFECT! That sounds like fun. Let’s try that.”

A carefully planned marketing campaign derailed before they could even get to the meeting to discuss it. Things like this were a common occurrence and why I ended up leaving in the first place.

The company I work for is undergoing a massive change, including moving the headquarters to brand-new premises. It’s a big deal as it’s a lot of work for everyone, including myself, as there is a load of accreditation work to do.

But months of hard work means that, for the first time, I will have my own office! I am more than excited. No more bringing customers to my tiny cluttered desk, no more hooting and hollering from the noisy office when I am taking calls.

One morning, I notice everyone crowding round a desk looking at something. I approach and one of the guys calls out to me.

Coworker: “Err… [My Name], you might want to see this.”

Me: “What is it? Oh, is it the new building?”

Coworker: “Yeah, but you are not going to like it.”

I scan the plans and notice where my office should be… is a storeroom! Where the storeroom was planned to be is some separate office area. Other communal areas are gone and some are marked as pending.

Me: “What is going on? This isn’t what I was told.”

Coworker: “Apparently, something about budget cuts. The building costs more than they thought. Some stuff couldn’t get built.”

Me: “Yeah, but what is this?”

I point to a much larger new area.

Coworker: “That is the executive area. They have their own private kitchen and three meeting rooms.”

Me: “No money, huh? But enough for a luxury area for them?”

I raised this to my boss, who was as shocked as I was. He raised it to his boss, who couldn’t understand why I was so annoyed. He said that he “meant to mention it to me” but didn’t get round to it.

This was a long line of being out to one side and made to feel like a spare part. I quit the next month.

In the office where I work, we often get a high volume of people coming in for assistance at once. Since there’s not really room for a line of people to stand and wait, we have a sign-in sheet and a large number of chairs for people to sit and wait until they are called. There is also a sign asking everyone to sign in and have a seat. Here are a few of the things we see all the time:

A customer approaches the desk and looks expectantly at me.

Me: “Hi! If you could just sign in and have a seat, someone will be right with you.”

The customer signs in and looks at me expectantly, standing in front of the sign-in and blocking everyone else waiting to sign in.

Me: “Great. Now, if you could have a seat…”

Customer #1: “I signed in; why can’t you help me now?”

Me: *Checking the clipboard* “Because there are three names ahead of yours…”

Or:

A customer approaches the desk.

Me: “Hi, if you could sign in and have a seat, someone will be with you as soon as we can!”

Customer #2: “I just need one thing real quick!”

Me: “Yes, and so does everyone else here.”

Customer #2: “But it’s just a quick question, and I have somewhere to be!”

Me: “Yes, and so does everyone else here.”

Customer #2: “But why can’t you help me real quick?”

Me: “Because all these other people were here first.”

Customer #2: *grumbles and sits down*

Honestly, if I didn’t have to spend so much time explaining the concept of waiting your turn to people, the overall wait time for everyone would probably be cut in half!

My aunt is handling my grandfather’s affairs after he passed away. Most of it goes smoothly except when she tries to close one of his accounts. They always say that they need to speak to the account holder to close the account. She sends in a copy of the death certificate and they still can’t comprehend that he is dead!

Finally, after several months of this, she’s had enough. 

Rep: “We’ll need to speak to the account holder. “

Aunt: “Then get a Ouija board!”

Rep: *Long pause* “Pardon?”

Aunt: “He’s dead! So if you really need to talk to him, get a Ouija board.”

Rep: “Uh… I’ll just close this out for you.”

This happens a number of years ago when I am at the start of my career. One day, the head of accounts is escorted out by two managers. He looks defeated, head hanging down. Accountancy is at the far end of the office, so it is a walk of shame witnessed by the whole office. No explanation is given other than him being let go and not allowed on the premises anymore for whatever reason.

Tongues get wagging and it is said that he was caught with his hand in the till. Again, there’s no official statement concerning the reason for his dismissal.

When the receptionist has a day off, I am to take over. A few days later, I happen to answer the phone when the auditor from corporate calls.

Auditor: “Is [Receptionist] there?”

Me: “I’m sorry, she has a day off. Can I assist you?”

Auditor: “Is it true that [Head Of Accounts] was fired?”

Me: “That is correct, sir.”

Auditor: “Why?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but no information was given.”

Auditor: “But there is gossip, surely.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir. I can only repeat what I said before; no official statement was given about the reason why.”

I started to become uncomfortable. The auditor urged me some more, but the harder he pushed and the more irritated he got, the more reluctant I became to tell him. It was only later that I realised that the last audit had been done by another auditor, and with the sums involved according to the gossip, the regular auditor should have known about the fraud or he was incompetent. I left the company not long after this and I have no clue what happened to the auditor other than that the next audit, just before me leaving, was performed by the other auditor again.