WARNING!!!: WORK RANT!!!

Hello sporadic nonsense of work. Can I just have one day that is drama-free, grrr-free, and doesn't make me want to eat my feelings and drink the stress away?

Really? Is that TOO much to ask?

I shouldn't be surprised that the schedule was changed from the last time I looked at it. My manager emails everyone about the new month's schedule when it's out (usually a few days or so before the end of the previous month), I print it out a copy for myself, write out the date/time I printed it out, and post it at my desk. I also make a calendar for myself which shows the shift I'm working, when I'm supposed to take my lunch break, and what "assigned task" I have for that day.

June's schedule was up as of May 27th.

Saturday I closed - like I've been doing since we're understaffed (normally I've been getting weekends off since I've been here a while). When I got to work, one of the drivers who helps out in dispatch

came up to me with a post-it of all the drivers I have for the mid-day, and he was going on break. I asked where the usual guy was, and all he said was that he was off. Which meant no mid-day in dispatch.

I remember my boss sending out an email saying there wouldn't be a mid-day person in dispatch (since that person was on vacation), but I looked and looked, and saw nothing from dispatch. I mentioned this issue to my boss today when I came in, and she said, "You were on that email. I sent that email." I said, "Yes, I see the email you sent that only said no CS mid-day person, and you specifically cited the 11-8 shift." Her response was to repeat that I was on the email that was sent out on June 10th, and then later say "Well, it's over now," which left me to think Yeah, I managed, and was fine, but it would've been nice to have a heads-up or something. And the people that are here have no idea what's going on either so yay, it's one big I-haven't-a-frakkin-clue-fest.

It was also one of those nights where the phone wouldn't stop ringing so calls got backed up since I was all alone. I asked dispatch to help me out with delays and driver arrival calls, and I'm not sure the dude that helped me was really aware of how to do them, but I will applaud the effort, I guess. His heart was in the right place?

A while back, we had a crossover training bit where one dispatch person would work with us during the lunch shift to see what we go through and how to confirm things when we need help, and that was only the one time. I keep saying we need to do a refresher course, and I get "yeah we should" but nothing happens.

Then tonight...

Mondays are my night to close. Not sure why, but oh well, that's life. I close with two other girls (usually), and we all have 30min breaks for lunch. Usually it's one girl at 5:30pm, then me at 6pm, and the last girl at 6:30pm.

Just before my lunch time is coming up, I see the girl that goes at 6:30pm get up, and when I look over, I see her computer is logged out. Giving the benefit of the doubt, I assume that they've switched lunches for some reason. But when I see the girl get up, the other girl goes with her. (Now I suppose I should state here that they carpool together.) I hop on inter-office chat and ask my manager where the girls are. She tells me that they had to leave early since their ride got here early. I said, "For lunch, right?" She said no, they were both off at 6pm.

Now my copy of the schedule, the one I had printed out, said one of them was off at 6pm and the other closed with me, but when I looked at the schedule on the drive, it showed that the girl switched with another associate who'd be staying with me until close.

This girl is leaving at the end of the week. It was announced at our department meeting last week, and when I mentioned it in conversation to another friend who used to work in the department (she transferred to dispatch), I didn't think anything of it... until I received an offline chat message saying something to the effect of "I know you told her, but I would appreciate if you didn't tell anyone because I don't want that kind of attention on me." Part of me didn't feel like dignifying it with a response, but replied anyway saying that I only said in passing and didn't know it was a secret and would keep my yap shut.

This is the girl that was closing with me tonight.

I came back from lunch at 6:30pm, and my fellow closer left on her lunch. It wasn't until about

7:15pm that I noticed she wasn't back. We weren't busy or anything, but she was supposed to be back. I asked my manager where she was, and she asked why I was asking, and I mentioned that she should have been back from lunch already to which she replied, "It's not busy." (This coming from the same woman that one day after I had come back from lunch, spent about 30-45min on the phone and then changed my status as "away" when I went to the ladies room came back to a chat message asking if I was on lunch. I had told her no, that I was in the ladies room. Then she told me that it seemed like I took a long break and really need to watch it next time. I told her what time I came back from lunch, what I had done since I'd come back from lunch, and was only gone to the ladies room for a few minutes. I mean, I even had a witness who was sitting right next to me. When I mentioned it to my neighbor, she had told me that the manager had come by to ask me something, but I wasn't there.)

What this tells me is that I can't go pee, but whatshernuts can take an extra long lunch.

Tonight my assigned task was delays - getting eta's on drivers so we can warn customers and restaurants if they're running late. I had put on the whiteboard to dispatch about 6-7 eta requests, but nothing happened. While I was dealing with a chat and a revision, dispatch began to reply to about 3 of them. My manager then asks if I can get the whiteboard. I told her that I saw it, and I would tend to it once I was done with what I was working on. I also added that I had asked for the eta's that they'd put up, and it was taking them a while to respond.

She would have seen that if she'd looked at the whole board and seen my requests at the top of the board and the replies at the bottom before the screen scrolled up. *headdesk*

When my co-worker gets back, I look at our CS ticket system that has customer live chat on it, and I'm the only one on it. I see her name, but her little availability dot is grey (meaning "invisible"). So I
ask her, "Hey, are you logged on to chat? I can't see you, and I just want to make sure we're both on just in case it gets crazy toward the end of the night." (At this point my manager had mentioned that she was leaving soon when in reality she actually stayed after I left.) My co-worker replied that she was on and admitted to being invisible and said that she'd been taking chats all night. Then she said she is now "available." I said thanks and that I was just double-checking.

Yes I know text can be misconstrued, but she talks like you would perceive her texts to sound, and I try to breathe and let it go, but for frak sakes. Why be invisible? Once I got dinged because the sound was off on my phone. I was still answering calls, but I kept it low so I wasn't bothering everyone in the office, and I was still answering calls. When I step away from my desk, I mark everything as "away" and mute my phone. Sometimes I forget to turn it back up when I get back to my desk.

Again, whatsherbucket can have herself set as "invisible" and still take incoming chats, but I can't have my phone on low and still be taking calls. Sorry you can't hear my phone... just like you can't hear a co-worker being rude to me right next to you, but I guess you're selective in what you hear. Then when I check to see if she's "online" I also see my manager is as well.

*breathe in* WOOSAH!!! *breathe out*

In my "not at work" life, I keep having to remind myself I get to see Eddie Izzard tomorrow night after work. WOO HOO!!! I mentioned to my manager how excited I was.

My Manager: (getting excited with me) Really? What are you seeing?
Me: Eddie Izzard.
MM: (confused) Who is that?
Me: He's a comedian.
MM: (giving me a doubtful look) Is it really a concert then?
Me: He's played Madison Square and Wembley.
MM: Really?
Me: I've been a fan for years and have always wanted to see him LIVE, and now I get to.
MM: (still confused) Who is it again?
Me: Eddie Izzard.
MM: Who is he? 
Me: He's a comedian, action transvestite, actor - he's done Broadway - and plans to run for Parliament soon. [When I see none of this is clicking in her brain, I add...] I used to see Margaret Cho once a year when I could afford it. I haven't been to a comedy show in ages.

At this point she makes a comment about how Margaret Cho is more well-known, but I choose to ignore her and go back to my desk. I joke that I will not be taking any chats or calls 5-10min before I'm supposed to leave since usually when I do that, it's always something that takes up a lot of my time, and I don't want to be late. She laughed as if I were kidding, and I sort of made it sound like I was, but I really wasn't.

So that's it really. Just getting grumpy like usually about things that don't seem to ever want to change or ever will change. Just go with the flow, that's me. I drink with friends once a week, and I have beer at home so I'm okay for now.

And now? Now I must sleep the sleep because I need to be at work at 9am tomorrow for happy fun time. Just keep thinking EDDIE IZZARD!!!

Later my lovelies.

Have Goodness!
Rae