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#Post#: 18822--------------------------------------------------
Client managers expectations
By: spunkyboy08 Date: November 11, 2018, 8:24 pm
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A former co-worker of mine works as a contract visitor parking
attendant at a university. Her employer has a contract with the
university. She reports to 2 managers, her direct manager who
works for the same employer she works for, and the client
manager, who is the Director of Parking and Transportation
Services.
She sits inside the visitor parking booth, which is roughly 50
feet from the visitor parking garage and roughly 40 feet from
the faculty/staff garage. She is responsible for informing
visitors of the parking fee as well as where to pay for their
parking.
Recently the client manager told her that visitor parking will
soon be renovated. Visitor parking is being moved to the first
level of the faculty/staff garage. The client manager also told
her that she will have additional responsibilities. According to
the client manager, she is supposed to prevent any visitor from
pressing the call button either at the call box at the entrance
gate or the call box at the exit gate at the faculty/staff
garage once visitor parking is moved to the first level of that
garage. The reason for this is that the Parking office employees
will be too busy to answer those calls. Calls from either call
box are transferred to that office. So she was told that she has
to watch for customers needing help in addition to assisting
customers who drive up to the visitor parking booth window. The
client supervisor also told her that her office does not want to
receive any call from either call box.
She is frustrated with what it happening at work.
How should she approach both managers regarding this situation?
#Post#: 18829--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: Aleko Date: November 12, 2018, 12:55 am
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How is she supposed to prevent people using those call boxes -
with a stun gun? If they remain functional, there is no way on
earth that customers won't use them. It doesn't matter how well
she does her job, or how large or clear the notices on the call
boxes saying "DO NOT USE THIS BOX" are; people will use them.
Basically, that's like being asked to burn water or weigh air.
#Post#: 18839--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: Kimberami Date: November 12, 2018, 6:15 am
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It seems like it would be much simpler to have the call boxes
disconnected or rerouted to the parking booth's phone. The
request to prevent people from calling is silly.
#Post#: 18841--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: DaDancingPsych Date: November 12, 2018, 7:42 am
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At the time, it may have been wise to point out to client
manager that while she was willing to take on the new
responsibility that it would be impossible to be 100%
effective... cite long list of reasons. However, I know that I
am terrible with digesting new information and responding so
quickly. At this point, I would take my concern to direct
manager. As it would be better that this is a addressed between
the managers. I might bring any suggestions that I think might
help (ie. if the call box is disconnected or rerouting to the
booth).
If direct manager is not on-board with why it would be
impossible to prevent every single person from calling, then I
might re-approach client manager. Explain that I have been
trying to brainstorm how to prevent people from calling (cite
those reasons) and see if he/she has any suggestions. Again,
bringing one's own suggestions might be wise.
Sometimes reasonable managers miss the details. They have not
fully thought a plan out and do not realize that it may not
fully work. A reasonable manager would either find a fix or be
understanding that some calls will make it into the office.
Unreasonable managers... well... those are the tricky ones.
#Post#: 19061--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: spunkyboy08 Date: November 15, 2018, 8:49 am
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I was able to speak to my former co-worker about this earlier
this week.
I mentioned the suggestions of having the phone calls from the
call box routed to the phone inside the visitor parking booth as
well as disconnecting the call button.
My former co-worker mentioned that to her direct manager who
works at her employer.
Her direct manager spoke to the client manager, and the client
manager turned down those suggestions.
#Post#: 19068--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: DaDancingPsych Date: November 15, 2018, 9:11 am
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[quote author=spunkyboy08 link=topic=804.msg19061#msg19061
date=1542293396]
I was able to speak to my former co-worker about this earlier
this week.
I mentioned the suggestions of having the phone calls from the
call box routed to the phone inside the visitor parking booth as
well as disconnecting the call button.
My former co-worker mentioned that to her direct manager who
works at her employer.
Her direct manager spoke to the client manager, and the client
manager turned down those suggestions.
[/quote]
Hopefully, client manager has an alternate plan up the sleeve.
If not, then I would do the best job that I can and if a call
makes it into their office and I am reprimanded/reminded for it
I would probably offer the solution again. "I am sorry that I
missed that driver; he/she must have missed the sign to not use
the call box. Do you think that we could disconnect the call
button to prevent this in the future?"
#Post#: 19090--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: lakey Date: November 15, 2018, 5:35 pm
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I'm unclear about the callbox. Is the purpose of the callbox for
customers to call for help if they need it? If they aren't
supposed to use it, why is it there? If it is only for the use
of employees, can't something be done to it so that it can't be
used by customers?
#Post#: 19097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: spunkyboy08 Date: November 15, 2018, 6:41 pm
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[quote author=lakey link=topic=804.msg19090#msg19090
date=1542324954]
I'm unclear about the callbox. Is the purpose of the callbox for
customers to call for help if they need it? If they aren't
supposed to use it, why is it there? If it is only for the use
of employees, can't something be done to it so that it can't be
used by customers?
[/quote]
Yes, the call-box is there for customers to call for help when
they need it.
It is also there for the employees who park in the garage to use
when they need help.
But the client manager, who is the Director of Parking and
Transportation services, does not want any customer pressing the
call button on the call-box for help since the calls from the
call-box directly go to the Parking office where she and her 2
staff members work.
She also [b]does not[/b] want the call-box disconnected or the
calls from the call-box re-routed to my former co-worker.
I found out more information from my former co-worker later
today.
The university does not want a sign posted at the call-box
directed to the customers stating to not press the call button
for help.
Also...
The client supervisor still wants my former co-worker to
literally prevent any customer from pressing the call button on
the call-box because according to the client supervisor, the
parking office staff cannot handle any calls from customers
pressing the call button on the call-box in addition to
university employees pressing the call button on the call-box
and so on.
#Post#: 19101--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: baritone108 Date: November 15, 2018, 8:24 pm
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It sounds like your friend needs to have a discussion with HR.
The client manage is imposing an impracticable (legal term for
impossible to meet) requirement on her. Therefor, her inability
to meet it at any time cannot legally result in any
repercussions for your friend. It would then be HR's
responsibility to inform the client manager of this. HR may
also be able to determine why client manager has refused all
suggestions which would make the new duties practicable.
#Post#: 19159--------------------------------------------------
Re: Client managers expectations
By: Bales Date: November 16, 2018, 6:51 pm
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How the heck would your friend even know the difference between
an employee exiting and hitting the call button and a customer?
This is really a no-win for your friend since the expectations
are not just unreasonable, but impossible. She's supposed to be
psychic and also be able to fly across how ever far from her
booth to the car area when she sees someone who might be a
customer reach for the call button no matter what else she is
doing?
Honestly, I'd simply tell both bosses I cannot do the impossible
nor can I be held responsible for another person's actions (of
pressing the button) particularly when there are no alternate
instructions for those people to follow to get assistance. I'd
also think that the other employees in friend's role (since she
can't be there every day, I am hoping) would do the same.
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