Person at work - need advice

LegacyUser

I need a bit of advice on how to handle someone at work.

I work in a office with 2 other girls. Reception is also near us. We all have completely different duties to do, but part of being in the office is to answer each others phones if there is that person is not there – that includes reception also if there is no one there.

One of the girls comes in later in the morning. So I am left in the office with “Mary”. So, I am trying to do my job, the phones are going off the hooks, she doesn’t answer anything. She just sits there like she cant hear it.

She took one call this morning, as opposed to my 7 or 8. She is a real tuff nut, as in, she hates being told what to do, or if anyone asks her to do anything she huffs and puffs.

I feel obligated to pick them up. I don’t want to get in trouble. But my work is quite complicated and I need a lot of concentration.

So what I am thinking of doing is just sitting there when the phones go off and not answer them. Am getting quite frustrated with this. Anyone ever dealt with anything like this? Am getting frustrated not being able to do my work.

Moojuice

Just politely ask if she would mind answering a few of the calls as you are not getting anything done hopping up all the time. She will find it hard to argue with that............

Hagar

Answer the phone, then ask the caller to hold for a moment, then say "Mary, this call is for you" and transfer it to her extension. She will get the picture after the very first call.

Miss Fluff

Come in early and divert switch to Mary's phone. Take it in turns to do this every morning.

Hard Larry

Run amok on her the lazy so and so. There is a phrase in Dublin-ese that can resolve a situation like this 90% of the time it goes like this...

"Are ya bleedin' deaf or wha?!"

But be warned 9% of the time it can lead to heated debate

and the last 1% can lead to gangland shootings

BaZmO*

Hard Larry wrote:

Run amok on her the lazy so and so. There is a phrase in Dublin-ese that can resolve a situation like this 90% of the time it goes like this...

"Are ya bleedin' deaf or wha?!"

But be warned 9% of the time it can lead to heated debate

and the last 1% can lead to gangland shootings

What about thew other 90% of the time?

Anyway, OP just say it to her. Ask her to give you a hand.

~Leanne~

Share it between yous evenely. Have set days where one will answer one day and "mary" the other. Type it out and leave it on her desk, not much she can say as it it a fair way of doing it.

CherieAmour

Next time the phone rings, don't even look up from your desk, busy yourself with some papers/work and just say firmly "Mary, can you get that one"
Don't say please or make it sound like a request, say it in a tone which means she has no choice.
She can't argue with you or say no, or even accuse you of anything. You're home and dry. You may get the huffing and puffing but just try to ignore it. I've dealt with people like that and instead of feeling intimidated I made up my mind to take pleasure in adding to it where appropriate.

Use this technique for every second call and it wont be long before you wont have to ask. If you do have to keep saying it, continue - it's getting you what you want and making the lazy sod do her share.

Mighty_Mouse

Preclaimer: depends on seniority & depends on which job most important

Just blank the phones for until she plays ball. Dont worry about missing calls etc

6th

Mighty_Mouse wrote:

Preclaimer: depends on seniority & depends on which job most important

Just blank the phones for until she plays ball. Dont worry about missing calls etc

This is the only route to take. Its not your place to confront her nor should you have to.

kdouglas

ignoring the phones and waiting for her to pick them up is immature imo, just ask her to answer the phones, if she makes a deal of it, explain to her that "fair is fair", you answer some, she answers some

limklad

What is the boss doing? :eek: It the boss job to make sure that the Phone calls are answered properly. If the company loses customers/clients then the comapny suffers and you all will lose your jobs.
Talk to her Mary first about the problem. Do not get into a heated debate with her. It is not worth it. If she continues to refuse to help answering the calls.
In the mean time, Make a record of all the call you answered throughout the day. Time/length of call and for who you answered it for, etc..
You need to talk to the other girl who is not mary and find out why is she late and let her know the story. You both may find arrangement to deal with the issue.

If this fails the next step is:
By this stage you did talk to the others , you have no option but to talk to your boss about getting help. You basiclly have to tell your boss that you work is suffering becuase you have to answer all the calls and is not getting any help from Mary. (I bet she is getting her work done in the Day or just lazying at that too). The Ball is basicly in the boss court.
If the boss rejects or try to bypass the issue then read the last line.
They may be trouble from others but that depends on how good your boss is in dealing with the office staff. If there is no improvements within a month, and at a last resort:
start looking for another job.


I Hope things work out for the best for you all.

limklad

~Leanne~ wrote:

Share it between yous evenely. Have set days where one will answer one day and "mary" the other. Type it out and leave it on her desk, not much she can say as it it a fair way of doing it.

Typing it out without talking (no degrading/superior/authority tone) to her is telling her what to do, remember she huff and puffs when told what to do.

Talk to her like you annoyed with your friend. Remember you trying to get around her stubborn streak and convince her to help with the work (which should be the bosses’ job).

How would you like some else approach you when you are in that stuborn streak?

dame

Miss Fluff wrote:

Come in early and divert switch to Mary's phone. Take it in turns to do this every morning.

Excellent, best advice on this thread, that way only one of you is getting disturbed from your work each morning.

LundiMardi

Kill her...

Or on second thoughts, just don't answer the phone!! Do your own work.

limklad

Miss Fluff wrote:

Come in early and divert switch to Mary's phone. Take it in turns to do this every morning.

If you do this you give mary the perfect weapon to use against you for a very long time. I can hear it now. Mary squeling to the boss, and say That "Anonnn never said anything, she not sharing the phone, no wonder the phones are always ringing" she got you on the definive already becauce you acted immature and it will cost you more. Remember she the selfish and immature one. Do not give an inch to drag you down worst than she is..
And if you boss investigate, he/se be wondering why your phone is not rining and Marys is? Who is the guilty party now? Learn from my mistakes because people like this got me in trouble by me making these types of mistakes. All it takes is blunders like this.

kdouglas wrote:

ignoring the phones and waiting for her to pick them up is immature imo, just ask her to answer the phones, if she makes a deal of it, explain to her that "fair is fair", you answer some, she answers some

I agree.

Hagar wrote:

Answer the phone, then ask the caller to hold for a moment, then say "Mary, this call is for you" and transfer it to her extension. She will get the picture after the very first call.

Good idea or ask mary to answer the phone, then this will not make you the guilty party. But make sure you record you work incase Mary make a big deal about answering the phones. remember she huff and puffs and there will be more to come. Do the ground work first...

kdouglas wrote:

ignoring the phones and waiting for her to pick them up is immature imo, just ask her to answer the phones, if she makes a deal of it, explain to her that "fair is fair", you answer some, she answers some

limklad

LundiMardi wrote:

Kill her...

Or on second thoughts, just don't answer the phone!! Do your own work.

That would be my first respond, but then mary will figure out what you are doing. she wants to avoid in her mind "unnecessary work!!"
Sit back and think of the possible consequences of ignoring the obligation of the office to answer the phones.. By not answering the phone you become negligent like mary and mary will look like the hero when she squeals to the boss.:eek: