Coworker Rant

[jtnesbitt 0]

I am going to punch my new account exec in the face.

Ever work with someone that had a romantic view of the corportate world? They think it's one thing but it's really not. You know, they want the nice desk witht he pens all organized, corporate email with a pretty signature, pics of their family all over their desk, company banners on the wall, etc. The problem is they dont know how to work.

One of my bosses good friends used to work for him years ago. he wasnt good at selling so it was suggested he would do better with a different company. He has tried several sales positions over the years until he was recently let go from selling Landrovers. He needed a job so my boss made him one of our new AE's and put him under me. The original idea was that this guy could take some of the pressure off me so i could focus more attention on bigger accounts. Unfortunately it's not working.

He's essentially got my job when i first started here maybe thats why i am unsympathetic, because i have already been there. He's supposed to handle some of our marketing such as newletters and such and then told him he could handle a particular type of client that tends to be very time consuming with very little profit potential. He's walking around with his head high acting like he's gonna make our company triple it's profit for the year. he think he is this marketing and sales guru and he's not. Unfortunately i can't seem to assist him in any way because deep down he resents me for being younger (and in his opionion less experienced) yet i am his boss. He keeps throwing in my face that "i was doing this while you were still in high school" blah blah blah. Unfortunately since he's friends with my boss I cant remind him that he was fired fom this job in the past and that there is a reason he was placed under me when we brought him back.

So far is is causing my workload to increase instead of decrease. He calls me into his office at least once an hour to bitch about something and if i tell him i am too busy and he needs to come to me he gets all pissed off like i wont help him out. When i do help him he tells my boss i am too hard on him. I dont know what to do i am already babying this guy. He has a client that i offered to write up the entire proposal for AND present it to them with him with me and i wouldnt take a dme of the commision but he blew that sale. He wont take any advice i give me. He doesnt understand what sales involves. he can't think on his feet. He wants to present the client with a menu of choices and let them decide what they want. i told him it doesnt work that way and gives the client an opportunity to shop us instead of us selling them and he disagrees. Of course. lets just send menus to everyone and let them pick what they want. Meanwhile i'll buy paper hats for everyone, get some cash registers, and retitle my execs to "account clerks."

O, another thing. One thing i "gave" him was the monthly newsletters. I have been handling that for a number of years even after i became the sales manager and left the marketing dept. My open rate was extremly successful as was the sales the newsletters generated. I sent them out on average about once a month. Since this guy has came on board he has been sending them out once a week and they are garbage. he copies and pastes irrelevent articles he finds and sends them out to everyone. His oepn rate is less than half what mine was and in thr 5 weeks he's been doing it they generated 1 sale. meanwhile i had a promo i wanted to run and he got all made and told me not to do it. Said my newsletters werent wordy enough and that we had to build a consistency clients could count on. I got mad and showed him the numbers of his vs mine and that he is writing to the wrong audience. He got upset and told my boss i was coming down on him.

The greatest is this morning though. I got a couple different emails from some smaller clients that i have had since i first started here and they have become friends as well. They are in the group that we told this guy he could cncentrate on. He has been going through our sales records and emailing my old clients telling them he is taking over their accounts! I approached him very calmly and just told him not to do that and that i have been giving him ever new client in that category but that he couldnt take any of mine that have bought from me in the past year. I didnt even say dont take my client, just dont take the recent ones and he went off! Bitched about doing all the marketing and this and that and we're not giving him any clients. I got mad. I explained that he had to build his client base just like i did and all my other AE's. He expects the clients to come to him, but he wont even answer the phone! i tried to bring this up to him and he pointed out that i always answer the phone on the second ring. I said "why do you think i do that?" if he wants the sale, then pick it up on the first ring! I am giving him every chance i get. There are so many times when i will be busy and the phone rings 4 times before i have to drop what i am doing and answer it! WTF!

I am just sick of helping this guy. He really is a super nice guy, but he does not belong in sales, or marketing either for that matter. Its just frustrating because i know he wont be here for more than a year and thats if my boss decides to continue to help him out. meanwhile he's a tax on my time, patience, and not to mention the company resources.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

/rant

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[Andy_Copland 0]

The question still remains, does he like your soccer mum car or the landrovers more?

1338

People aint made of nothin' but water and shit.

Until morale improves, the beatings will continue.

[jtnesbitt 0]

hahahaha!

Actually I went to him when he worked at Landrover when i was shopping around. I test drove the LR2 and LR3 and just couldnt justify it so I bought the lexus.

Meanwhile my boss ended up buying a range sport from this guy before he was fired and my boss likes my lexus better

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[shropshire 0]

You bought a Lexus over a Landy ? [shakes head]. Must have been for the road only

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[jtnesbitt 0]

Sort of.

I love the way the Range and LR3 drives. The LR2 and Range sport are peices of crap. I do not like the reliability of ANY landrover though. My boss has one and I have had 5 friends and a step dad with them and they had to take them to the shop at least once a month. The argument i got was "its under warrenty and you get a free loaner." Thats great, but a two year 50,000 mile warrenty doesnt sound great when you have to take it back to the shop once a month.

If it wasnt for the maintenance i would love to have an LR3.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[billeisele 122]

time for a one-on-one with the boss, lay out the facts without emotion and then just ask him

What do you want me to do?
agree on a series of steps, document how you follow each one and the response from the worker, continue to document his actions

Give one city to the thugs so they can all live together. I vote for Chicago where they have strict gun laws.

[shropshire 0]

I'm with you on the Road Only girlie 'Sport' Landies (actually all of those Road only 4x4s are shite, especially the BMW!!).

I love my Freelander (Diesel) - I do loads of miles (on and off road) and it's pretty reliable really (The transfer box did need replacing recently, but apart from that nowt). Friends have older Defenders (Real Landrovers) and have very few problems and can get parts easily, because they don't changed parts design every year & work on them, themselves without going to costly mechanics.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[happythoughts 0]

"i was doing this while you were still in high school"

I've heard that before. I was so tired of dealing with
the attitude that I told him, "Yes, but that was the wrong way".

At some point, people have to realize that a job
involves doing whatever you are paid to do.
That "whatever you are paid to do" is defined by
who you report to.

Whenever I have team lead responsibilities, I think
about why I am doing that. Most of the time,
people are not as productive as I am. So, I am
get disappointed with their work, but I coach them.

Also, remember that the working world can be an
ironic place. The person who was my boss on one
job, may report to me on the next. Or, they may
be at a company when I apply there and say, "No thanks. No interview."

So, your boss is working with this guy for social reasons.

Identify the issues clearly to your boss, but illustrate
that you are handling the situation in some fashion.
Otherwise, your inability to deal with it may limit your future.
Remember, your job skills are supposed to include
handling problems with subordinates.
(If you can't handle 4 people, then you never get
to manage 40.)

Your boss will probably have a quiet conversation
with the person. The most important thing is,
you will not request that conversation.
"Do I need to do anything?"
"No, I just wanted your input on handling this."

[jtnesbitt 0]

Quick update.

Just got back from lunch with my boss. Without any prompting he asked me about the account the employee in question was working on. (This was the account i offered to write the proposal for.) I told my boss what happened and he just looked down shook his head and said "---- isn't much of a sales person is he?" This was great because is opened up the conversation.

Apperently my boss is much more aware of the situation than i thought. He knows i am trying my hardest to help this guy and knows its the guys fault. He even said the guy was stubborn and set in his ways. This takes a HUGE amount of pressure off me now that i know he and i are on the same page.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[happythoughts 0]

Great news.
Most of the time, sales managers are aware of
the numbers. Make your boss understand that
you are on it.

You can make this work well for you, with a little effort. Also, helping others wins friends.

The key is to be calm and honest. Don't get into
an adversarial tone.

Most companies have a sales "program".
The program is based on successes in the past and
is highly promoted.

- Talk with them as a friend who is trying to help.
(Obviously, you would like your sales staff to be successful.)
- Explain the sales program, or your plan.
"You are the quarterback and calling the plays."

All you can do is work hard and be honest.
If the hard work pays off, you are a king.
If not, it is still apparent and your boss will understand.

[Andy9o8 0]

I'm glad you had this talk with your boss because I was going to add to the chorus telling you that you need to. The particular point I was going to make was that it's a matter of your survival: if you don't do something serious about this guy ASAP, he will drag you down. This isn't exactly an economy where you can afford that.

Now you have to figure out how to bill your time for composing the OP.

[jtnesbitt 0]

I agree with what you're saying, and thats what i do. The issue is that this guy doesnt see himself as part of my team, he thnks he reports directly to my boss cuz he is his friend. Until lunch today i was worried i was going to be helf responsible for his success (like the rest of my team that actually does wht they are supposed to) but fortunately come to find out i wont be responsible for his failure afterall.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[jtnesbitt 0]

Quote

Now you have to figure out how to bill your time for composing the OP.

Hahaha, well, since i have many clients on the west coast in means i work heavily into the evenings and also a lot from my cell and home office so my boss is pretty lienient with how I spend my time as I do my job and my numbers are good.

"If this post needs to be moderated I would prefer it to be completly removed and not edited and butchered into a disney movie" - DorkZone Hero

[Andy9o8 0]

Oh, I forgot to add: have you considered having him killed? In tough times, options shouldn't be foresworn.

[sunshine 2]

Way too long of a post for me to read it...i have ADD ya know. Just wanted to say "hi" and i love my canopy.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!