Kudos for the near-crisis...
Okay, so I have a rather amusing work anecdote I feel I must share. I thought it was amusing, anyway - you be the judge.
First some background info, though. I currently work in a warehouse in Kanata (a western suburb of Ottawa). For security reasons, I won't name names. Shipping & receiving-type job for a printing and logistics company. One of the main contracts is with the Canadian federal government, specifically Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). We deal with all the various documentation and publications issued by the numerous government departments, ministries and agencies (organized under the aegis of PWGSC); our company handles bulk receiving and order fulfillment for this, ensuring prompt delivery of government publications to assorted domestic and international clients (libraries, archives, the general public, et al.) My section handles the receiving of bulk shipments of such products, inputting them into our inventory system and storing them in the warehouse awaiting client orders and requisitioning by Fulfillment. One of my main duties is to locate and resolve discrepancies and/or errors brought to our attention by the overseers at PWGSC. For example, I correct catalogue numbers that were either misprinted or initially entered wrong into our system. I also re-verify product quantities in stock upon request, if there's a discrepancy in the count (i.e. it doesn't match the government's original requisition reports). I do other stuff too, but this is what mainly occupies my time at work. Essentially, I'm the designated troubleshooter - the guy who fixes problems as they arise.
Now that that's out of the way, here's the actual story. Last Wednesday, I got an email from one of our contacts at PWGSC asking us to do a recount on a product associated with a particular receiving report (which we issue and forward to them). They're thinking there might be 15 of another similar yet separate product mixed in with it, which we must not have caught the first time (hey, we're only human - everybody slips up now and again!) No problem - I've done this type of request a number of times before. I look up the product and pull it from the shelf. It was a pretty busy day; my mind must have been distracted with other stuff that needed doing later. I wasn't paying full attention - I did the recount a bit too quickly, only glancing at the product (without actually reading the title to make sure). I finish - count's fine as far as I can see. I email back the client saying as much. Later, I get another email asking us to pull 15 of this product out of stock and mail them directly to the issuing department for correction (in this case, Environment Canada). Again, not an unusual request. I pull the product off the shelf once more. However, as I grab a stack of them from the box to count out 15, I happen to look down at the ones beneath. It's the other product they had mentioned before! Classic Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment. Stupid me... Missed it twice now. Sighing heavily, I redo the whole thing again, counting each booklet out carefully and properly separating the two products. I amend the receiving reports as well as the stock counts in our inventory system. Fine. Problem solved. Nevertheless, I'm confronted with a dilemma: the client's request to have 15 mailed out was still sitting in my inbox. Hmmm... My thinking was that they had requested this 15 to correct the balance with respect to the other product I had already told them wasn't there - thinking it was all one product, they ask for these back to even out their numbers and synchronize their requistions (while putting in ANOTHER order for 15 of the other product they think is missing). Uh-oh. Since it's too late in the day to email them for clarification (i.e. warn them about my screw up and thus prevent duplicate ordering), I decide to try calling them on the phone. No answer - shit! Left a voicemail message explaining the whole situation. I err on the side of caution and decide not to send out the 15 copies until we get this all figured out. Good thing! The next day, when I first check my inbox I see this urgent looking email in caps from PWGSC marked High Importance. It's a stop message - the first paragraph is in boldface, instructing me to disregard the previous message and NOT to send out any copies. Whew! Prevented a minor Three Mile Island screwup from escalating into a bigger Chernobyl screwup. Anyway, I make all the appropriate corrections and re-explain the situation and my actions/resolutions in a nice, long, formal, deferentially apologetic email to our contacts at Public Works. All's well, crisis averted.
Now here's the punchline. Later that day, I get an email from one of the higher-ups at PWGSC. Aww crap...here's where the shit hits the fan, I'm thinking to myself. With dread, I open it. They're congratulating and thanking us about this! They praised my "dedicated work in finding and thus resolving this inquiry." I laughed out loud when I read it! They're thanking me for a narrowly-averted FUBAR on my part... Way to go for not screwing it up even further, Blake! That's freakin' great! I love the Feds - only they would go out of their way to praise good damage control skills! The irony is wonderful, almost poetic. Needless to say, I had a bemused grin on my face for the rest of the day.
There. Wasn't that the most anti-climactic anecdote you've ever heard? :-)
First some background info, though. I currently work in a warehouse in Kanata (a western suburb of Ottawa). For security reasons, I won't name names. Shipping & receiving-type job for a printing and logistics company. One of the main contracts is with the Canadian federal government, specifically Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). We deal with all the various documentation and publications issued by the numerous government departments, ministries and agencies (organized under the aegis of PWGSC); our company handles bulk receiving and order fulfillment for this, ensuring prompt delivery of government publications to assorted domestic and international clients (libraries, archives, the general public, et al.) My section handles the receiving of bulk shipments of such products, inputting them into our inventory system and storing them in the warehouse awaiting client orders and requisitioning by Fulfillment. One of my main duties is to locate and resolve discrepancies and/or errors brought to our attention by the overseers at PWGSC. For example, I correct catalogue numbers that were either misprinted or initially entered wrong into our system. I also re-verify product quantities in stock upon request, if there's a discrepancy in the count (i.e. it doesn't match the government's original requisition reports). I do other stuff too, but this is what mainly occupies my time at work. Essentially, I'm the designated troubleshooter - the guy who fixes problems as they arise.
Now that that's out of the way, here's the actual story. Last Wednesday, I got an email from one of our contacts at PWGSC asking us to do a recount on a product associated with a particular receiving report (which we issue and forward to them). They're thinking there might be 15 of another similar yet separate product mixed in with it, which we must not have caught the first time (hey, we're only human - everybody slips up now and again!) No problem - I've done this type of request a number of times before. I look up the product and pull it from the shelf. It was a pretty busy day; my mind must have been distracted with other stuff that needed doing later. I wasn't paying full attention - I did the recount a bit too quickly, only glancing at the product (without actually reading the title to make sure). I finish - count's fine as far as I can see. I email back the client saying as much. Later, I get another email asking us to pull 15 of this product out of stock and mail them directly to the issuing department for correction (in this case, Environment Canada). Again, not an unusual request. I pull the product off the shelf once more. However, as I grab a stack of them from the box to count out 15, I happen to look down at the ones beneath. It's the other product they had mentioned before! Classic Homer Simpson "D'oh!" moment. Stupid me... Missed it twice now. Sighing heavily, I redo the whole thing again, counting each booklet out carefully and properly separating the two products. I amend the receiving reports as well as the stock counts in our inventory system. Fine. Problem solved. Nevertheless, I'm confronted with a dilemma: the client's request to have 15 mailed out was still sitting in my inbox. Hmmm... My thinking was that they had requested this 15 to correct the balance with respect to the other product I had already told them wasn't there - thinking it was all one product, they ask for these back to even out their numbers and synchronize their requistions (while putting in ANOTHER order for 15 of the other product they think is missing). Uh-oh. Since it's too late in the day to email them for clarification (i.e. warn them about my screw up and thus prevent duplicate ordering), I decide to try calling them on the phone. No answer - shit! Left a voicemail message explaining the whole situation. I err on the side of caution and decide not to send out the 15 copies until we get this all figured out. Good thing! The next day, when I first check my inbox I see this urgent looking email in caps from PWGSC marked High Importance. It's a stop message - the first paragraph is in boldface, instructing me to disregard the previous message and NOT to send out any copies. Whew! Prevented a minor Three Mile Island screwup from escalating into a bigger Chernobyl screwup. Anyway, I make all the appropriate corrections and re-explain the situation and my actions/resolutions in a nice, long, formal, deferentially apologetic email to our contacts at Public Works. All's well, crisis averted.
Now here's the punchline. Later that day, I get an email from one of the higher-ups at PWGSC. Aww crap...here's where the shit hits the fan, I'm thinking to myself. With dread, I open it. They're congratulating and thanking us about this! They praised my "dedicated work in finding and thus resolving this inquiry." I laughed out loud when I read it! They're thanking me for a narrowly-averted FUBAR on my part... Way to go for not screwing it up even further, Blake! That's freakin' great! I love the Feds - only they would go out of their way to praise good damage control skills! The irony is wonderful, almost poetic. Needless to say, I had a bemused grin on my face for the rest of the day.
There. Wasn't that the most anti-climactic anecdote you've ever heard? :-)
posted by Blake @ 3:22 p.m.
3 Comments:
At 7:14 p.m. ,
Anonymous said...
Why did you leave Sitel (Customer Service Rep.) for a contract job with Gilmore Global as a "distribution clerk"?
In politics (which is the field you are looking at) the stress level is somewhat elevated (more than anything you ever saw at Sitel) and you stated that you left Sitel for that same reason.
So what is the real reason? I would think that journalism may be your field. You have the right vocabulary, the right political sense and above all, a great view. You see things with a wide angle lens.
Just curious.
At 3:24 p.m. ,
Blake said...
There was no ulterior motive in my leaving SITEL. The primary factor was indeed stress. Dealing with consumers, especially ignorant consumers (which was often the case at SITEL), over the phone in a customer service environment can be very trying at times. A real test of patience. Now, I consider myself to be a very patient guy, but even I have my limits. It just got to be too much. I'd had my fill of customer service jobs altogether - finally figured out it was not my ideal career path. I wanted to find an easier job where I didn't have to deal with people on such a constant basis. Every so often I can tolerate, but not a ceaseless barrage. If that makes me anti-social or a snob, well then fine. I am what I am :-)
That's why I took the warehouse job. Much less stressful, pays the same (believe it or not!), and boxes don't talk back to me or give me grief! I know it's unfulfilling, that I'm too smart for it and I'm being way under-utilized etc., but it's a decent "transition" job until I can jump-start a proper career. A paycheck is a paycheck, after all - it pays the bills.
You're right in that politics is a stressful field too, which is why I don't want to get into politics per se. Some of the same crap I had to put up with as a CSR - constantly being criticized, always under scrutiny, having to deal with difficult people, etc. I'd be more interested in diplomacy - don't hafta suck up to the voters that way. More freedom to do the job properly, without the proverbial ducks nipping at my heels.
I considered journalism when applying to university, but my first love has always been history. I knew being a history major would be most rewarding for me. Besides, I have certain philosophical issues/problems with much of modern journalism - the hackneyed quality of it, the pursuit of the "sound-bite" and lack of true depth and thoughtful analysis, increasing sensationalism, disrespect for personal privacy and lack of decorum, the erosion of true objectivity and the increasing rise of partisanship, et al. I don't think I could, in good conscience, be a journalist. In fact, my "wide angle lens" as you call it comes from my background as an historian. History students are trained to be as objective as possible, to think and analyse on many levels, to approach opposing arguments and viewpoints equally and without judgement (and give all due credit to both sides). History taught me to be more open-minded, to avoid dogmatic thinking and to search for truth in ALL its facets. While the core philosophy of journalism espouses this too, I think today's reality is increasingly falling short of these ideals.
At 10:18 p.m. ,
Anonymous said...
Well explained.
Thanks
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