Frustrating...

One thing that's absolutely guaranteed to aggravate me is when people only want to take responsibility for certain aspects of their job. Let's say, for example, a Designer who will readily accept praise when it's given, but who will deny any involvement in something that didn't go down so well.

Or a Salesperson who instructs me to send proofs of an advertisement to them, so they can send them on to the client, only to later ask me if I had explained something to that client, or given them a clear deadline, or whatever.

Like today... Or, more accurately, last week, which is when I emailed a particular set of proofs to the Salesperson, as requested. I should mention that I object to this procedure on principle. At best, it's the cause of delays (Salesperson not in the office to react to client's emailed response, for example). At worst, it's simply stupid and obstructive. The salespeople have all been told that the Production Co-ordinator should deal with anything relating to Production - copy chasing, proofing, sign-off, and final upload to the Printers. And yet, last week, a client sent artwork to their salesperson which was obviously a bit duff. It was forwarded to me, I took a look at it and, as I have been doing for nigh-on twenty years, I fixed it.

But the Salesperson asked me to send proofs to her, specifically because it was her client and he wasn't 'technically savvy'. Kinda the whole point of my role is to communicate technical matters clearly with just that kind of person. When I'm asked to leave it to a Salesperson, and I have to listen to them spouting crap at a client who is already confused, my blood starts to boil. Worse still, when they start introducing out-of-context jargon that they've overheard and obviously don't understand. That just makes a confused person even more confused.

But when, a week later, that same Salesperson asks me if I explained something to a client, and adds "It's always helpful if you do that...", no-one should blame me for pointing out - loudly, so that her boss can hear (if, indeed, she's paying attention) - that, no, I didn't explain anything to the client... I've had no contact with the client because they asked me to send the proofs to them, not the client.

This particular Salesperson is full of this kind of crap. Just about every day, she's on the receiving end of exactly that kind of question about her sales calls to clients, and just about every day there's an important point of procedure she's ignored... like neglecting to tell a client whose account has been frozen that they'll have to pre-pay (or settle their account) if they want to advertise.

What makes it laughable is that she's always telling everyone else how to do their jobs, how to make complaints to their bank, or their landlords, or their boss. Oh so full of advice that she never follows, brimming with knowledge of procedures she never adheres to.

Several of the Salespeople at this one place I'm working are terrible, one way or another, and their internal communication is ridiculous... But this one in particular is very vocal in her complaints about all the others - behind their backs, of course.

I can't believe I almost seriously considered wanting to work in that place full-time. The other place isn't without its problems, but at least the work is diverting enough that I'm not constantly seeing/hearing/being subjected to them.