/ Workplace Woes - Roze Knows

10:05 AM EST on Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Dear Roze:

Customer service is so important in my business.  As a massage therapist, my clients not only expect top notch massages, but they also expect respect and cordiality from the people who greet them at our front desk.  When my clients enter the spa, they should feel very welcomed and comfortable, but way too often I get complaints that the ladies at the desk just don’t give off those positive vibes.  All too often they’re not friendly at all.  They actually make our customers feel like they’re not wanted.  I know they’ve been coached and trained on the right way to treat our customers, but they don’t seem to care about the impact they have on the business.  When I’ve said something to them, they just roll their eyes, ignore me, or make a snide comment.  I’m debating on whether I should say something to their boss or go directly to the owner who is their boss’ boss, because it’s obvious to me that their immediate supervisor isn’t getting through to them.  Help!

-Fed up with Front Desk Personnel

Dear Fed up with Front Desk Personnel:

It is important to always follow your organization’s chain of command.  Despite your lack of confidence with the reception personnel’s immediate supervisor, I suggest that you communicate verbally and in writing the problems you have experienced with these individuals to this person in order to give him/her the opportunity to respond to your complaint and address the issue on his/her own.  If you do not see any improvement in the individuals’ behavior and attitudes after your communication to their boss, then request assistance from the owner.  Be sure to advise the owner of your efforts to remedy the situation and provide him/her with a copy of the document you gave to the immediate supervisor.

Dear Roze:

I’ve seen a coworker use the company postage meter for his personal mail on several occasions.  I’m pretty sure this goes against company policy, but I’m not sure how I know this.  Regardless, I think it’s common sense that it’s not right to use the office postage machine for personal letters and bills.  This guy is pretty arrogant and all about himself.  He doesn’t intimidate me, but I know he has a way of doing that to others.  I get the feeling that he doesn’t care about any of our company’s policies.  I think he needs to stop, which means I need to report him or I’m just as bad as he is.  Do you agree with me?

-Postage Meter for Work Only in VA Beach

Dear Postage Meter for Work Only in VA Beach:

I suggest that you first verify whether or not your coworker’s activity is against company policy.  If it is not allowed, I recommend that you approach the appropriate person in management and request that a sign be posted next to the postage meter, advising all employees and managers that the machine is for business mailings only.  This should prevent your coworker and others from using the meter for personal mailings.  However, if you discover that your coworker continues to use the machine for his personal mail after the signage is in place, have a non-confrontational discussion with him, reminding him of the company policy, and then, if he continues to break the policy, you can report his infractions to the appropriate person within your organization.  I am hopeful, however, that the sign posted by the meter will succeed in halting your coworker’s indiscretion.

Dear Roze:

A colleague of mine is so upset and hurt because she was transferred out of our division into another one because of problems that exist between her and our boss.  It is well known that our boss is very insecure and incompetent as a manager.  Even our boss’ boss has communicated to us underlings that he has problems and reservations with his supervisory abilities.  It’s obvious to us that our boss is threatened by our co-worker, and understandably so, because she has so much knowledge of and experience in our market sector and she’s just very sharp.  Action should have been taken against our boss, not our co-worker, but in our company, employees always seem to get the short end of the stick.  This is just one of so many things our boss has screwed up.  All of us are really upset about our co-worker’s transfer and want to do something for her, but we don’t know where to begin.  What do you suggest we do?

-Upset with Co-worker’s Transfer

Dear Upset with Co-worker’s Transfer: 

First, I must say that your colleague is very fortunate to have all of you as her coworkers.  I recommend that you and your coworkers make sure that she knows how highly you think of her.  You and your coworkers should request a meeting with your boss’ boss and tactfully advise him of your issues with your colleague’s transfer.  I suggest that you also tell your transferred colleague what your boss’ boss has told you with regard to his problems and reservations with your boss.  This information should empower the transferred coworker and give her the confidence to challenge the transfer if she so chooses.