I worked by myself for the first time at FWS yesterday. It wasn't planned, and I don't think I was ready, but I survived. It was also only for two hours.
My trainer got a phone call in the afternoon and then asked me if I thought I could close by myself. I was like, "I don't know. Do you think I can close?" She said she needed to leave by four. So she stayed until I got the closing reports done and then left about 3:30.
Things were going pretty good at first. I swept the floor and started to mop. A couple people came in and made payments - and I was able to do that. Someone called and needed a receipt emailed to them and I finally figured that out. Then, just as I was thinking I had handled everything pretty good, a couple came in about 5:15 and were just getting here to move their semi load of items into a storage unit. They had made all the arrangements over the phone with a previous employee. So I got out their file and thought I was going to be able to handle it, but when I went to show them their unit there was no way a semi was going to be able to get to it and they wanted to know what I was going to do about it.
By this time it was snowing like crazy, and it was now 5:30 - time for me to leave. Well, it just so happened that we only had one other unit available in the size they wanted. I hoped it would be in a more convenient location. Fortunately it was. So then I hoped it was okay that I switched them to a different unit. I tried to do it on the computer but got to a place where I no longer knew what I was doing. I did at least know that they were due in the next day (today) to make another payment - and they said they were coming in anyway because they thought they would need an additional unit -so I just left a note for my trainer for when she came in in the morning and I gave them their new keys.
I finally got out of there around 5:45, and as I drove home I realized I should have just called someone and asked for help. That is one thing I'm going to have to 're-learn. I guess I'm just used to having to make decisions on my own. I probably also kind of panicked -what with all the snow and darkness and being nervous.
So...hopefully I won't get fired on the first time I worked by myself. The drive home then took me 45 minutes again because of the snow. I didn't feel bad. This is what happens with a new job. It is probably actually progress (for me).
Now I am writing this in the endoscopy waiting room as Jane gets her 3-year colonoscopy. After she is done I will get her breakfast and take her home, then go back to work again and see how bad I screwed things up. I'm also a little tired, since we had to be here at 6:30am.
Just another day in the life of me.
3 comments:
I'd say if you got them a unit where they could unload and you have their name the rest is academic. Besides, I would say all the stuff they dropped off is a good payment toward 1-day of unit rent (until someone gets in there and makes it official). Hard to get ripped off when they're leaving worldly possessions behind. The worst that could happen is that the other storage unit was reserved for someone, but that would be on the person who cut the deal with the people you met; I guess they didn't talk about clearance measurements. And, like you said, you have diplomatic immunity for at least a month.
If I were your manager I would commend you for figuring things out on your own. I think that's a skill that most people lack these days, for whatever reason. I doubt you'll get fired :)
You're doing great just like I knew you would. Very proud.
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