Threats, 18 days & Ghosts

I have to apologize for not updating my blog until now but you'll soon find out why. I might as well break the suspension and anticipation - I've worked 18 days in a row so far this month. This is the first weekend I didn't go into the office or bring any work home.

So let's start from the beginning of the month...

After having a nice relaxing holiday in Calgary, work started actually on January 1 when I checked my email. Yes I know this was the wrong thing to do, but I thought how bad could it have been? Well it was bad, worst than I thought. I think I should actually be writing a book on all the drama that I've encountered in Winnipeg since getting here. Back to the email. Apparently "someone" had broken into the centre over the holidays, supervisors were having sex with interviewers on company property and people tried breaking into some offices to see what they could find out what was happening.

Oh the joys of working with immature, arrogant people. So the first day back to work, I had to investigate what was going on and then on the 4th I got rid of 3 supervisors and the Field Manager. Thus my work began. Since business still needs to continue (thank goodness it has been a relatively slow month) I have had to move to the Field to begin the cleanup and training. The interviewers have just all signed a new Conditions of Employment and I needed to work on the supervisors next.

Of course the 3 supervisors think we owe them the world, but I think I've finally gotten rid of them. They actually threatened myself, my recruiter and the new assistant manager I brought on board just before Christmas. We were lucky as we were the ones who found 3 knives hidden in the field centre and have been sticking together for the past few weeks just watching each other's backs. Oh the fun never seems to end.

We've been pushing through basically starting the field centre over from scratch as there is nothing around to indicate that this place even existed. I am completely astonished that they were able to get things done, but I guess when you have just 50 seats and ran the place with fear and demoralizing actions/comments, you get things done. It is really scary at the things we are finding out from the 3 supervisors who seemed to have run the place.

So I have 3 more weeks to ensure the centre is running at a good pace until my vacation to Mexico. I've worked hard in trying to get the centre working efficiently, but I know it is still going to be a while until that is done. I'm hoping that I can mentor the new field manager so I can comfortably and confidently go away. There is a lot of training that needs to be done and meetings with staff as they were completely ignored.

I heard the best comment this week from an interviewer - he said this place is starting to look and run like a business, not like an after school hang out. I'm expanding the centre this past week so will have a full 150 stations by the end of the month. The second dialer is coming in and construction of a few offices is almost complete.

Since moving back over to the old building I've found we have a few ghosts in the building. I've decided to name two of them - George & Charlie. George usually works days and is a prankster. He has a fascination with the first elevator and likes to play tricks on you. My office is on the 8th floor with part of the call centre. The other day I was going to the new building to my other office and pressed the lobby button. Well I didn't speak nicely to George so he took me to the basement, then up to the 9th floor, down to the 5th and then to the lobby. George is finicky if you don't talk to him.

Charlie on the other hand is a little more serious and works nights and weekends. If you are not polite he will drop a floor on you to make sure you remember who is really in charge.

So that's what I've been up to. Yesterday was the first day in a long time the I didn't leave the house and slept in. Ok not really slept in as the girls got me up early.

Hope everyone is fine. CHEERS!