Author Topic: Client managers expectations  (Read 1653 times)

spunkyboy08

Client managers expectations
« on: November 11, 2018, 08:24:38 pm »
A former co-worker of mine  works as a contract visitor parking attendant at a university. Her employer has a contract with the university. She reports to 2 managers, her direct manager who works for the same employer she works for, and the client manager, who is the Director of Parking and Transportation Services.

She sits inside the visitor parking booth, which is roughly 50 feet from the visitor parking garage and roughly 40 feet from the faculty/staff garage. She is responsible for informing visitors of the parking fee as well as where to pay for their parking.

Recently the client manager told her that visitor parking will soon be renovated. Visitor parking is being moved to the first level of the faculty/staff garage. The client manager also told her that she will have additional responsibilities. According to the client manager, she is supposed to prevent any visitor from pressing the call button either at the call box at the entrance gate or the call box at the exit gate at the faculty/staff garage once visitor parking is moved to the first level of that garage. The reason for this is that the Parking office employees will be too busy to answer those calls. Calls from either call box are transferred to that office. So she was told that she has to watch for customers needing help in addition to assisting customers who drive up to the visitor parking booth window. The client supervisor also told her that her office does not want to receive any call from either call box.

She is frustrated with what it happening at work.

How should she approach both managers regarding this situation?
« Last Edit: November 11, 2018, 08:34:20 pm by spunkyboy08 »

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Aleko

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2018, 12:55:11 am »
How is she supposed to prevent people using those call boxes - with a stun gun? If they remain functional, there is no way on earth that customers won't use them. It doesn't matter how well she does her job, or how large or clear the notices on the call boxes saying "DO NOT USE THIS BOX" are; people will use them. Basically, that's like being asked to burn water or weigh air.
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Kimpossible

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2018, 06:15:16 am »
It seems like it would be much simpler to have the call boxes disconnected or rerouted to the parking booth's phone. The request to prevent people from calling is silly.
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DaDancingPsych

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2018, 07:42:59 am »
At the time, it may have been wise to point out to client manager that while she was willing to take on the new responsibility that it would be impossible to be 100% effective... cite long list of reasons. However, I know that I am terrible with digesting new information and responding so quickly. At this point, I would take my concern to direct manager. As it would be better that this is a addressed between the managers. I might bring any suggestions that I think might help (ie. if the call box is disconnected or rerouting to the booth).

If direct manager is not on-board with why it would be impossible to prevent every single person from calling, then I might re-approach client manager. Explain that I have been trying to brainstorm how to prevent people from calling (cite those reasons) and see if he/she has any suggestions. Again, bringing one's own suggestions might be wise.

Sometimes reasonable managers miss the details. They have not fully thought a plan out and do not realize that it may not fully work. A reasonable manager would either find a fix or be understanding that some calls will make it into the office. Unreasonable managers... well... those are the tricky ones.

spunkyboy08

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #4 on: November 15, 2018, 08:49:56 am »
I was able to speak to my former co-worker about this earlier this week.

I mentioned the suggestions of having the phone calls from the call box routed to the phone inside the visitor parking booth as well as disconnecting the call button.

My former co-worker mentioned that to her direct manager who works at her employer.

Her direct manager spoke to the client manager, and the client manager turned down those suggestions.
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DaDancingPsych

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #5 on: November 15, 2018, 09:11:13 am »
I was able to speak to my former co-worker about this earlier this week.

I mentioned the suggestions of having the phone calls from the call box routed to the phone inside the visitor parking booth as well as disconnecting the call button.

My former co-worker mentioned that to her direct manager who works at her employer.

Her direct manager spoke to the client manager, and the client manager turned down those suggestions.

Hopefully, client manager has an alternate plan up the sleeve. If not, then I would do the best job that I can and if a call makes it into their office and I am reprimanded/reminded for it I would probably offer the solution again. "I am sorry that I missed that driver; he/she must have missed the sign to not use the call box. Do you think that we could disconnect the call button to prevent this in the future?"
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lakey

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #6 on: November 15, 2018, 05:35:54 pm »
I'm unclear about the callbox. Is the purpose of the callbox for customers to call for help if they need it? If they aren't supposed to use it, why is it there? If it is only for the use of employees, can't something be done to it so that it can't be used by customers?

spunkyboy08

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #7 on: November 15, 2018, 06:41:55 pm »
I'm unclear about the callbox. Is the purpose of the callbox for customers to call for help if they need it? If they aren't supposed to use it, why is it there? If it is only for the use of employees, can't something be done to it so that it can't be used by customers?

Yes, the call-box is there for customers to call for help when they need it.

It is also there for the employees who park in the garage to use when they need help.

But the client manager, who is the Director of Parking and Transportation services, does not want any customer pressing the call button on the call-box for help since the calls from the call-box directly go to the Parking office where she and her 2 staff members work.

She also does not want the call-box disconnected or the calls from the call-box re-routed to my former co-worker.

I found out more information from my former co-worker later today. 

The university does not want a sign posted at the call-box directed to the customers stating to not press the call button for help.

Also...

The client supervisor still wants my former co-worker to literally prevent any customer from pressing the call button on the call-box because according to the client supervisor, the parking office staff cannot handle any calls from customers pressing the call button on the call-box in addition to university employees pressing the call button on the call-box and so on.
« Last Edit: November 15, 2018, 07:26:32 pm by spunkyboy08 »

baritone108

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #8 on: November 15, 2018, 08:24:57 pm »
It sounds like your friend needs to have a discussion with HR.  The client manage is imposing an impracticable (legal term for impossible to meet) requirement on her.  Therefor, her inability to meet it at any time cannot legally result in any repercussions for your friend.  It would then be HR's responsibility to inform the client manager of this.  HR may also be able to determine why client manager has refused all suggestions which would make the new duties practicable.
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Bales

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #9 on: November 16, 2018, 06:51:20 pm »
How the heck would your friend even know the difference between an employee exiting and hitting the call button and a customer?  This is really a no-win for your friend since the expectations are not just unreasonable, but impossible.  She's supposed to be psychic and also be able to fly across how ever far from her booth to the car area when she sees someone who might be a customer reach for the call button no matter what else she is doing? 

Honestly, I'd simply tell both bosses I cannot do the impossible nor can I be held responsible for another person's actions (of pressing the button) particularly when there are no alternate instructions for those people to follow to get assistance.  I'd also think that the other employees in friend's role (since she can't be there every day, I am hoping) would do the same. 
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lakey

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #10 on: November 16, 2018, 11:59:59 pm »
You said at the beginning that your friend has a direct manager, and that there is also the client manager who is The Director of Parking and Services. There are people in administrative jobs who have no idea how things shake out in real life. Maybe I'm cynical but it seems that the people with the most impressive titles are more likely to be like that. I think your friend should discuss all of this with her direct manager.
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oogyda

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2018, 01:25:37 pm »
I'm pretty sure there are legal requirements related to safety issues to have the call buttons there and funtionioning.  Which would mean that they have to keep the buttons and keep them working.  I don't know what the legal responsibilities are for those to whom the calls are sent.

TootsNYC

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Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #12 on: November 26, 2018, 05:27:02 pm »
You said at the beginning that your friend has a direct manager, and that there is also the client manager who is The Director of Parking and Services. There are people in administrative jobs who have no idea how things shake out in real life. Maybe I'm cynical but it seems that the people with the most impressive titles are more likely to be like that. I think your friend should discuss all of this with her direct manager.

This.

Your friend works for the direct manager. At this point, I would insist that all job instructions need to come directly from the company I am actually employed by.

spunkyboy08

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #13 on: November 29, 2018, 10:04:02 am »
Found out from my former co-worker that her direct manager came up with this solution.

He made a spiel that she has to follow regarding her greeting and explaining to the customers who drive up to the booth window what they need to know regarding parking in the garage and paying for their parking.

He felt that she took more time than he felt necessary, and he feels that this spiel will shorten the time she spends with each customer thus giving more time for her to walk up to the exit gate or the entrance gate and assist the customer before the customer presses the call button.

He feels that this is the correct solution and that everything will work the way the client wants it to work.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2018, 10:23:40 am by spunkyboy08 »

Amara

Re: Client managers expectations
« Reply #14 on: November 29, 2018, 10:22:06 am »
Sometimes managers are just idiots.
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