February 22, 2014

The end of the storm?

It's almost 2 months into my first real job. 2/3rds of the way through the roughest, toughest, most punishing period of this position, or so my manager says. Considering I havent broken down yet, I supposed I'm doing fairly well right?

February has been rather testing. Overflowing customers, warranty department suddenly dumping their work onto us, customers making fusses, the list goes on. I dont know how I managed to put up with all this, and how much longer I can.

Well, hopefully I wont have as much rubbish to handle from next month onwards, as we will have our game plan to control the workload and give us some breathing space. I really look forward to this strategy and seeing it benefit us.


But before that, I have an issue on my hands which may cost me 1/4 of my salary.

Wednesday, a customer went to our body-and-paint department supervisor. Lets call him Mr Piah.

Mr Piah was asked to provide a quotation to replace a front windscreen, inclusive of parts, labour and tinting. So give the quotation he did, the customer left.

Thursday, the customer came to my desk to check the car in to replace the windscreen, without tint.  And so I registered the repair order as such, complete with stipulated price.

Friday, I went to Mr Piah to check on the progress. Mr Piah told me the job was done and I can send the car for tinting.

"Hah? Tinting?"

"Yalah, faster go make appointment for tinting. Faster faster!"

Confused and blurred, I went ahead and sent the car for tinting.

After the tinting was done, I rang up the customer to come and collect the car. When he asked how was there an increase in price, which so fittingly was the price of the tinting. that was when the lightning bolt struck me hard. Mr Piah had tried to persuade the customer to pay for the tint (which would eventually be reimbursed by his insurance company), but he insisted not to pay for it.


Fortunately I removed the charges from the billing system, which has bought me some time to sort out how to cover the cost for the error. What doesnt sit well with me was that Mr Piah refuses to acknowledge his part of the error, and pushed away the topic of considering both of us bearing the cost of the tint in the worst case scenario. In fact, he had told me that I'd have to bear the costs if no other solution works. Seems to me like he's trying to get rid of any accountability he has in the case, even if he peppered me with his nice words of trying to help me and other unrelated things.

 I smell something fishy about the way he's behaving in this situation. But I wont care if this can be settled without any of us having to pay up. At least this time.