Sue's rant

Sometimes being a boss just isn't fun... Yesterday I went to the Laval store location for a staff meeting at 8AM. Because I have to cross Montreal before getting to Laval - I left at 6AM from Farnham in order to make it on time. I really hate Montreal traffic!
The employees in Laval must have gotten together for a real bitch session before the meeting because despite the box of muffins that I brought in, they put me directly into the firing range at the start. They had some valid points - but came accross as hostile and accusing - I found myself apologising for stuff I shouldn't have. After careful analysis of what was said, I realise that I should have put them all in their place and told them to cool their heels and think things through before making semi coherent accusations in my general direction. Bottom line, they felt that I was not communicating with them enough. Nauf said - I will endeavor to be a better communicator - never mind that I am on the phone with them at least twice a day and always ask if they have any questions and if everything is ok.

After the rough morning in Laval, I moved on to the Candia store for more fun.... The interac/visa/mastercard machine wasn't working and luckily I had Keith with me to help out. After purchasing a new router, new cables, a new switch - installing everything and re-initialising the entire network and making countless calls to our POS (point of sale) supplier, it was finally determined that the bank equipment was the faulty equipment and that they would send someone over to replace it. Of course, they would not even consider that possibility until everything else was done. I am surprised they didn't ask us to replace the bloody computers! I finally left the store around 5:30 exhausted and in a rush to get home and work on the payroll which was due at 4pm - therefore late ( I do have a small window of time to send it after the deadline which I have never tried until yesterday). Halfway home, I get a call from the saleslady at the store saying that she had forgotten to give me some really important stuff to bring to the Granby store, so I had to turn the car around and return to the Candiac store to pick up the missing box. Argh!

Finally home! I carefully but quickly did the payroll while Keith made dinner (didn't get to eat until 8pm - but at least everyone will get their paycheque. With 22 employees on the payroll, can you imagine what kind of hostilities I would face if (god forbid) their cheque was deposited in their account late!!!!

So - I admit, it's not always rosy - dealing with employees (especially female employees) some are wonderful, some are wonderful sometimes, some you just tolerate. Hopefully, the next staff meeting will be on a better note. I am making myself notes on how to respond to certain comments - one thing for sure, employees will think in terms of their own situation in their store location at a certain given time. I have to think of all employees in 3 locations at all time and worry about my GST & QST payment on top of it all. Most days its a breeze - yesterday it wasn't.

Sometimes you just need complain to someone - luckily, no one is obliged to read this rant, yet I still feel better for having vented....