THE Phone Call
I've got another post from this weekend that I'm working on... but I figured that this was important enough to go first. This morning I got a call from Creamery (that's the corporate headquarters). The woman said, "I tried to call Andrea Johnson, but she said she was in Central America, was it?" to which I responded "Interesting", to which she said "And Andrea told me that you could handle this so blah blah..." I proceeded to handle the situation. I then called Andrea and asked her if she was really in Central America; "No" she responded, "but I'm leaving in two weeks so I figured I'd just tell people that I'm already gone". She then proceeded to recount her past month of catching up with family and getting certified in yoga... all things that I would really appreciate and be happy for her about if I hadn't been doing her fucking job for a month (or if I was doing her job and getting her salary). I, unfortunately for me, was very dismissive with her on the phone... and basically told her after about five minutes that I needed to talk to her dad (we had a scheduled meeting). She then stopped me from ending the conversation because she wanted to know what was "wrong". I basically said that I had to go and that we should talk later... but she asked me again. I responded in a similar way and the third time she asked me I snapped. I said something like "What's wrong is that I've had to my bosses fucking job for a month." I proceeded to let her know things like "I'm going to ask for more money, or I'm going to fucking quit" and that I didn't think she had "done shit" for a while. Surprisingly, my tirade upset her (note the sarcasm). To her credit, she actually tried to help me out for a few minutes instead of getting angry with me in return... but I would hear none of it. A month's worth of frustration come out all at once and I was so enraged that I literally blacked out of the conversation. I'm remembering bits and pieces of it... but not actually what was said. That's why it's taken me up until now, roughly 14 hours later, to realize that she was pretty cool with my initial expletive-peppered statements, and was trying to help me from making a mistake. Unfortunately for myself, I was in the "zone"... the swearing and probably going to get fired zone, but it's still a zone.
I then went into the meeting with Mr. Johnson. While in the meeting, Andrea tried to call me... but I didn't answer. She then called the store to talk to Mr. Johnson. He and she talked for a while. He then came back to the meeting and pretended as if they hadn't been talking. After about five or ten minutes, he went outside for a cigarette and asked me to come along. I did and he started by saying that he had heard Andrea and I had "an interesting conversation". He then said that Andrea told him that I had been swearing at the President of his company and that I had made a few threats that I was leaving the company... and he wanted the hear my side of the story as he "had no reason to believe she had lied". There was nothing I could do but fess up to the fact that that was what had indeed transpired... and I was left trying to explain why it occurred. I tried explaining that I thought Andrea was leaving, to which he said that didn't matter. Okay, one point for him; even though everything about his body language told me that he was not upset that I had sworn at his President... he was upset that I had "fucked with" his daughter (side point to me). I then said that I was venting my frustrations from a month in which I didn't seem to have much help, and that I had only learned this morning that she was leaving for Central America... and to go from thinking I had help (even if I didn't), to hearing that your boss is leaving the country is "a hell of a gear change". This he seemed to think was reasonable. He then wanted to talk about wage... and what would be appropriate. This is where I always fumble with what to say. How to I accurately describe what I do? I started with "the managers manage the stores, and I manage the managers... and we're all being paid the same rate. I think anyone would agree that that's unacceptable." This he didn't agree with because he was under the impression that the managers do their thing and I do my thing completely separate of that. I explained that, since the second store opened that IS the way things have been going. Furthermore, since the opening my workload has doubled as I'm trouble-shooting for two stores. He seemed to take this all in. Long story short (too late), he wants to have a meeting in about nine hours about what exactly I do and how much would be an appropriate wage.
Basically, by tomorrow afternoon I'll either be making more money or I'll be looking for a new job. It's that simple. Sleep well everyone, I won't.