They look like big, good, strong hands, don't they?
I don't typically post about work too much here. Frankly, there isn't usually much to talk about. Things around here have gotten interesting as of late though. First off, despite our national (international to a degree) footprint, we are a very small company. At the peak of staffing, we had 12 people in the office. Currently though, we're at about 7 with 2 part time employees.
Let's start with a little background. As I posted before, we make communication devices for the disabled. There are a few product lines but typically the devices are either dedicated devices built specifically for this purpose, or they are computers that were modified here in order to function as text to speech devices. Most of the modifications and technology is all proprietary, so any repairs need to be done here. We have exactly 2 technicians, 1 of which has the bulk of the repair load (75% or so). Previously, this role was filled by Chris but as I posted back in June, he unfortunately died very suddenly. Eric, the 'new' technician, was previously responsible for programming one product line for sale and occasionally repairing them. Now, he's responsible for pretty much everything. This obviously has led to quite a backlog. Repairs that used to take days or weeks can take months. Add in to that the necessity of the devices and it leads to some rather happy phone calls. Lucky me, that's where I come in. I used to get pissed when I saw a repair sit for more than 4 weeks. Now if someone calls to check status, I almost laugh if it hasn't been here 2 months yet.
The shame of it is, it makes us look like assholes when we really do care. We simply don't have the manpower to process things any faster. Well, hire more technicians. Yeah, I wish it was that easy. We can't afford to hire anyone else right now. Granted, even if we could, the training curve would be a nightmare. So in the end, I get yelled at every few calls and there isn't really anything I can do about it.
That would be enough fun on its own but things get better. Our office manager, essentially the lynchpin of the front office staff, is leaving. As of next week, she will focus on just the accounting side and only work part time. Basically, that will increase my power and responsibilities quite a bit. Fortunately, if she has her way before leaving, it will also mean a bump in pay for me of around 10-15%. If that comes through, I'll be making more than I have anywhere else. Then again, I'll also be responsible for more as well. Hell, I'll even get keys to the office, the new one and the old one.
Oh yeah, we're moving too. I have no idea where we're going yet. Larry has looked at several spaces. I was hoping he would pick the one near Eden's office (yay 10 minute commute!) but they think the space is too small. Another space he looked at was 10 miles farther from home (shit). So far though it looks like the leading candidate is 5 minutes from where we are now. On the upside, that won't make the commute any worse. It looks like Eden and I are staying in the same place for another year too. Once she starts driving we can look at moving somewhere between our two offices. For now though, I'll deal with driving.
So in the end, while things are rocky at work, there's at least a silver lining. I may get a pay increase, and the new location should have lower rent which will help us catch up on things financially. I've always been known for job hopping but I think I'm going to stick this one out and see where it goes. After all, where else can I call myself the Director of Customer Service?