Friday, November 14, 2008

Please DUN kill the messager...

I am so pissed off! I mean being blamed for pushing them when it is their fault for not keeping the committed schedule!? If I am the customer, I would not be as gentle. All we are asking for is for update and to please keep to the schedule. Don't they realised the chain effect whatever action they take will cause? After begging and shouting and struggling with the vendors to get the best support from them, it might all come to nothing because the commit cannot be met.

I admit that I do not understand what is the problem since it is all technical. I know that they are under crazy pressure to get the thing out, working and on time. But the thing is, SO ARE WE! We are the one that have to face the customers who are constantly asking for updates. All we want is honest answer whether you can or cannot meet the date. If cannot, then please tell me why and that you have done more than what is possible to meet the date.

We are human, if we really can't, I will go to the customer and tell them, I am sorry, we have tried but there is not way to meet the schedule. Or, let me know what is the next best date so that I can think of alternatives to try to pull some more strings. Do you guys think it is fun? Or that it is fun to say "SORRY" to customer? Or that it is easy to answer the customer and tell them cannot be done!? Do you think I enjoy juggling and begging from the vendors to give us more support??? No, it is not enjoyable at all.

I am trying to do my job. So, please go and do yours. If you are not happy or satisfied, tell your boss. Don't come and blame me for putting pressure on you. It is your boss decision to pressure you or not. I can only push and request your boss to deliver on schedule. But at the end of the day, if your boss decided that it is not do-able, then he will tell us so that we will tell the customer. If he decided to pressure you guys, then it must be do-able? So, don't blame me. I am just the liaison between the customer and internal people. So, don't shoot the person carrying the message!

Sigh! OK! I think I got that out of my system. I guess I should be damn proud of myself since I was extremely calm and polite (at least, I think that I am) and not let myself get into non-constructive situation. I almost damn near started arguing and wham back at the fella to give the fella a piece of my mind! It still irks me how some people can be so narrow minded. I guess this is all because they are so stressed? People that are stressed can say anything yah????

SIGH!!!!!!!!This job sucks! I know that I basically need to be the meanest person around when things goes wrong or do not meet the required schedule. I am basically the one that 'shout', 'scream' and/or 'beg' so that I can satisfy the customer requirement. I am the one that pull strings and pressure my colleagues to make sure that they meet the schedule. And can be extremely harsh when there is a potential miss in schedule. This is the cons of the work.

The pros? Well, in the middle of all the juggling act, the pressure, the challenges and craziness, there are something good that I can say about this job. Job satisfaction for achieving the required delivery schedule and quantity. The experience gained, the adreanaline rush and ermm...power I guess, does makes a lethally addictive thing. Why else do you guys think people like me stay in the same job (albeit different company). We just love the rush!! hahaha..

2 comments:

Kok said...

jenjen,
There are always different challenges in different job scope. Like you, you're dealing with customers and the technical people. You have to get the technical people going to meet the customers' satisfaction.

As for the technical people, it isn't that easy too. Sometimes, due to unavoidable circumstances, technical people just couldn't meet the scheduled date. I'm not saying they can slack but if they've tried their best, just give them another due date...

Everyone has their own stress... now that you're working in a team, so, you must support each other. By all mean, I think communication is the best solution. Try to understand what's their difficulties and communicate with them. Sometimes, a little bit of reward will make work faster.

Anyway, that's my thinking that you need not to agree with me. hehehe.

JenJen's Place said...

Hi Kok,
Actually after working in this industry for more than 3 yrs, I realised that the technical people have no idea abt the business side. Reason I said that? Well, I am not sure how you will think of this statement: "Without us, there would be no product and no business. So, please don't push us using business".

Sigh..that is when I realised it is pointless to argue (instead pour my geram-ness here).