The Road Less Travelled

I have sent in a copier to my customer in Tuas and I have just tried to troubleshoot her copier while in my shirt, pants and tie. I feel relieved knowing my technician will be down first thing the next morning to fix her problem.

Went to wok as uual the next day, making calls and doing some paper work. At noon my mobile rang. Picked up the phone and it was my customer from the previous day. Tang, I thought you said first thing in the morning? Huh? You mean my technician not there yet? I asked. No.... Ok ok sorry, I check with my service department and call you back.

Called my service manager. What happen? I thought you said you can send somebody down first thing in the morning? Oh sorry Tang, we had more important customer. I hung up the phone fuming, you mean my customer not important? Walked into the office and told my manager: Send me for technician course. My manager was surprise and ask me what happened. Related the whole story to him and he say cannot like that la, blah blah blah. I am thinking why should I be a slave to the service department, how can I keep my integrity as a person if the people supporting is not helping.

Another customer also called telling me his machine breakdown but this guy is worse he called and told me to send him another new machine as he suspect I sent him a reconditioned one. I already ask you technician to go back. Tang you better get a new machine to my office before lunch if not I call the lawyer. Called my manager, he arranged for my service manager to do up a new machine, recalled the driver back to send the machine. My one minute phone call from a customer resulted in me owing favours to 3 persons, my manager, service manager and driver, who all skipped lunch just to get a machine out to my customer. Sigh I am becoming a slave to the machine, literally!

I had another run in with another customer but that was not as bad, but by now I fear when the phone rings. I dare not look when my phone rings and when its an unknown number I shudder thinking it might be another customer wanting to complain about their machine. It became too stressful for me and that was when my friend from the insurance industry asked me to explore. I said ok though I was a non believer.

My first insurance policy I bought from a friend out of support (too many of us did this). He called me and told me he just joined as an insurance adviser. Ok, do up a plan to set aside for $200 every month. Met him the next day with his boss and he told me: Tang this is the plan but I have to explain. No need where to sign, I said. But I have to... put up my palm in his face and said: just tell me where to sign. I was mean but I wanted to support him as a friend. My father told me before that insurance bluff people one, cheat money. But since my friend joined must support la.

Did the paper work and he left, but the day when I joined the financial industry I called him and apologised and thanked him that he helped me see what I did not see then. I myself have taken the road less travelled.

Coming Back To Reality

I have just came back from Bali and reality is setting back in. Its back to work and its not any better even though I may have my own time. Its still work and fortunately I enjoy my job. Confucius said “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

I started my career in the financial industry since the year 2000. It was one of those friends that asked me to join them in an insurance company. But I don't believe in insurance was my reply. She was persistent and asked me to just go and be open about it. Since I was not really happy where I was and she was a friend, I said ok.

I was then in the office automation industry selling Multifunctional Products. The thing you call copiers in the office. They now scan, fax, print and copy, therefore multi functional. Anyway then it was new technology. Do you remember the time the scanners in your copiers actually move to copy documents? So if you have one document to copy 100 copies, the scanner in your copier has to scan your documents a hundred times. You cannot remove your documents until all is done.

So there I was after ORD from the Police Force National Service, being a photocopier sales person. I was schooled in Architectural Technology in the Polytechnic and knew that there was a big market for copiers in the architectural firms. Managed to get a listing of architectural firms and called them one by one. In the mean time, my boss also told me my territory was in Tuas! Tuas! Sigh... Tuas was then filled with many new companies and factories starting shop here.

The first few days, my boss drove me around to show me the ropes. It was still heaven because I was doing a part time degree and had night classes. I could still go to class at night relatively fresh! But after the honeymoon period, when I had to drive myself to Tuas it all changed. Driving is tiring and the journey up and down from Tuas drained me when I go to class at night. I cannot stay awake!

I managed to convince some companies to take up my copiers, that was when the job started feeling like work! I delivered 4 machines to 4 different companies to get 3 of them calling me back telling me there was a problem with the machine. I remembered a customer in Tuas, send her the machine in the morning. Everything went smoothly during the demo. Went back to the office feeling good about it.

Lunch time, phone rang. Tang, machine says paper jam my customer said. I check already but got no paper jam. Ok ok stay calm try and remember all the things to do trouble shooting. Mam the LCD screen will tell you where the jam is. Check already don't have. Ok next step. Turn your machine off and on? Done already. Eerr... Switch off the mains wait 5 secs. Also do already. Alamak! How? Ok ok mam tell you what I come right now. The time 5 pm, suppose to knock off soon. Ran down to my car and started my lonely drive to Tuas.

Went through the door to my customers office went straight to the machine. Looked at the LCD display. True enough paper jam. Did whatever the LCD display asked me to do. Still paper jam! Went down on my knees peered up through the paper trays just to ensure the paper is not there (I was in my shirt, pants and tie). Don't have!

Stood up, looked at my customer meekly and said mam don't worry my service guy will come first thing in the morning. She said ok. As i walked out the office, picked up my phone and started dialing for my service manager. Can you send one technician down to my customer tomorrow first thing in the morning. Sure, my service manager said.

What a day, well at least its settled (so i thought) and drove home.