I was quite rude...

Twice recently - I know - tsk tsk!


I have had a woman working within my team on and off for years.

She is dishonest to the extreme (lies, cheats, steals), unreliable, and simply not presentable for customer service.
When I say not presentable I mean she appears unwashed, clothes are grubby and she is at least 100kg overweight (and I don't have a problem with anyones weight, but it is almost impossible for her to get around, so she makes her grotty grandchildren run around with catalogues - just not on, unprofessional).
She smells BAD and I mean 'lucky to shower weekly, if not fortnightly BAD' it's truly the worst smell I've ever encountered on another person....it's just constant and awful...it's one of those smells you can't get out of your nose for ages.

To add to the above 'attributes' she lies at every opportunity, especially with regard to the payment of money owing.
Every manager she has ever worked for has complained, often about the fantastic tales she'd invent as to why she couldn't pay them (and we're talking a few hundred dollars at a time, at least).
I have even accompanied a manager to her house at night to try and collect outstanding debt ($380).
After this we reduced her to having to pay for her order up front - no 7 day credit, and that she was not to have a territory to service, only able to sell to 'friends and family'......or leave....

To top it off I kept getting reports (from customers and agents) that she was collecting other agents catalogues in the area she lives in and taking the orders, to order herself, so that she gets the commission, AND that she was working for our rival company at the same time (the biggest no-no) she thought that by signing with them in her daughters name she'd get away with it.

I'm not kidding.

So I did some investigating.
I'm not one to be making accusations without proof.

It was all true, but the only proof I could get was that it was SHE that was attending the weekly meeting, SHE that was signing the receipt for the goods (signing as her daughter mind you, just a bit more fraud).
Weren't they (rival company) interested to hear all about it!!!
I simply asked the lady on the phone to describe the woman she met with every week, calling herself "Anna".
Daughter "Anna" is not 60 years old, with long black greasy hair, extremely, extremely obese with bad facial hair.

I knew I had her.

So in typical fashion she failed to collect her order for two weeks.
I had an opening.
She called PB (the only manager that'll have her) finally after two weeks wanting to collect the order.
PB "Nope, you can't, it's gone back into stock it'd been sitting here for two weeks - you're finished, you can't do it any more"

EB "Oh....o.k. then"

I thought that would be it - but the crafty old bitch rang head office the following week, they hadn't deleted her from the system, and told her "Oh no, you should be o.k. to order you're still active on the system"
That was good of them!
So she then rings PB, me, PB, me - we're just not answering.

Some people will not take a hint.
By this time I am over it well and truly.
I have sat opposite her at PB's table and told her she's finished, and we get the tears and the whole works, and end up giving in - not again.
Her last warning was her last warning.

So I write a firm but polite letter to let her know her contract was TERMINATED due to failure to collect goods, ongoing unreliability, issues with account payment etc.
I also stated that this was my final word on the matter and not to call either PB or myself as there was nothing left to discuss.
I sent this to new manager CM to proof read first, she said it was great and to go ahead and send.

The letter would have arrived on a Tuesday, Wednesday at the latest.
Neither of us hear a word, and assume we were finally rid of her.
The agents she had been stealing orders and customers from were relieved when I informed them that she had 'finished' with us.
I had given her many many many chances - enough is enough.

Monday of the following week I receive a phone call,
I saw the number and it looked familiar but I thought ah whatever, I was in the mood!

It was EB.

She had 'just received my letter' ummm...we live in the same town, don't think it takes a week to get a letter delivered

She accused me of lying - ME!!!

I let her have it.

After all of the drama and crap with her - I'd finally had enough.

I said "Don't you dare talk to me about lying, you have done nothing but lie for years - to every manager you've ever worked for and I'm sick of dealing with it, and you"

She accused me of being gutless by sending a letter and not discussing it with her

I lost it - by then I was seeing red I said "No EB I wasn't being gutless I just wasn't going to get involved in another discussion with YOU, been there - done that - it never sinks in and I'm not a bit interested in entertaining your bullshit AGAIN..."

She then went on and on about sending my letter to head office etc etc

I laughed at this stage and said "Go for it EB - the letter was approved by head office before I sent it, but if that's what you feel you need to do - GO FOR IT"

She said she would, and kept going on and on.

So I hit her with the bombshell she wasn't expecting.

I said "While you're on the phone to them EB, perhaps you can take the time to explain why you're doing at the same time"

Dead silence.

EB "Oh nah thats me daughter doin that"

Me in controlled tone: "Oh o.k. so why is it that they meet with YOU every week, collect the money from YOU, give the goods to YOU...."

EB: "Oh thats cos me daughter hasn't got a car"

Me: "Really, so why is it you are signing as Anna then? Are you aware that's fraud?"

Dead silence.

Then she gets the snakey. nasty old mole tone to her voice "You think you know a lot dontcha"

Me: bright cheery voice "Yes I do actually" "I know the manager 'MH' REALLY WELL...." which, as it happens now, is true.

So she goes again "You think ya know everything dontcha"

Me "As far as you and your dishonesty goes, yes I do"

EB: "Yeah well I've got returns here, I'll have to post em to head office since I'm not supposed to contact ya's"

Me: "Exactly EB so why are you ringing me then?"

EB: Tries crapping on a bit more....

Me: "Don't EVER ring up here again"

Click.

She didn't get another word in. I hung up on her.

And it's now official, in the 11 years I have worked for the company I have never found it necessary to raise my voice - until now!

At least I know my managers are safe - they won't be running around in the middle of the night trying to collect money that's been flushed down the pokies (we know this for a fact too).

Small Man was in bed when I first took the call - he could hear me on the phone and got up to see what on earth was going on.

First thing he said "GO MUM - Whoa!!!"
Then - "Err...who WAS that???"
"Gee you told her didn't you Mum".

He he!

I guess I did - she hasn't called me again.
BUT she has been putting in huge orders with my current lovely lady that lives in her area - grrr. I can't refuse her orders, but we know she is getting orders from her friends, getting the goods from my lovely lady, and then delivering it to her friends and family, and charging them the $2.50 handling fee - hardly worth it.
I'd have to get proof of that but it would be difficult....
Some people just won't quit!

Thank goodness she doesn't have a computer or internet access - she has ripped off so many people - social clubs for fundraising money (eg kicked off the darts team),
owes money to different companies similar to ours that sell via catalgoue, she was even sacked from delivering junk mail - they found her catalogues dumped in the bushes and not delivered - WHAT???
Imagine what she could do online - I dread to think......

Anyway, another source of aggravation erased from my life.....

G
xx