Really???

Ok, so I started my new part-time gig on Monday.  I'm still absorbing all that was said and all that I witnessed.  Let's just say....REALLY???


I arrive to find that the boss lady, Carol, was to be out for the entire day.  Super!!  I assumed the quiet office would make for easier training.  There were three of us in the office for the day:  Lindsay - the girl I'm replacing who has apparently been with the company for "years" and Carol is just devestated to see go, Margery (I wonder if she realizes that she spells her name wrong?), and myself were the only ones there. 

Margery asked first thing if I drank coffee - so I answered that duh, of course I did.  She showed me the coffee cart with a Senseo (fancy!) coffee maker, and I saw a little plastic cup with $0.50 written on it.  I asked what it was for and Margery said, "For every cup you drink, you have to pay 50 cents."  I assumed she was kidding, so I said, "Right, pay it to you??" and she looked confused and said, "Um, no."  So, in closing, I have to pay 50 freaking cents PER CUP of craptacular Senseo coffee pod coffee.  REALLY??

Later, Lindsay was giving me the whole job duty rundown - sort of, she's a crappy trainer - and was telling me the proper telephone etiquette that Carol expects.  I must always answer all calls,  "Interior HomeStore, this is Stacey...", which is totally normal.  This, however, is abnormal:  If the caller asks for a meeting with Carol, I'm to say, "I'm sorry, she isn't available, may I have your name, your number, and your email and Carol will email you back if she's available to meet."  I just sat there with my mouth open.  Name, number, AND email?  What about social security number for a credit check?  Or address of the person's home for a title search??  This woman is an interior designer - she's SUPPOSED to meet with people...people become clients.  She'll 'email you back'!?!  Who does she think she is??  I mean, REALLY??

Monday is payroll day, as it has been since the beginning of time, apparently.  So, Lindsay walked me through processing the time cards and preparing payroll, informing me of a few key points that I would "eventually learn as I go"  (um, WHAT??) and payroll was processed and cut.  There is only one signer on the checking account, and that's Carol.  As I mentioned before, Madame Carol wasn't in the office that day, so the payroll checks sat on her desk ready to be signed...All. Day. Long.  Close of business came and still no sign of Carol.  Yes my friends, she stiffed 9 employees their paychecks because she was too busy to come back. REALLY??

I was glancing through the employee manual and saw that there is a bonus program for all employees who have been with the company longer than one year.  One year??  My internal ah-HA! radar started going off, and I asked Lindsay if  by chance there was a high turn-over rate.  My answer was rolled eyes and an enthusiastic, "Oh yes."  Hmmm.  Ok.  "How long have you been here Lindsay??"  "December."  blink. blink.  Now my iternal radar was all but giving me heart palpations.  Lindsay had 'been here for YEARS', huh??!!  Oh, REALLY??

And the best part?  The music to my ears???  "All emails you send out must be pre-sent to Carol for approval prior to you sending."  REALLY??

Dude.  I'm gonna have sooooo much blog material...

Oh, and PS:  Promptly at 5:30 a weird alarm bell rings and the lights automatically dim.  Apparently Carol frowns on paying overtime...

REALLY??