The Friction Report 12.13.17

                        The Friction Report 12.13.17 

                                Female quit due to change   

                                                           by Don Ford

True story;

            Many years ago, in the olden days, the member’s order was printed and the order filler took it with them. The filler would mark the order with a short line showing it as filled, or mark out the amount that was ordered and write in the amount filled.

            The system was improving (changing) and the order fillers no longer would have the actual order. The new system produced a copy of the order for the order filler, which required less writing from the filler. The filler only needed to write on this order when there was a different amount ordered and sent.

            The new system made it much easier on the office staff who would record the changes into the computer and then print the member’s copy of the order. The change also made for a cleaner presentation of the order to the member.

            We explained this to the staff and almost all could see the advantage. One lady thought it was too confusing and gave notice that her last day would be the day before the new system started. This person was a productive filler. We talked with her and asked her to stay and try it for one day. She said no and left.

            We could not think of anything that would help her see that the change was good for all concerned.

               

            Sometimes your best explanation and even personal discussions do not work.

Don Ford

Memories from Olden days

                        The Friction Report 01.04.18

                                       Memories from Olden days    

                                                           by Don Ford

            This story is about a fellow who we will call Billy, who worked as a stocker in an area where he used a stand up fork lift. A stand up fork lift required the operator to stand up when operating. Billy had used the same fork lift for several years, and even though it was a functional lift, it was old and loose.

            We had received a new stand up lift and we offered it to Billy. Billy’s response was no, I will keep the old lift. We tried to talk him into taking the new lift but he refused. We could have forced him to use the new lift but he would have been, “Madder than a mashed cat”, forever. 

            As fate would have it, Billy’s lift broke down and would take about three days to repair. The only lift we had for him to use was the new lift. Billy begrudgingly moved his items from the old lift to the new lift.

            Three days passed and Billy’s old lift was repaired. Oddly enough, Billy came to me and said he would like to keep the new lift! 

            *          *          *          *          *          *         

     

            When we were working out of the old office, I was usually the first salaried employee to arrive. I open the building and got the lights on and start the first pot of coffee. Billy arrived prior to me and would take the closest parking place. I decided to arrive a little earlier and see if I could get the closest parking spot. Mission accomplished, I had the parking spot! Next day, Billy had the spot. We went back and forth for a couple weeks before I was able to set my schedule so I could arrive earlier then Billy, each day, to secure the parking spot. (We were like two kids trying to outdo the other.) Neither of us ever commented on this contest, but we both knew.

            *          *          *          *          *          *         

                We use to let the highway patrol bring their drug sniffing dogs to the building to practice searching for drugs. They would hide some drugs and the dogs would find them. I jokingly suggested that they should let their dogs search the cars on the parking lot. They quickly said, you really don’t want us to do that, meaning we might lose an employee or two.

                When employees were on break several of the staff would go outside the break room door. On this particular day the officers were bringing their dog into the building walking past the employees. The drug dog alerted on a person standing near the door. The officer called the dog off and brought the dog on inside and noted, “Did you notice the dog alerted on that person”! I assume the officer was letting us know that person might have used drugs or have been around someone who used drugs.  

Don Ford