I'll Show You How To Be A Team Player!

On August 4, 2008 I started a new part-time job with Verizon Wireless. I applied to be a RSR (Retail Sales Rep), but got hired on as a CSR (Customer Service Rep) because the RSR position was filled internally. The major difference between these two positions is that RSR's have hourly pay + commission where CSR's are just hourly pay. RSR's are much more lucrative.

From my very first day in the store the managers explained what it means to have teamwork and to be a team player. Since CSR's don't get commission we should pass off commissionable sales/transactions to available RSR's where possible to help them meet their numbers and quotas. At first I was very annoyed and frustrated with this because I wanted to go in there and prove that I had what it takes to be a RSR's and get promoted ASAP. Being a team player would not allow me to prove myself.

After thinking about it I understood the reasoning and decided I could still prove myself my generating sales and all kinds of stuff and pass if off and still get noticed for it and prove my worth. Every now and again I get caught up with talking with the customers and forget or don't even think about passing off some things.

In my store there are two rows of P.O.S. computers. The first row is dedicated for RSR's and the second, in the back, for CSR's. Today, I was in the back and a couple of customer came in at the same time one was helped immediately by a RSR and the other just stood their waiting for help. He was standing two feet away from an available sales rep who was looking at his schedule on his computer. I waited to see if they would acknowledge him and help him. 15-20 seconds passed and nada so I gestured him back to me and asked how he was doing and how I could help him today.

He said that he was over at the Parkway store to upgrade his phone, but they didn't have the phone in stock so they sent him over to our store. I looked up his account and verified his eligibility to upgrade and what kind of discount he would receive. At this point, I normally pass this off to the next available RSR, but again didn't even think about it and continued to help the customer.

I asked him if they explained the pricing over at the other store. He said they did a little bit so I continued to explain the pricing and sold him on the LG Dare ($409 phone) with three accessories. I even later upsold him to the Premium plan. After the sale was complete and the customer left I went in the back to celebrate my success by getting another game piece to win a free lunch when no sooner than I entered the back this RSR who didn't greet the customer when he came in started cussing me out for not handing it off to him! He was really upset and just kept yelling at me wondering why I didn't hand it off in front of the assistant manager and two other employees.

I defended myself of course and explained to him that he, the customer, was standing not two feet away from him for 15-20 seconds and I waited for one of you to help him. When you didn't I had him come back to me to get help. I even apologized for not handing it off when I normally do and just didn't even think about it. He continued to cuss me out and couldn't believe I wouldn't hand it off. The whole encounter really upset me and wanted to hurt somebody.

First, it was very unprofessional to cuss me out about the whole thing in front of other employees and the manager. Second, the manager didn't say one thing about any of it. Finally third, he could have politely let the manager know about the situation and have the manager remind me about being a team player. A few minutes later after the encounter the RSR apologized for getting mad, but I was still upset and continue to be and didn't even acknowlege his apology or even that he was there.

I'll show you how to be a team player. My wife would say that this is where my passive aggressiveness comes out. From now on this particular sales rep will be the last person I hand stuff off too. I will hand stuff off to everyone else, but him, which will hurt him in the long run because I hand off A LOT of sales and upgrades. I'm sorry, but I don't need some sales rep, who thinks he's all that and a bag of chips and better than me because he's a sales rep and I'm not cussing me out because I didn't pass off an upgrade. You snooze, you lose. Had your chance, didn't take it and missed out. If he knew that he'd never get another pass off from me because of his little outburst I think he would've thought twice about it. I can't wait to be his manager....muwahahahah!