Awkward (and other) questions about MNers jobs-following on from *Pinocchio's 1st thread.

I think that entirely depends on the person you are dealing with and their attitude I'm afraid.

Me personally, if I feel the customer has in any way been inconvenienced then I'm happy to give out compensation to the customers satisfaction. The standard usually is vouchers, gift card etc at my place of work. If it means they are more willing to come back to us because their experience has been helpful then I'm all for it.

The thing is, there is always somebody above me who can override everything I have said so yes some of it is discretionary.

It is worth sticking it out if you feel like you have not been compensated enough for your trouble though. I don't mind helping the customers who kick off at me if they have had a really bad time of it, it's the ones who are shouting abuse at me over nothing that don't get anywhere.

Goats, if there has been a fuck-up, is there a standard tariff of compensation, eg vouchers or something, or is this entirely discretionary?

Or, in other words, if I am pissed at at something that can't be literally compensated (because it has cost me in time or convenience), if I were to stick my neck out and ask for a particular material compensation (because time is money) would they be likely to agree or not?

return that is really interesting.

doctors do you mind always being "on duty" so to speak. I.e. able to step into any emergency situation if needed. Does it annoy you if you have a specialty and people whip out a boil/spot/rash which is not within your specialty and ask for an opinion?

Any paramedics - how do you prepare yourself for a horrific scene you may arrive at?

I am a solicitor in private practice. Civil specialism, not criminal.

ReturnPlacenta, talk to me about whether I am imagining this thing: sometimes in a film there is a certain look that all the characters have (you often get this with the women), even though they are not notionally related. but it seems as if the casting director likes, eg, big-boned leggy dark women who look like the ones in the Robert Palmer video, or small-featured fair women who all look a bit like Nicole Kidman. So as the plot progresses (especially if I am sewing name tapes or something), especially if it is a bit thrillery and people put on different hats or go under cover or something, suddenly I no longer know who anyone is. Is this just me (ie am I just a dickhead) or is this a thing?

It depends really on what their beef is. If they have a genuine complaint then fair enough I will bend over backwards to help them. I will say I am more willing to help if they are nice to me but all customers get the same treatment I might just moan about the nasty ones when they have gone

Aha Goats are you more helpful to those who complain nicely or those who scream and rage?

We're always being told that asking nicely gets you further when there's an element of discretion involved. Would you agree?

I've just found this thread, found it fascinating.

I don't have any questions but I'm a customer service manager if anybody wants to ask anything doubt it. Dh is a credit analyst though, I can answer some things money/credit related if it helps.

That makes perfect sense. When I did the casting round for a bit as a teenager not for long, and unsuccessfully we always had it drummed into us that our being cast would largely depend on the colouring/features of the adults that had already been cast, which was consoling when you got yet another rejection

I'd like to hear from someone who is a search and rescue helicopter crew member, that always looks fab from the telly!

Depending on where something is shooting, the search for the minor roles can be to some degree dependent on geography eg if something is shooting in Scotland even though the locations may be pretending to be somewhere in England, it's more financially viable to cast the small roles from Scottish based actors rather than stump up travel and accommodation for actors from London.

In terms of lookey-likeyness, yes, if you are casting a real-life figure, or someone who has to be related to someone already cast, there is always the need to bear similarity of look in mind. In theatre there is a lot more 'colour blind casting', where you may see actors of different ethnic backgrounds playing siblings etc. I've not seen that in screen work that I can recall.

ReturnPlacenta that's all fascinating!

To what extent would you say the minor roles are cast for looks rather than talent? That is, are you more likely to cast someone who looks most plausibly like Big Name's brother, or the guy who was most convincing reading the lines?

ReturnPlacenta TV or film or theatre? Or all? No idea how that world works. How do you get into it? Do most parts get cast by audition or by reputation? How do you decide who would be best for a role - do you have an image in your mind of what you think a character looks and sounds like? Are you contracted or work full time for an organisation like the BBC? Is it well paid?

I do mostly TV and film. I got into it because I used to be an actress, so it was a world I knew, albeit from the other side. Lots of casting directors used to be actresses and actors. Most parts get cast by audition, but the leads tend to be by reputation, that's particularly relevant to film, where certain faces can get a film financed. Most casting directors are freelance, I am. Pay can vary hugely depending on the project, if you can get TV series they pay well (one TV series could be a decent year's worth of income), but films in particular have a huge range of pay. Casting directors also often have to pay for assistant(s) and premises, so even if the big telly jobs are coming in, the overheads can be high.

ReturnPlacenta can I star in the next blockbuster please?
Absolutely, have a seat on my couch...

How does it work? Do you sit in on auditions? Do you already know who you want for certain roles?
Often yes, we have a wishlist of actors for certain roles. Commercially there is pressure to cast 'names', and of course they can also be fantastic actors, so you want them anyway. Yes, we sit in on auditions, often reading the parts opposite the actor. We also shortlist all the applicants suggested by agents, and then when offers have gone out we negotiate the actors' fees.

return who have you worked with that was v nice & who wasn't?
I don't work on set with the actors, so anything I hear back about who is nice and who isn't is always secondhand. Sorry, no juicy scandal there.

migonette can you beat bipolar 2?

Is the energy industry corrupt?. Honestly I have seen no evidence at all of collusion between the companies - though I suspect if it did happen it would happen at a v senior level. Though from What I've seen, they (the senior management teams) all hate each other and can rarely agree on anything, so can't believe they could cooperate to fix prices.

dontwanttooutmyself
would you agree with the the politicians (who are carefully avoiding the word cartel) when describing the energy industry as corrupt?

Ok, with my flame proof suit on, I work for an electricity company (power stations /windmills farms and supply). Used to work for the people that own the power lines. Ask away (be nice- I am human!!)

return who have you worked with that was v nice & who wasn't ?

I do styling but I'm awful with my hair unless I'm off out :/ use the Alberto Balsalm on my hair cos I'm skint but it does the job. Faves tho are Tigi and Aussie shampoos/conditioners.

I also use Argan Oil after every wash - which makes up for the cheapo conditioners and serum pretty religiously - again most will do the job, there's no different in any of the texture powders I've used either

ReturnPlacenta can I star in the next blockbuster please?

How does it work? Do you sit in on auditions? Do you already know who you want for certain roles?

mignonette looks like IlkleyMoor's a much better bet for your questions!

ReturnPlacenta TV or film or theatre? Or all? No idea how that world works. How do you get into it? Do most parts get cast by audition or by reputation? How do you decide who would be best for a role - do you have an image in your mind of what you think a character looks and sounds like? Are you contracted or work full time for an organisation like the BBC? Is it well paid? Sorry that's really nosey

Actually, should've said Mental Health Professionals, really. That's probably more accurate. :)

OK well I'm lined with some more :)

Dentists and Hairdressers What products do you use at home? i.e hairdressers what shampoo/conditioner/hair styling gel etc do you use and dentists what toothpaste/mouth freshener/etc do you use?

Midwives What has been the longest and shortest labour you have attended?

Doctors Do you have any patients you have bumped into in the street when they have been ill? (I bumped into my doctor when I nearly passed out once, very useful).

Mental Health Workers What variety of conditions do you work with? Do you have a specific speciality or are you trained in general how to deal with all number of mental health problems?

mignonette, it depends, everyone has a different learning style, but IMO an apprenticeship beats a BTECH hands down because if the hands on experience.
The most unusual one Ive come across was for an Apprentice Mixologist.

mignonette I would say though, that wrt to getting in to publishing, at that time (late 90s) it definitely wasn't a case of who you knew on the sales side, it was simply a matter of impressing enough at interview. There is more of a snobbery attached to the editorial side, though, so that may well be completely different. The editorial staff on the magazine I worked for were not of that ilk at all, though. (I worked on one of the specialist magazines under the umbrella of the 'main' big-name financial magazine.) I actually had an interview with Conde Nast straight out of Uni, and was offered a job which I turned down as everyone seemed OTT fashion-y and I just wasn't/am not that sort of person. I went into business/financial advertising sales.

I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I just trawled through Prospects (graduate job magazine) and crossed out everything that seemed unappealing, and applied for what was left! Structured approach to career hunting, eh . Most of those were in sales. I am quite an articulate, outgoing sort of person so I suppose I suited it, though I wouldn't make that choice if I had my time over.

I would say that from my experience generally, getting in on the editorial side would definitely be easier if you start off with trade, or business to business journalism. I also have a friend who does quite a lot of online writing, so I guess you could build up your experience and improve your general employability this way.