What would you have done?

[Heatstrokeunsteady]

Background- I am Branch manager of a shop in a chain with many branches. We have a promotion starting tomorrow and yesterday branch b realised they didn’t have posters. They told me the posters were located at branch A in a town two miles away (which was surprising because main Branch D usually produces and hold posters).I travelled to Branch A only to find that the posters were at Branch D- and a simple email would have established that . So at this point I’ve spent an hour walking and travelling in hot weather. I travel back to Branch D (which I had already visited that morning) got the posters and travelled to Branch B - about a miles walk at the warmest time of day. So as not to drip feed- I have ginger hair and VERY fair skin. Once I got there, they opened the posters only to find Manager at Branch D has given me the posters. So I walk back to Branch D- another mile in 29 degrees heat and instead of saying sorry Manager of Branch D accuses me of been ng rude and basically throws the posters at me. I suggest we open the posters to check they are the right ones and he refuses to let me. This guy is not my boss and at this point my faith in him was zero. Being about 20 minutes away from getting heatstroke I tell him if he won’t even check the posters I won’t be taking them and walked out. He had zero interest in my clearly about to burn skin or the trouble he had caused me.

I have another job starting a week on Monday anyway so I’ve quit. What would you have done.

(For clarity, posters are security sealed and require special opening. Also I don’t drive hence the walking)

Sorry manager gave me the wrong posters.

I would have got a taxi and charged it back to the company

I’d have stopped after Branch B and the wrong posters.
Good luck in your new job, hope they are more organised than your current employers!

I would have emailed all the branches and asked them to check first before setting off. And yes to getting a taxi or alternative transport.

Thanks Saucery! Bojo good idea but taxi’s in my town are like hen’s teeth!

Taxis

Well done for branching out.

Who didn't send the email to establish where the posters were?
You could have got taxi and charged back to company.
Why are you cutting your nose off to spite your face by not having the posters in place when the promotion starts? Is that what a manager would do?

Could you not have sent someone else who did drive? (And paid their petrol)

Nobody else was available

To clarify, Branch B could have checked via email that posters were at Branch A but they probably assumed the information they had been given was correct.

We have had a fair amount of people off with Covid, hence the posters not being where they should have been.

I think I would have checked to make sure the posters were where they said they were.

I also would have asked if anyone from their team could deliver, or pop in a taxi

Via e-mail I'd have asked for someone to bring the posters to me.
Someone in the office could have popped out for twenty minutes surely and if any issues they could have travelled to other branches (under a managers instructions) in a car.

me too

what a total waste of time to not have even taken them after all that

I think I would have checked to make sure the posters were where they said they were.

Absolutely

I think it was assumed the information was correct as it’s never been wrong before.
As I mentioned there are so few taxis it’s cheaper to walk. Also no direct transport such as buses.

I am annoyed with Branch D for not checking the posters were correct twice, assuming that I would keep walking back and forth between stores in a heatwave and falsely accusing me of being rude when he was the one being rude and giving me the wrong poster. I possibly didn’t mention that I actually quit there and then. I have a pounding headache and red skin today.

Re emails, it was skeleton staff due to Covid

But you were available. Presumably as branch manager you could cover any other job... you could have swapped with a driver?

If I had fair skin, I'd have lathered on some sun creme before going out at all.

Then I'd have not rushed, it's too hot. I like walking so would quite happily have bumbled between branches all morning, knowing that I had a new job to go to next week. 😊

You're a branch manager. Why are you doing this type of legwork? Firstly, this should have been an administrative task, and secondly, you should have checked the where the posters were (and how many could be spared) before leaving. This is basic stuff. I'm not sure how your complexion and hair colour have any bearing in this.

Why were you getting involved in something going on at another branch? In any case, I'd have telephone the other branch first to confirm that the posters were there and waiting to be collected.

I'd have made sure I had plenty of sun screen on (very pale freckled skin here), worn a hat and taken water with me, or asked if someone who could drive could do the trips to other branches. I know how easily my skin burns so would never in a million years have been taking several walks outside in high UV without sun screen on.

A place big enough to have 4 branches of the same shop within walking distance of each other but no taxis?

But all seems a bit of a mountain out of a molehill. If you were getting too hot, stop and take a rest, ask someone else to go etc. A mile is only a 20 minute walk. Throwing your toys out the pram like you did is not something I'd expect of anyone in a work environment.

I was hoping to avoid drip feed! I am manager of C a concession inside a larger store. Assistant manager who is going to be trained to manage was doing a grand job on the till. My 2 week notice went in last week and I was working notice. I did have hat and water, however thanks to other people messing up I was walking around in hot sunshine for over 2.5 hours doing something that wasn’t on me.

They didn’t get it wrong once, they got it wrong three times, were aggressive and assumed I would keep walking branch to branch all day.

I don’t think that saying that’s enough now is really “throwing my toys out of the pram”. As I said I have a pounding head and sunburn today. Factor 50 and still burnt.

Mariposa the point is Manager of D should have checked the posters both times and email should have been sent re where the posters were.

You should have checked the posters were in the right place before setting off. If you didn't think to do that I don't think you can blame other people for also not checking. You're all as bad as each other on that one!

The wrong posters is annoying, but mistakes happen. I wouldn't have gone back though. Shop D should have sent someone over with the right posters.

It doesn't sound like a very well run company. I'm surprised they're successful enough to have so many stores.

So it was quiet, I was doing a favour cos I’m nice.

It was Manager D’s job to check posters which he didn’t

When I went back the second time I asked him to check they were the correct posters and he refused . So I thanked him politely and left.