Hate doing colleague's job when she's off? what would help?

[kazzawazzawoo]

I work at an estate agents as sales negotiator, I've been there just over a year, part time.

I enjoy my job, which is front desk, dealing with enquiries, arranging viewings, etc. However, I also have to provide holiday and sickness cover. One of my colleagues has been off a lot due to illness in the family, bereavement, her own illness, holiday. That's fine and couldn't be helped but I hate doing her job and frankly am rubbish at it. I was thrown in at the deep end, as she was off ill as soon as I started last year. She deals with post sales issues speaking to solicitors, and I don't have the (any!) experience she has. However, there is no one else to do it, my other colleague deals with rentals and whilst she has lots of experience, she doesn't get involved in holiday cover. My boss isn't very understanding. It's a small company, no training provided.

Any tips on how to deal with this? I have researched the post sales procedure online, but when speaking to solicitors go to pieces! They tell me something, I pass that on to the other parties, they ask questions and I haven't got a clue! I do suffer with lack of self confidence, also anxiety. I'm also 49 and my memory isn't what it used to be.

I need to get to grips with this, if only so I can sleep at night! Any advice?

Should add that I have lots of secretarial experience and am good with people and enjoy helping people. My colleague has a legal background, working in conveyancing before coming to the estate agency 15 years ago. The only experience I have is 1.5 years as weekend sales negotiator, which involved dealing with queries, but not solicitors.

there is no one else to do it

There is someone else to do it. She's just decided she "doesn't get involved in holiday cover". How can that possibly work in such a small business, especially one carrying one employee already with long term absence issues?

It sounds horribly stressful for you, and also of course for your buyers/sellers, who are then having to wait for their queries to go back through you to the solicitor for a response. You can't help that - you can't possibly anticipate what's going to be asked - but it's just a stress fest all round.

Can you ask your colleague to give you a proper crash course when she's back in, since presumably it's annoying for her as well to have to pick up queries which haven't been effectively dealt with? If you get no joy with that I would be quite firm with your boss that you can't provide cover until you get some support or training. Preferably with the "I don't do holiday cover" woman leading on this for six months and coaching you into the role.

Failing that, and as this is clearly a company that doesn't give a toss about its staff, can I suggest you look for a similar role elsewhere?

Tribpot, other colleague is very senior and quite assertive. Boss tbh is lazy and not willing to be hands on at all Sadly situation doesn't allow me to look for another job, we live in a village, nearby town has few jobs travelling further costs too much time and money.

The colleague I have been providing cover for can't understand why it is so difficult for me as she's been steeped in this for so long. Boss says I should listen to how she deals with things and learn, but we are so busy and I am first person to answer the phone, so am very rarely able to listen.

I think I need to speak to my boss, but I have mentioned before that I find it difficult and they just don't understand.

Ask them to put the information to you on email. It is much easier to track what is happening/convey messages if you have it in black and white.

I'm a senior level PA and i very rarely make phone calls these days because the information I receive/logistics of things are just too complicated to deal with over the phone.

Ok make a list of the questions you have had to go back to the solicitors for. Next time you call the solicitors, confirm these details. If you get more queries, add these to the list. Rinse and repeat for the next caller with an issue. You should slowly build up a database of issues that you need to be across for the post sales calls. This will make sure there is less toing and frying and give you more confidence as the next time a caller asks you those questions you can go yes, I have confirmed that x y and z and it will also make you seem super efficient! ;)

I agree re the correspondence in emails as well.

Thanks pato and stamped, good ideas. I much prefer to correspond by email anyway, as then I have everything in writing if there is any comeback.

Agree with stamped's approach.

When your colleague comes back from her time out, you could go through those questions with her and ask how she would deal with it. Also record her answers on your notes. That way, you could get up to speed really quickly.

Could she also give you a quick tutorial on the conveyancing process?

I would go to your boss for support first just to make sure that if she baulks, you have your boss's support to make her free up her time for you.

You are doing HER and YOUR BOSS a favour, not the other way round. I would bear that in mind with your boss and your colleague so people don't end up thinking it is the other way round.

What can they do if you refuse to do it or start to ask for overtime? All of us will pitch in where it is reasonable but if it is unduly stressful for you without training, then you are within your rights to refuse as it is outside your duties and expertise and lands on you without notice. Then offer up your solution ...

Unfortunately it isn't outside my duties, as my contract states I provide holiday and sickness cover. As it's a small office we're expected to be able to do everything if necessary.

I am stressing too much about this, even considered chucking in the job, but I can't afford to and also I enjoy my role. I just feel intimidated when speaking to solicitors, as it's unfamiliar territory and I'm afraid of asking stupid questions. Also solicitors don't seem particularly friendly, patient or helpful

I can see I need to speak to my boss and also my colleague. I have asked for help before, but she n never got round to it.

In your shoes, I would say that I am covering someone's role so I am not up to speed on all the sales. If they could kindly put everything on email then you can check and come back to them shortly.

I often get stroppy directors, clients and all sorts on the phone. I often cannot give people answers immediately so I am just polite, tell them to put it on email (if it's long and convoluted) then tell them I will get back to them as soon as I can. Most people can cope with this (including solicitors!).

Thanks PAto, that sounds reasonable.

It's tiring, because I'm expected to know how to do everyone's job, so that's three different jobs really. As mentioned before our boss isn't understanding, he can't use a computer so doesn't understand what the jobs involve and just miraculously expects stuff to happen! !

Love thr irony of a boss who "can't" use a computer yet expects you to be able to do three types of wirk!

What about taking it from the point of view of qualifications? Are you qualified to handle conveyancing questions? Could the agency be sued for any mistakes, and find their directors' and officers' insurance (or other liability insurance) doesn't pay out because you've had no training, so, in insurers' eyes, they've not even tried to prevent a cockup?

I've had no official training, just observing my colleagues.

As a solicitor, it's true that we are often not helpful, friendly or patient when dealing with estate agents' follow up queries. I once hung up the phone after being chased for replies to requisitions (which we hadn't had and he didn't quite know how to phrase the request) and my boss scoffed that the chaser wouldn't know a requisition if it bit him on the bum.

If you try to fudge it the solicitor will quickly grasp that you don't know what you are asking or looking for, and they do get quite short tempered if they believe you are wasting their time.

Be honest. Say that you're stepping in and "I don't usually deal with the post-sales process, so please be patient with me as I'm trying to do my best for Mr and Mrs X, I know we would all like the process to go as smoothly as possible." When you finish a telephone conversation, ask them to send you an email with their answers again so there's no chance of getting your wires crossed going back to the client. There's nothing we hate more than playing Chinese whispers with a middleman who doesn't know what they are talking about and things inevitably get lost in translation.

I have no idea what a requisition is! Sorry!

I think I'll stick to emailing tbh.I'd thought I had to call as that's how my colleague deals with solicitors, but feel much happier corresponding by email.

Tbh I don't understand why solicitors can't be patient or helpful. I can't be impatient or rude to anybody.