What to do in regards to boss

amother

OP ↓

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 10:44 am

I work remotely for someone.
Mostly we communicate via email or text. I prefer not calling her because I don't get paid for the time on the phone with her. Don't ask she is very dysfunctional and doesn't really pay me so I try to work as little as I can. She is ok with it but here is the issue.
She will not get back to me when I ask a question. If a customer calls to find out if their product was sent I can't get an answer from her at all. If a customer asked a question I forward it to my boss and I never get feed back if she called the customer or not. Sometimes she does sometimes sometimes not, Could be weeks that she wont tell me if she did or not.
When I do bring it up she tells me she knows she has an issue and is working on it but its been years, and nothing changes, I have offered to take on more responsibility but I know she wont pay me more so why should I.

What do I tell customers when they call. Its so frustrating already.
I stay at this job because its easy work and I d this on the side so it isn't interfering with my other work. I just feel bad for the customers and I don't have an answer,
Any ideas what to do?

amother

Snapdragon

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 10:46 am

I’d just tell the customer I’m waiting for the answer. Then I’d message in response to the last one and say customer is getting impatient I need an answer. Any time she doesn’t answer send a follow up email 24 hour later.

amother

Gray

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 10:52 am

Do you work by salary or hour?

It also sounds like you don’t want it to work

She doesn’t pay you for talking on the phone to her so type won’t make a phone call just sounds weird

Molly Weasley

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 12:31 pm

If the employer chooses not to address issues as they arise, it reflects more on her than on you.
While it’s important for you to do your part, remember that you are just one cog of a larger system that isn’t yours.

You can’t be more dedicated to your job than the owner is. If the business suffers due to her decisions, that responsibility lies with her, not you!

Use a general email address. When you respond, it emphasizes that it’s from the business, not you. If the business owner decides not to engage, that’s on them.

Somthing like office@geico.com or customerservice@geico.com

amother

↑ OP

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 1:02 pm

amother Blushpink wrote:

If she won't answer messages or emails then you need to call her. My boss is like that also and I hate it but some people just respond better to phone calls.

Problem is that sometimes she will answer my text but only partially. If I ask her 2 questions she will only answer one. When I ask her about the one she didn't answer she will ignore the text.
I don't want to call because with text and email I have a paper trail if she says that I never told her something I could show her I did.

I work hourly. I really do like the job and like working for her but when she doesn't send info to a customer after 2 months and doesn't tell me and the customer calls me it's very frustrating.

ora_43

Thu, Oct 10 2024, 1:17 pm

Look for another job.

She's dysfunctional, she doesn't pay you enough, there's zero opportunity for growth, and the business is so poorly run that second-hand shame has become a significant issue. There's got to be a business that's similar but WAY better run that would enjoy having you as a worker.

You've done everything you can. Reaching out to her over and over, talking to her about the overall issue multiple times - really, there's nothing more to try here.

Understand, I'm not judging you in the slightest if you stay. I've had way more than my share of dysfunctional second jobs that I kept just because they were easy.

But, looking back, I wish I'd been a bit less willing to work at bad businesses. Over time the lack of opportunities to advance (in any sense - better pay, more responsibilities, learning actual business skills instead of dysfunctional ones, etc) does add up.