Management can be so weird.
Got this call from The Customer today. They're all in a panic because they're having difficulties integrating the latest software release. Doesn't surprise me. I had trouble integrating it, and I'm writing the User Manual!
But their bone-headed Management-by-Crisis idea was to fly me out to the Customer site to help them out. This by itself doesn't seem odd, except when you take into account that we already have an on-site rep there to do just that. And they're already paying for him!
There are, of course, extenuating circumstances. One of their customers is having a problem (a very simple problem), so they want to send the on-site rep out to Atlanta to work that problem while I come out to help them.
But ... the on-site rep is already deeply involved in the integration effort, and already has full lab access and card keys and all that stuff, whereas I would have to be escorted everywhere (including the restroom!) and it would take me some time to get up to speed on the procedures they're using.
Naturally, it's political. They are responsible for supporting their customer, and since they think of this on-site rep as "their" guy, they automatically think of sending him. And they think that I'm sitting at the airport waiting for a phone call so I can jump on the next plane out to LA, whenever they start to whine.
My response was predictable. I argued. I cajoled. I bargained. I told our rep out there to send me the problem information for their customer so I could start working the problem and let him deal with the stuff he knows. The last thing we need to do, is to waste more money on plane flights for simple problems.
I did that a few weeks ago, and that was a total waste of time. Never again!
My next visit to LA is going to be for a good reason. Hopefully, Disneyland!
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