The Receptionist gets a second chance.
“So that is one client.”
“She’s young. She lost a leg to cancer. If she survives and we take care of her, over the next ten years she will generate about $20,000 in business for us. That’s probably not as much as you cost a year.”
“Not me. I’m only getting seven fifty an hour.”
“That’s fifteen thousand a year.”
“Come on, it isn’t that much.”
“You get paid for 40 hours a week. There are 52 weeks in a year. That is over 2000 hours. At seven and a half an hour that is $15,000.”
“Golly, I never thought of that.”
“And you cost about another fifteen hundred for FICA, three thousand for insurance, a thousand for sick days and vacations, and about five hundred more for workmen’s compensation. And then there is space, heat, air conditioning, lights, parking space just to mention a few.”
“Do I really cost that much?”
“Yes, and if you want to keep your job you have to earn that.”
“How do I do that?”
“You treat every client and person with them with respect. You smile when they come in even if you don’t feel like it. I don’t care if you had a fight with your boyfriend, are having your period or PMS, you smile and help them. If you can’t help them with something you find someone who can.”
“But I feel so dumb. They ask questions I can’t answer.”
“Not knowing the answer isn’t dumb. Wanting to stay that way is dumb.”
“But I’ll never remember everything.”
“You don’t have to. Most of what you need to remember is whom the person needs to see. I don’t want you to answer questions now. You might answer one wrong and hurt someone.”
“Oh. So I learn who to tell them to see.”
“You start with that.”
“Is that all?”
“Well there are two more things. I think you need to try to get rid of the mini skirts. You have very nice legs but to someone who just lost one leg that is really a bad reminder. I don’t want you to look like a nun but see if you can be a little more modest.”
“I can do that. I didn’t think that would be a problem. Golly, there are a lot of things to learn. What else?”
“I want you to start the training.”
“What training?”
“When you were hired you agreed to some training.”
“Like school?”
Brittany explained the training program.
“So I have to wear something that makes me learn what it is like to be an amputee?”
“Well, the first training is to wear a long leg cast. They are probably worse than being an amputee except you can take it off.”
“When can I start?”
“Does your car have an automatic transmission?”
“Sure.”
“Can you stay an hour tonight?”
“Yes.”
“I have a break this afternoon. I’ll have someone cover for you for long enough for us to get you fitted with crutches. When we close the front desk we’ll get the cast on.”
“OK.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“I feel so uncomfortable around the clients.”
“Let me help you with that. I’ll try to have you back with me some time today with a client. I’ll introduce you as a trainee. You just stand off to the side and watch. Most of what I want is for you to watch what I do. Don’t say anything. If you have a question, wait till we are done.”
“OK.”
If you wish to read more of this novel click on the link below. It is the first chapter and it contains links to the other chapters.
The Night Sniper Chapter One: On the Beat
The Night Sniper: Ch. 021 Brittany Wants to Fire Someone
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