[Jewelry making - Article 01024] - Re: [Orchid] Just blame it on the Jeweler

[Jim Reitze]

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    Well, I've seen a few other responses on this, and as a bench
    jeweler (and an opinionated one at times) I just have to give the
    forum my 2 cents worth. In our shop, there are a bunch of actual
    reasons why we get behind on jobs, which doesn't really happen all
    that often. 

    1- We are overloaded.  This is the time of year that is most likely
    to happen, and it is right now.  So many after Christmas sizings,
    alterations, minor fixes, whatever.  I am so busy at the bench, I
    often miss the opportune moments to pull a days work from the
    incoming box, and heaven help trying to get the sales folks to have
    the presence of mind to remind me or do it on their own.  By leaving
    it to me to monitor that incoming box exclusively, it is now my
    fault (of course) when it is too full. 

    2- Sales staff that cannot, or will not, remember to pay attention
    to separating out jobs that need parts ordered.  Again, by leaving
    the responsibility entirely to me to catch those jobs, it is my
    fault when one slips by, meaning that the order is often not placed
    until the job is already due.  In both cases, the sales folks are
    often looking for work to do between customers, spending time on
    personal phone calls or just griping about the slow day while I can
    barely take time to pee, but I am still supposed to find the time to
    monitor and filter all the incoming work, AND stay caught up. 

    3- Sales staff cannot (will not?) consult with me on unusual jobs at
    take in time, so some really peculiar or time intensive things are
    promised in with normal work flow (2-3 days most of the year), and
    now we have something that just cannot be done in the normal time
    frame, or at least done well. 

    4- Manager/sales staff takes in special order jobs requiring parts
    orders and doesn't tell me about it.  SURPRISE, just when I thought
    I had a handle on the flow, several new jobs appear out of the ether
    to occupy front and center on my bench. 

    5- Sometimes I just have a bad day, can't get anything off the bench
    first try to save my soul. 

    6- Manager decides not to place the parts order that day (not enough
    of an order), forgets to get a job to me, files it in the done work,
    or better yet, in the delivered envelope bin................. 

    Well, you get the picture.  Sometimes it's my own fault.  I'm having
    a lazy day, slow day, day when I just can't get it or keep it
    together.  More often, it is beyond my control, and I don't have the
    option of coming in early, staying late or working at home on most
    things.  Not sure I should have to, really, if they all did their
    jobs to the standards they like to hold the bench guy to.  And who
    gets the blame?  Either the bench guy, about 30-40% of the time or
    that mystery culprit, "They".  Thats the guy who should really get
    mad.  Blamed for all sorts of stuff.  Who is "They".  Stuller, Rio,
    the wholesaler, Fedex, UPS, anyone outside the store who could
    conceivably be to blame for a delay.  But never, NEVER do I hear at
    the counter 'I screwed up and forgot to order that', or 'forgot to
    get it to the jeweler' or 'I overloaded the jeweler with rush work
    so he is behind'.  NEVER put the blame on themselves. 

    What do you do?  Dream of being on your own where you can make your
    own rules, schedules, etc.  Work toward that dream.  Bite your
    tongue in the meantime, maybe even watch for that opportunity of
    payback, where you are at the counter and have the chance to pass
    the blame on to one of the sales people.  Careful, though.  Watch
    out for the backfire on that one. 

Jim
http://www.forrest-design.com

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