With A Smile

05 April 2009
Tomas Morato
Quezon City

Dear Always Smiling,

You greeted us with a smile that was full of hope and verve about a year ago. You flashed it as if it could launch a thousand ships and could materialise every hope we are pining for. Easily, we have gotten carried away, as this was what we were seeking out for two years; a smile that made us to believe would change the fate of our account.

This would be the same smile that would definitely painted on your face on Monday, when you would learn that my dear friend for three momentous, historical years would submit his resignation letter. Your sweet smile cannot disprove the fact that you would be celebrating, no matter how you try to appear as a victim of a crime you have actually committed and pulled off.

You have always tried to act as an innocent, even if your only purpose is to mess up everything that we have painstakingly built out of our idealism on how to run this industry. You’re a master of looking above suspicion, courtesy of your smile that can cover up everything you have in mind.

You have categorically denied us of the fruits of our labour, have never given any importance to roles we have played and mastered for three years. For you, ours is a style that is already passé, our idea already outmoded.

We have never complained about that for the longest time, even though we have known you are playing a dangerous game. We know we are flexible, so we have welcomed all the possibilities you have instilled us to be working, in the guise of Six Sigma and other call centre patois. We have thought you were better than our previous boss, because you were very approachable, and you made us smile. You have pretended to be the hope of this account, in your hands is our future.

We have entertained your notion, and version of leadership, management, call centre, sense of responsibility and ownership. We have tried to emulate you, because you have wanted us to be cloned to how you work.

It is still fresh to me when you said that our team is like a Stalin’s horse. Amid the thick of the agents, you told me in full blast that while we have freedom to roam around, our team’s vision is only one-dimensional or two-dimensional, perhaps to make the blow softer. You said we have a narrow horizon. I have just shrugged my shoulder then, because it was a feedback from our internal client, even if it seemed very subjective.

I can still recall how you looked like the time you have shouted at me when I have tried to reason out in behalf of our team during a meeting to iron the brewing tension out in the account. Rather than listening, you have opted to call for kicking me out of the team, because for you, I am not a good leader for I am very emotional, although I was just trying to salvage and uplift the morale and drive of the quality specialists that were going directly down to drain. You have put the blame on our transfer to our current site, as you believe that the friction has just appeared during the relocation.

Not satisfied with my firm resolution to stay, you have talked to agents to survey if they could replace me as the Quality Supervisor. For you, they are better than the way I perform. You have even informed the client about that during one of the business reviews, in front of my colleagues I have worked with for three years. I have never groused about that.

Most of the time, you have bypassed me, pulling out the Quality Specialists in the middle of performing their primary tasks. You did not hear any complaints from us even if we have always been subjected to escalation, because you were just taking ownership of this account.

When we are able to do something good, to produce something that has a sense, that has a huge impact to the entire account, we have never received any pat on our shoulders. Maybe, you’re just a perfectionist. That’s why, we have never expected any commendations from you, for you have instilled us that our work is mediocre compared to what you have accomplished.

For you, we are doing no good. For you, everything we are doing is but futile.

Thanks to you, our team has become somewhat robotic. We are trying to cover it up in our mantra “for the love of eBay UK,” even if this has only meant for your satisfaction. We have tried to forget everything that has happened, withstand the barrage of nuclear insults and the onslaught of unending criticisms, which are packaged as an objective feedback. But you have never taught us what to do.

Now, the wind has suddenly blown into different direction. You are wearing a totally different shade of smile. We have realised that to you, even the Ops people are doing nothing, even if you see how some of them have tried to turn the world upside down, just to please you, just to make a difference.
You have resorted to lambasting us one by one, lashing your sharp tongue to anyone you have just thought as an expense to the company. Even to my friends, who have stood by you during your darkest moments.

You were smiling when you have given us 30 days to make all queues green. You said it’s a matter of life and death for us. But how about you?

I would like to remind you, it was during your time, when you were directly handling the account, that these queues became not only red but bloody red. Do not try to argue with me, I have a copy of all pertinent data in my PC.I have once blamed my team for this, more so myself, for this was the first time this happened. I have acquitted you of this even if you had a direct hand on the queues, because I have believed you were good, because you could still smile despite everything.

Unlike me who you have hated deep into your bones, my friends have never bothered to answer back to you. They are far more objective, trying to understand every single mistake you have incurred. Instead of giving back something they deserve, you have exploited them, until they have decided one by one to just leave the account they have taken care of for a long time.

I have realised that after all, I am right. You are no saviour.

Now, another great person would leave the company because of you. What tactics you would want to employ against the person? I have heard you are opted to do the dirty tactics, even trying rumor-mongering just to save your ass, just to get what you want.

It’s about time to pack up your bags now, AS. It’s your time to go. Do not be pretentious anymore; we have borne the brunt of your incapacity and we have suffered a lot. If something has gone wrong, you would easily point your fingers to our team, or to others you think are vulnerable and tame. It could not be you, because you are good, because you are the only one who is thinking creatively and innovatively in the team, for the team.

Sorry but we have already discovered your modus operandi. Do not try to cover your ass, because in your entire stay here, we have not seen nor felt any improvements at all. Your promises are empty, you actions very doubtful.

You have to go now and bring your fake smile with you; otherwise, everything would be too late.