When you work in an agency you have a perpetual fear of losing clients - the past week at work

Monday

Heavy showers on Sunday had made the lawns greener and the air fresher when I left for work this morning. Despite the pain of actually waking up at 6am, I enjoy being out and about early, before everyone else. And also, for some reason, I feel more in control of my life (possibly I no longer care whether I go on working at the agency or not).

On the train I began re-reading Edward IV by Charles Ross. It is quite demanding as it is an academic book, and I had forgotten how disciplined you have to be (most academics are not great stylists, so you have to pay attention to every sentence to get the meaning). Also, it is a dated biography, but probably still the best.

In the agency Ian (MD of our division) and Paul (graphic designer) were still on holiday. Joey (freelance designer) was covering for Paul in our studio. He looked suspiciously dark-tanned since last Friday but protested it was all natural (“I was kicking a ball about most of Saturday, it was lovely weather windy and sunny… got really wet Sunday night going around different places…”).

My hire-car was ready in the back mews, having been collected by Ben (Ian’s son, and photographer in the downstairs studio). He brought the keys to my desk ignoring Pete (who has started an “affair” with his partner Sarah, who is also our Receptionist - we are a very incestuous company). Pete was upset because Alan (Director) had taken Angela (new Assistant Account Executive) off to see a new client.

Late morning I drove up to Watford to see my biggest client BQW, taking them some campaign designs. My main contact there is Steve C who is very rude and difficult. Therefore I was not surprised to get to BQW only to be told at Reception that the meeting had been cancelled (no warning ’phone call, no apology). I retaliated by taking the designs back with me, knowing that Steve C would have nothing to show his boss. This sort of brinkmanship would put the deadlines at risk, but I was sure I could extend them. On the drive back I invented all sorts of reasons why I will not be able to send Steve C the designs by pdf (or if he forces the issue, so small and low res he can’t use them in his presentation).

In the afternoon I went to my Entertainments client in west London. This is probably my nicest client. The Director, John R, is normally very unserious, but at this meeting he suddenly said out the blue:

“I can tell you’re not happy with your job.”

He then began to discuss in detail his management structure. I was puzzled by this. Was he trying to offer me a job - and if so, why didn’t he just say it plainly?

Tuesday

Because I was going straight to a client I didn’t need to get up until 7.45 (I had driven home in the client car yesterday). I could also take my time over breakfast. In the garden the roses were covered in raindrops from a sudden shower.

I drove northwards from my house to an industrial port. This client is a sub-division of BQW, but very easy to handle. We spent about two hours discussing an exhibition they want to have a presence at in Bahrain.

Afterwards I took the contact (Guy, good-natured, aged about 55) across to a dingy pub (his choice) for a pint of beer and some microwaved lasagna. There was no carpet on the floor of the pub, only bare boards. He wanted to talk about gardening, his children’s education, and what I knew about BQW head office politics.

Most of the afternoon was spent driving down to London - a rather pointless exercise, but I had to take the hire car back.

In the agency I told Joey and Kate I was half-thinking of looking for another job. He told me about vacancies he had heard of at another agency he does freelance work for (being a freelance he gets to hear about lots of vacancies before they are formally put out for recruitment). Kate rang them up and they e-mailed her an application form (there is more than one job, so we both might apply).

Wednesday

It was cold in the office during the morning. The weather is very unpredictable, one moment warm and sunny, the next pelting down with rain. Joey described how his car had broken down Tuesday evening (“my mobile was flat so I had to go into this old people’s home for help - I was only wearing a pair of shorts”).

Kate said she had broken up with her boyfriend - this news was immediately all over the agency, all floors, with almost all the women saying (nastily) “now she’ll be on the rebound”.

Mostly it was a quiet day. When you work in an agency you have a perpetual fear of losing clients, so silences are ominous. I rang a couple of people who are normally regular with their work, just to make sure they were not using anyone else.

The only appointment I had was right at the end of the working day, with a big client based near Old Street. I am liasing with a fairly new manager with the company - short, blonde, aged about 25, very serious, very anxious to make an impression with her boss, rather inexperienced in marketing. Her inexperience leads her to overcompensate by talking about marketing theory rather a lot. I sat by her cramped desk in the big open-plan office, drinking instant coffee from a mug. We have had several meetings, and gone over some interesting assignments, but none of them have come to anything. She seems unable to get things approved by her boss (possibly she is too young and attractive for him to take her ideas seriously).

Thursday

I had a lot of media booking to do, which was tedious. Alan made a complete fool of himself by accusing Joey of deleting some artwork from the central server the designers use. He insisted that Joey recreate it, but when it was finished the original was discovered.

Kate talked to Joey on so many occasions during the day that the female warnings seemed to be right (“now she’s on the rebound”). He described going to a nightclub last night (“nice music, nice atmosphere”). She asked him about his life - his elder brother is a paint sprayer, his younger brother is a plumber, they all live at home in south London (“I’ve never picked up an iron in my life… I get steak almost every night…”). Kate described how her dog had been killed on the roads a few weeks ago. Joey packed up his things to go early. When he passed my desk he gave the thumbs-up sign.

Friday

Ben (Ian’s son) came to my desk and shyly asked if I had any photographic assignments. He has never done this before, so either they are short of work downstairs or he is making an effort to be sociable (the strained relations between him and Pete and Sarah are very noticeable). I have told Pete that I am not taking any sides, and when he tries to talk about “the situation” I change the subject.

Some work came in for three different clients - Point Of Sale materials (which we will put out to a specialist as our designers can’t handle it), a poster campaign to go on bus shelters, some visuals for a supermarket promotion (retail work is horrible - everything changes and keeps changing right up to the last minute).

Early afternoon I went to the advertising department of a national newspaper - a smart building that was a complete mess inside.

Late afternoon I went to see the Entertainments client. It was a completely farcical meeting. Director John R wanted me to arrange for a beard to be photoshopped onto a picture of his Cartering Manager (do I charge them for this, or put it down as “goodwill”?).

Afterwards I walked along Earls Court Road in the warm dusty evening, the light having a tired quality as if the day had exhausted itself.