We are surprisingly busy - the past week at work

Monday

Arriving at the office to the news that Carol (admin) left on Friday (when I had a day off). Minutes after Julie told me this news Terry and Andrea appeared with temp Heidi who will be with us for two weeks. The sub-agency has only been going a few weeks and already two staff have walked out saying they can’t work with Andrea (she is difficult).

Because Julie is so frightened of talking to clients I moved into the big office and sat at Carol’s old desk to give her some support. We are surprisingly busy, despite the onset of recession and the approach of Christmas. Andrea is good at getting new clients but not so good at looking after them (also we have had two solicitors’ letters from her old agency, complaining that she is poaching clients).

Because we are so busy I had to work through lunch – so often have I had to do this that I am late with my Christmas shopping.

In the afternoon Terry was interviewing for a replacement for Carol. Normally he would never get involved in such an ordinary task, which indicates he doesn’t trust Andrea to recruit the right people. When showing prospective staff around the offices Terry has a very fatuous routine (“This is the photocopier…this is the fax machine…this is where the Accounts lady sits…”).

In the evening was the office Christmas party held at Rachel’s flat in Maida Vale (this is the party for staff – we also give one for clients, which is held in the upstairs offices). Andrea wasn’t there, which made me wonder whether she had been invited (she doesn’t get on with Rachel – they are both too dominant and competitive). At ten o’clock we all went out in the freezing air to the communal garden at the back where fireworks were set off (as the coloured explosions spread across the sky Aine said: “It’s like an orgasm”).

Tuesday

When I got in (a little late) only Heidi the temp was there, so that I became concerned that Julie had left the company without saying anything (this gives you an idea of how paranoid people are becoming). Anyway she turned up ten minutes later, complaining that the tube was late. We had some coffee and talked.

The bitter cold weather outside has led to the heating being turned up – too far so that I felt dehydrated.

A nice moment was when Terry’s big new client rang me up asking about putting some full-page ads in the national press. This was such good news it cheered everybody up. Although I hadn’t done anything to generate the work, I acquired a heroic status among the upstairs junior account execs.

In the afternoon some of the smaller clients became busy, and the contacts at these clients progressively more awkward and demanding. There is no easy way of telling a client they can’t have what they want. I spent so much time helping Julie with her admin work that I didn’t get much copywriting done.

Wednesday

The first hour spent placing ads. Some of the clients have a very ignorant approach to deadlines. I felt myself becoming annoyed and actually told one client “not every job can be a rush job.”

At lunchtime I went up to the Board Room, joined by Terry. We were drinking Perrier (in Thomas the Tank Engine paper cups) left over from the party on Monday. Terry talked about how he had met Ronald Reagan at the Guildhall about twenty years ago.

In the evening I went to a cocktail party (friends, but I don’t know them all that well). Very sparsely attended. On the train home I thought how nice it was to be on my own again.

Thursday

So cold I really didn’t want to get out of bed this morning.

Thursday is usually a quiet day in the agency, but today there always seemed some copywriting that needed doing. I have also been asked to help with the writing for the upstairs teams. Andrea is in awe of professional copywriting and described the agony she experienced when she tried to do some.

Julie said she is going for an interview for a job with a local newspaper.

One of Terry’s American friends (who we think owns part of the agency, although no-one is sure) came to our offices and said we all deserved Purple Hearts for working so well. I told him Mars Bars would be more practical. In the afternoon Patricia (Terry’s PA) came down and presented each of us with a Mars Bar.

Friday

Julie came in late, having been to a job interview. Two former students (graduated this year) arrived for interviews with Terry and Andrea (they are recruiting a trainee to replace Julie, who is to be offered Carol’s old job). They sat in the lobby looking worried.

When I went out at lunchtime the bitter cold seemed to have passed and it was a little milder.

In the afternoon I felt so tired I couldn’t work (so I didn’t).