We had gone a complete week without any new bookings - the past week at work

Monday

A quiet Monday with none of the usual rush. I spent the morning with Chris (part-time lady who does our accounts) compiling billing figures for each of the agency’s clients and the result was quite a revelation. Terry (MD and owner, who is based in the main agency upstairs) had asked me to do this project as the management reports supplied by Andrea (my boss) are not informative enough.

Louise (blonde admin assistant) had found out why Terry keeps appointing temps when we have no need of more staff. Apparently he is unable to say “no” to a rep from a temp agency who keeps visiting him (she is reportedly very attractive and flirtatious, and quite pushy as she can even manage to by-pass Terry’s PA Patricia). We decided against telling Andrea as the knowledge might provoke her.

I talked by ’phone to a client twice before he went to Germany to attempt to get an increased advertising budget.

Last week Andrea had done some copywriting and this morning the client had torn it to shreds - later she asked me for some pointers on where she had gone wrong.

In the afternoon I went with Louise and Duncan to see a client (a fairly tame one who would not object to trainees traipsing through their office). Duncan drove us there in Andrea’s car. He drove like a maniac and not for the first time I felt my life was at risk when someone else was at the wheel.

Tuesday

I transferred a client to Duncan to see how he would handle them and he made so many mistakes and omissions I ended up doing the work myself.

Up to see Terry with my list of client billings. I wondered whether I was being disloyal to Andrea by telling Terry this information (I reasoned that my first loyalty was to Terry). We spent most of the morning discussing trends, most of which look ominous.

“Perhaps I am being over-cautious” I said.

“No, you’re right, I’m very worried myself” he said.

He showed me the targets we are to be supplied with.

Later I telephoned a potential client (whom I will abbreviate as “Summit”). We are pitching for their work although the general consensus in the agency is that they will steal our ideas without paying for them (the marketing director has this reputation). But the account is substantial, and the advertising (if we get it) would be a pleasure to work on, so that I have pushed reason to one side and am going ahead with the pitch just on the off-chance we might get it.

In the afternoon Andrea came to my office wanting me to do some copywriting for a client she is trying to poach from her last agency.

I set Duncan some media negotiating to do, but he wasn’t very good at it.

Wednesday

A big new client for the PR agency upstairs, which is likely to mean more advertising for us (they are not currently using an agency).

Duncan is becoming rebellious towards Andrea, answering her back in a petulant style. He is quite an arrogant person, without having anything especial to be arrogant about. He is not stupid, but seems incapable of taking instructions from a woman.

Most of the day I worked on the Summit presentation. The marketing objectives are very interesting. I am fairly clear in my mind how the presentation should be structured, and have nearly finished the presentation report.

Thursday

I was late getting to work, and when I arrived the two admin assistants Louise and Denise were waiting on the landing outside - everyone else was late or away and they did not have any keys to get in.

Unpleasant realisation that no new work has come in this week.

Duncan arrived late and retreated into a world of his own, chatting to Louise and Denise or reading through his college notes (he has brought all his folders into the office and lined them up on his desk).

In the evening I went to a Board of Governors meeting for a small educational charity I do some volunteer work for. I gave my report as concisely as possible and tried not to say anything out of place. One of the governors is the wife of a former cabinet minister, frumpish and opinionated.

Friday

During the morning Andrea called an agency meeting. We spent the time mostly discussing problems with three clients. At the end Andrea casually announced that we had gone a complete week without any new bookings coming in.

Tensions all day between Andrea and Duncan, but no actual outburst.

At lunchtime Denise went to a patisserie and bought us each a marzipan pommes de terre (chocolate marzipan in the shape of a potato, dusted with cocoa powder, and with a hollow centre that contained chocolate cream).

When I got home this evening I was so tired I fell asleep, waking again at ten and realising I hadn’t had any dinner.