WHAT SHOULD BOOKKEEPERS ENVIRONMENT BE LIKE??

[kemlerbkkpr]

I AM A BOOKKEEPER AND HAVE BEEN AT A NEW JOB FOR 6 MONTHS. I HAVE ALWAYS HAD EITHER MY OWN OFFICE OR QUIET CORNER TO WORK IN AND BE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON WHAT I AM DOING.  BASICALLY, THIS NEW OFFICE THERE ARE 3 OFFICES HERE, ONE FOR THE OWNER, ONE FOR THE OWNER'S WIFE AND ONE FOR THE BROTHER OF THE OWNER, WHO TAKES CARE OF SERVICE.  THEN THERE IS ME OUT IN THE OPEN WITH THE REST OF THE SPACE. EMPLOYEES WALK THROUGH, COME OUT OF THEIR OFFICES, TALKING, DISCUSSING WORK, I ALSO ANSWER THE PHONES AND TAKE SERVICE CALLS.  IN A NUT SHELL, I AM BOOKKEEPER, RECEPTIONIST AND SERVICE.  I DON'T MIND DOING A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING ELSE TO BUT MY BOSS THINKS I AM ALWAYS COMPLAINING WHEN I SAY I AM STRESSED BECAUSE OF THE NOISE, OR I NEED IT TO BE QUIET.  IF I MAKE AN HONEST MISTAKE I CAN FIX IT IN NO TIME. MY BOSS TELLS ME HE NEEDS A BOOKKEEPER THAT IS PERFECT, 100%.
HE WANTS ME TO START DOING COLLECTIONS.  HIS WIFE DOES THEM NOW, YOU CAN SEE HER GET FRUSTRATED AND SLAM DOWN THE PHONE SOMETIMES WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.   I FEEL THAT BEING IN THE SITUATION THAT I AM, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HUB BUB AND NOT IN A QUIET SPACE, I AM ABOUT TO GET SET UP FOR ANOTHER FAILURE ON DOING COLLECTIONS. I WILL BE ANSWERING PHONES, PEOPLE WILL BE COMING THROUGH THE OFFICE AND I WILL BE TRYING TO BE AS DIPLOMATIC AS POSSIBLE WHILE TRYING TO COLLECT PAST DUE MONEY.  MY BOSS SAYS MY PERSONALITY FITS WITH THIS COMPANY BUT FEELS I AM GOING TO PISS OFF HIS CUSTOMERS AND THAT HE DOES NOT FULLTY TRUST ME.

I KNOW THIS IS ABOUT TO SOUND CRAZY BUT MY BOSS IS A NICE GUY UNTIL HE BLOWS UP AND POUNCES ON YOU ABOUT THINGS THAT HAVE BOTHERED HIM FOR THE LAST WEEK.

PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET SOME OFFICIAL INFORMATION OR WHAT THE ENVIRONMENT SHOULD BE FOR A BOOKKEEPER AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HER WORK, HE WON'T LISTEN TO ME.

SINCERELY
A REALLY HARD WORKER AND SOMEONE WHO CARES
ABOUT THE COMPANY SHE WORKS FOR.

DEBBIE

[tiffanyctd]

Debbie,
I would seriously consider whether this is the work environment you want to be working in, with regard to the attitude of your boss. If you decide you can live with the attitude, you might want to suggest he get at least a part time receptionist and separate those duties from yours. I've been in the position of having to make those types of calls and still act as a receptionist. You end up not being able to do either effectively (eventually, they changed that position for me). Point out to your boss that if sounds very unprofessional to the customer to have a lot of noise going on in the background. If they do hire someone, you could use noise cancelling headphones to reduce distractions while you're working on bookkeeping, and perhaps you could use an empty office or conference room to make collection calls.

Unfortunately, you are probably not going to have as much luck with changing the physical environment. Most offices I know of are going to more open space rather than less. Fewer employees are getting walled offices. Even most of the higher ranking managers I know are in cubicles now. If you are just out in the open, perhaps you can talk your boss into getting some cubicle walls to give you at least a little bit of privacy. If they balk at the cost, you may be able to find some used ones at a government surplus or a thrift store. It's not very glamorous, but from personal experience, it works.

Good luck,
Tif

[spitfire78]

Alarm bells are going off in my head!

First of all, you are the only non-family member in the office.  This can be a very bad situation to be in.  If all of the family members stick together, you are the fall guy.  If they don't stick together, you are the one they run to to complain about each other.  Either way it is a very sticky situation.

Secondly, you say that the boss wants you to do collections but he feels you will "piss off his customers" and that he doesn't fully trust you.  It doesn't make sense that he would say that about you and yet want you to handle collections.  Collections should be handled by someone who is trusted enough to be able to represent the company.  I would proceed very carefully here.  If he already feels this way about you, the first time a customer complains about you (and they will just because you are trying to collect money from them!), he is more likely to believe their side of the story than yours.  It doesn't sound to me like you will have any backing at all.

I agree that bookkeeping should be done in a quiet location if at all possible.  However, in my opinion, the physical environment is the least of your problems.  Please think carefully whether or not you want to continue working for this company.

[geminidreamer]

Hello from Times Square!  This is my first post.  This site looks terrific!

Debbie,

I hate to sound pessimistic, but you'll never be happy at that job.  Family businesses are ruled by family dynamics, not "healthy workplace" dynamics.  Truthfully, I hope that now, nearly two months later, you've left.  I would temp through an agency before I'd work for a family business ever again.

If you're still around, please post back and let us know how you're doing.

GeminiDreamer