It's MY fault

[DonnaL]

We constantly have to PDF files and send them to a client for proofing, however, when we send a proof PDF it's through our web server. We upload the PDF and the webhost (or whoever) automatically sends an email to the person specified stating that there is a proof ready to be downloaded for viewing.
Well this is a constant customer so there's no way we can mistype the email address since it automatically fills in the rest when you type in the first character. She's received email notifications in the past.
So today, I upload a proof, she calls back and talks to someone... I didn't get the email. That someone comes up to me and says can you email it again, she didn't get it. I said, that's not my fault...
She says flat out "Yes it is"
I said NO... it's not!
She says, email it again. So I go back to our website and upload the same pdf, now there's 2 sitting in there.
She still doesn't receive it.
She finally calls back and speaks with me and I tell her there's nothing I can do about it on my end... blah blah blah.
I really hate people who just won't take the time to learn any part of our job. You know, just a little knowledge of how something works would be so helpful, thus, not accusing US of everything that goes wrong!
It's NOT my fault!

[Kool]

I'm not sure I understand. Why couldn't you just e-mail her the link again. Bypassing the auto notify thing. http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/koolsmiley.gif

[DonnaL]

I don't physically email anything to her. I upload the PDF through a site called Printer Presence and then it automatically sends a link to them to download it. So I have no idea what the "link" acutally says when they receive an email.

[Kool]

I see. http://home.comcast.net/~rnick9/koolsmiley.gif

[Patrick Shannon]

Of course it's your fault. It's always the designer's fault. We're paid patsies, you see? :)

Printer Presence...I think my own work deals with that. I'd rather not deal with all the red tape with uploading something to that, I just send proofs straight to the client the old fashioned way.

[Jimeda Fork]

Have the customer email you first, that way you just reply to their email, and there can be no misspelling (even though you didn't in the first place)

[JPnyc]

Odds are excellent it was snagged by some spam filter. Happens to us all the time. Tell her to turn off all filtering, or provide another email.

[jamodu]

Ask her if she's receiving any emails from anyone else!

Quote Recent Call from Client:
"I know our internet's down at the moment but now my emails aren't working either..."

*bangs head on desk!*

[G-Man79]

Ask her if she's receiving any emails from anyone else!

Quote Recent Call from Client:
"I know our internet's down at the moment but now my emails aren't working either..."

*bangs head on desk!*

I used to have a client like that. They just couldn't make the connection between internet outages and email capabilities. They also thought I had remote access to their computers so I could remedy the situation. Fortunately, the higher ups had the good sense to tell the client they couldn't afford us anymore :) That took care of that problem.

[DonnaL]

Had a correction this morning and the co-worker who "blamed" me told me to email it to someone else since the client was having probs with her computer. I said to her... I TOLD you it wasn't my fault!. She didn't say anything, but just walked away.
But that's the way this co-worker is. Hates admitting she's wrong. She pulled another It's My Fault thing not to long ago, come to find out, it wasn't me, it was the pressman. Do you think she apologized to me? Nope.

Anyway, emailing directly is sometimes impossible since we deal with such large files that even PDF's are too large for emailing, especially casino jobs. Hence the Printer Presence sight. And it's not like she's new. She's not a new client. We deal with her ALL the time. She works for the casino.

[CatintheHat1]

The thing is, you don't need to say "I'm not wrong" or "I told you, you were wrong," she knows that and it's a little immature for you to say that (speaking as a 42-year-old ancient relic here). Trust me, she knows and the smug satisfaction you get feels better when you're taking the higher road. Tell anyone in this situation that "you'll look right into it." Then, when they come back, inform them that you did look into it and the problem is not on your end and that the eMails have been sent, resent....whatever, and ask if the client could please provide an alternate eMail or a server for you to uplaod the PDF directly onto. That usually takes them until the end of the day and you're already home having a beer.

[DonnaL]

It goes deeper than that. This co-worker is NEVER wrong, and when she is, she won't admit it.
It's not just me that she does this too, it's all of us. I'm the only brave one in the group that will bite back. The others just gripe about to someone else. I'd rather nip the problem in the bud face to face and make this woman realize that NO she is NOT always right! She knows NOTHING about how jobs are prepared for press, she thinks it takes 2 secs to run out a proof, she thinks email is ALWAYS instantaneous. She's utterly clueless and has no interest in learning any piece of how the process works.
Oh, and... I'm not far behind you in age, I've dealt with many people like her and have always been the one to step down. I've had enough of it in my life and I'm tired of being stepped on.

I'm trying to find a way out of this job but feel bad cuz the owners just gave me a $2 raise and said I was valuable. UGH!

[morea]

have you voiced your concerns to your boss?

[Vikia]

It goes deeper than that. This co-worker is NEVER wrong, and when she is, she won't admit it.
It's not just me that she does this too, it's all of us. I'm the only brave one in the group that will bite back. The others just gripe about to someone else. I'd rather nip the problem in the bud face to face and make this woman realize that NO she is NOT always right!

I know if feels as though this is a "moral imperative" sort of thing, BUT I have to chime in with CatintheHat1. Take the high road and leave all handling of coworkers to your boss. If you don't you will usually regret it and get burned.

Your best course of action is to have a heart to heart with your boss. Write down your carefully thought out greivances and discuss in a mature, business like manner.

Your boss will need to be the one to orchestrate any changes to personnel, assignments, responsibilities and work environment. As he/she must deal with the overall big picture, it is imperative that they be the one to "nip the problem in the bud". It is really not your place, no matter how personal it feels.

[DonnaL]

Boss is too soft.
I work for a small company 21 employees tops! People that work in bindery and platemaking smoke back there. Boss is too afraid to lay down rules thinking they'll all quit. Most of the employees have been with this company since day 1. Including the one in particular I can't deal with. She does the payroll, takes in phone orders from the casinos (which are TOP priority to her) and does human resources stuff. Basically she kisses the owner's ass! Noone really has any "set" titles there. There is NO management what-so-ever. Total turnaround from the last job I was at. Jobs get lost, mis-filed, emailed stuff is out-of-control, no one in particular does one specific task, or is assigned a specific person.
Boss did make an employee handbook but won't give it out. She's afraid if "change" is made, everyone will get pissed and upset and gripe.
What I wouldn't give for a little "order" of things. But alas, I am a newbie there, I can only suggest, but suggestions have been ignored (or the "owner" is too afraid to take action).
Don't get me wrong, I love what I do, I love the challenge of some things, but hell, I'm working with friggin keystone cops!
So approaching "boss" is out of the question. I can only bring up the incident and see what she says.

[CatintheHat1]

She does the payroll?? She knows about your raise?? I think you're too close to the situation, but I'll say this, when push comes to shove, you'll be the one burned. You already said all the others are weinies...if they won't stick up for themselves, they sure won't come to your defense if she decides to get really nasty. It sounds like she'll have the bosses' ear faster than you, just from her job in the company. Keep your cool, biting back won't get you anywhere. Anyway, it doesn't matter that she's always wrong, in the world in general saying "I told you so" is regarded as childish, whether you're saying it to a co-worker, your mother, husband, etc. It'a phrase that no one should ever say. Confident people don't say it, they KNOW it, they derive great, smug, personal satisifaction from it, they give "I told you" so smirks and looks, but the words never pass their lips.

Cat

[DonnaL]

Cat - you have a point and I agree. It's very very rare that I ever say "I told you so". I'll say it more in a playful tone towards a close friend but I DO know it's rude and obnoxious. I didn't actually say it to her face, per say. It was more along the lines: as she was walking out of the room, it was more of an announcement of "I knew it wasn't my fault".
See the way things flow.. it goes from the Boss (owner) to her, then to us. MY boss is the owner's wife - who also works in the design dept. She has often told her husband not to step foot in the dept because he doesn't know anything about how we do things. It's an ongoing joke sort-of. So In his mind, it's "do it, I don't care how, just do it". So this lady picks up his attitude of "do it, I don't care how, just get it done" attitude. But atleast he's willing to find out why and not blame us if something goes wrong. Our dept. is always defending ourselves. And we DO stick up for each other. It's just overwhelming and I've never, in all the jobs I've had, designing or not, have I ever seen a company so messed up and unorganized in my life.
I guess this is a first for me and one thing I don't like being is unorganized. I like a work flow, I like the order of things. To bad they didn't have classes out there to help deal with UNorganization.

[CatintheHat1]

When I read things like this, I remember why I opened my own company. I think Starbucks is a better place to work that some of these graphics houses I read about.

Cat

[petchy]

it seems as designers we are easy to blame whenever something goes wrong, but when something is a success you'll often have to "fight" to get the credit for it! the best way to deal with "i-am-never-wrong-people" is to ignore their behaviour. people like that often enjoy any attention, so why give it to them?

She has often told her husband not to step foot in the dept because he doesn't know anything about how we do things.
this reminded me: about 6 months ago we got a new boss who came in and decided to rustle things up a little. every department got a bit of a boll*cking and were told to do this or do that to improve. he never even attempted to make any changes in the design dept, other than promise us some new equipment which still hasn't materialised! now perhaps we are just perfect already (i wish!!) but my theory is that design is a field he knows nothing about, so he feels a little out of his depth when he deals with us designers...? i dont know...

[mattborghi]

A wise-man once said, prepress poop runs down hilll... sometimes it sure felt that way... crummy customer-provided MSWord documents that were supposed to be run as 4C jobs... and magically made to look awesome using the "turn-crap-into-beautiful-4-color-art" button on the front of my mac... i still can't find that button, not even on m G5, dang it, I keep getting short-changed...