[CH.14] Junior's Troubles and Consultations (Part 1)
It's been two weeks since I came to the Hamayama Sales Office. I'm getting quite used to the job.
I'm not exactly a new employee, so it's only natural that I should be settling in.
However, when it comes to sales activities, I still haven't had the chance to meet with customers, so I still feel like a rookie in that regard.
I'm starting to understand the differences between the headquarters and the regional office.
At the headquarters, there are naturally more higher-ups, and you need to adhere to corporate regulations to a certain extent. But in the regional office, things are a bit more relaxed.
Manager Mimasaka is the type to enforce the rules where necessary, so it's not as laid-back as some other regional offices, but it's still much more relaxed compared to the headquarters.
There's hardly any overtime for now. Of course, we might have some at the end of the month, but it's significantly less compared to my days in the intense departments at headquarters.
While the reduction in overtime pay might be a concern for some, I'm personally not too concerned about money, as I make more from my side job.
"Thank you for calling. This is Forest Corporation."
Kuhou-san handles most of the phone calls that come into the office. She has a sales role but also doubles as an office clerk.
With the heavy workload each of us has, managing the phone calls is no small task, but she manages to get it done without overtime. She's undoubtedly talented.
Her manner of speaking is polite, and no one would expect that such a beautiful woman would be answering the phone.
"Yes... Yes... Understood. Let me confirm, and I'll get back to you."
Kuhou-san's expression doesn't look very favorable.
I wonder if something's wrong...
"Hanamucchan, I'm going to have a teleconference. Can you assist me?"
"Sure!"
I need to get back to work on my end as well.
---
Lunchtime was over, and we began our afternoon meeting.
"We've got an inquiry for 'Tesmo' from Company Y."
'Tesmo' is one of Forest Corp's flagship products, a small analytical device. Among the main customers of the Hamayama Sales Office, it's often purchased for research purposes. Its portability has led to a recent increase in inquiries.
I was one of the members involved in the design and development of the latest model, 'Tesmo-1000X,' which is one of the reasons I came to this Sales Office. Local companies in Hamayama, such as Company Y and Company S, have been buying it in larger quantities.
"It's a blessing for us that demand has increased due to changes in regulations, but it's quite sudden."
"For now, we're managing, but if the number increases, maintenance might become troublesome. Hanamucchan, have you prepared the user manual for simple maintenance?"
"Yeah, it's ready. I've also created an agenda for the upcoming regular meeting. Manager, please review it."
"Alright, understood."
Phew. We hold meetings in the office after lunch every Monday. Both the manager and Nishina-san are the type to think and work at the same time, so they're seriously capable. While it's tiring, I have to do my best.
"Speaking of which... Has Kuhou arrived yet?"
Kuhou-san, who usually appears first in the meeting room to prepare, was nowhere to be seen. I decided to decline and check on her.
She had been on the phone at her desk the entire time. If she's on the phone, there's not much I can do... Or so I thought.
Kuhou-san had a very troubled expression on her face. She looked like she was on the verge of tears as she scribbled notes with her fingers moving.
If it's just a customer inquiry, she could check and get back to them; it's not that difficult...
I got an idea. The office phones here display the call destination. I quickly glanced at Kuhou-san's notes...
"Kuhou-san, let me take over."
"Huh, but..."
"It's okay."
If it's not a customer but someone from within the company, then it's not a problem. I forcefully took the receiver from Kuhou-san.
"I'm taking over the call. This is Hanamura from Hamayama."
"What? Huh..."
"That voice is Kiriya-san, right? Why are you bullying girls?"
The Service Team is a department located at the headquarters, primarily responsible for handling equipment inquiries and on-site repairs. Given their role, they have a high level of interaction with my former team in the Design and Development department. In fact, since our floors are adjacent, we all know each other's faces.
"Hanamura... Did you go to Hamayama?"
"Yes, I did. We had a farewell party, didn't we? So, what's keeping you so long?"
"I don't know what that girl in your office is talking about. It's a Tesmo malfunction, but she can't seem to grasp anything I say..."
As I suspected. The issue becomes clear.
"Kiriya-san, there's no way the girl in the office would understand your level of troubleshooting. She probably bombarded her with questions about voltage values, internal settings, and sample properties."
"Ugh."
"Don't you remember the complaints we received from the regional office last time? When you get a call from the field, send them what the customer wants in an email. Trying to explain it over the phone makes the girls panic."
"I got it. Geez, now even Hanamura's getting cheeky."
"Well, it's my fifth year in this job. I'll handle this issue myself, so please make the arrangements properly from now on. Please tell everyone in the department that I said hello."
I hung up the phone.
These old guys always find it troublesome to send emails for everything and try to handle everything over the phone...
"I'm sorry..."
"Huh? Oh, it's fine. That was just bad customer service."
Kuhou-san hung her head in apology.
Using 'Tesmo' isn't too difficult, but because of its intricately designed internal settings, it can be challenging to deal with inquiries. Especially when someone hasn't received product training at the headquarters.
I mean, even I don't understand deeply when it comes to computer malfunctions. It's just something you can't help.
"Lately, we've been getting a lot of inquiries about Tesmo... But when I contact the Service Team, they often say they don't understand what I'm talking about."
I see, so that's why she had that worried expression.
The Service Team consists of craftsmen who are very detail-oriented. They want to receive and convey customer inquiry information accurately. I remember when I was a rookie, I was scolded plenty for saying things like, "What's wrong with this damn machine? What kind of design philosophy is this?"
As you gain knowledge and become able to respond and communicate, they become an easier team to work with... But inevitably, there's a temperature difference between the headquarters and the regional offices.
If this were a face-to-face meeting, the Service Team would probably be a bit more understanding due to Kuhou-san's beauty. But it's just a voice.
"Ah, we have a meeting, right? I'll be right there!"
In situations like this, you can only rely on experience. Manager Mimasaka and Nishina-san probably don't have knowledge about the design and service levels either. But they have enough knowledge to extract information and communicate effectively.
For a second-year like Kuhou-san, it might be tough...
But I want to help her somehow.
Support Tangerine Translation on Ko-fi! 🍊 ko-fi.com/tangerinetranslation 🍊
Comments
Post a Comment