There turned out to be a few obstacles in the way of me opening a business bank account that I didn't anticipate..

1. Company must be active - which I went and done right away
2. The directors name (me) must appear exactly as it does on my license - I went and added my middle name right away
3. I need to have made a final decision on what products or product range I'm going to be selling, where they will be sourced, and who the customers are intended to be... So these are now the main challenges I've got

Last night I applied for this cool sounding, relatively new programme I became aware of only yesterday, heard on a radio advert - The Ulster Bank Entrepreneur Accelerator.

It appears to have both helped, and helped create a couple of hundred local businessmen and women, as of up to a few months ago. They have this intensive 8 week pre-accelerator for start-ups that I'm hoping to be selected for. Apparently it's all funded, with free mentoring and they ask for exactly 0% equity in anybody's company. Almost sounds too good to be true but I've got absolutely fuck all to lose. Just gotta wait until all the applications have been reviewed.

Something cool I discovered earlier was that now I've completed an Open Uni degree, I have free access to over 1000 online courses on their website. There's 8 subject categories, and within each category is a comprehensive and extensive range of topics, lasting anything from 3 to 100 hours. I'll be learning new shit for years.

I received an email yesterday confirming that I have been accepted on to this. It'll start on September the 24th.

The night before the email, I also pretty much decided on the niche market I'm going to take a chance on.

Which means I have something to focus on for the rest of the month in terms of choosing products, building my business plan properly etc.

Gunna grab this by the balls and make the most of the opportunity.

Think I'm going to lose my job.

A customer made derogatory comments about my job this morning and I responded by calling her a "fucking cheeky bitch".... Which is obviously out of order, but I had taken offence, which is still no excuse. I did think I'd muted the conversation but it didn't and I got irreversibly caught by the balls.

At the minute I've been taken off the phones and put into customer service training whilst an investigation goes on. However, I'm pretty confident I'll be shown the door.

I'm a massive twat and I'm just going to have to face up to the consequences of my actions. Starting with looking for other jobs, as I'm pre-empting a dismissal.

I approached my manager today before we left and gave her my apologies and thoughts on the current situation I find myself in. I said to her that I feel I've made an irreversible mistake and that on reflection, I'd be pretty much ready and prepared to accept a full dismissal as a result of my actions, as I fully understand the severity of what has been done. Frankly, I wouldn't have been surprised if I'd been shown the door with immediate effect.

As it stands, I've still got a job whilst HR do an investigation into the incident and customer complaint. She said that by me stepping up and taking responsibility for what I done will look favourably on me, and suggested I try not to let it get me down. And that she'll vouch for me that I've reported directly to her with obvious and sincere remorse at my behaviour.

She also said that what happens next in terms of what I do and how I proceed can also help me, i.e not doing what others have done in similar circumstances and going on the sick, for example. I assured her that's not my style and that I'm fully prepared to face the consequences of my actions head-on, as I've no-one to blame but myself.

I'm under no illusion, I'm expecting to be given my marching orders. I've seen staff get sacked for less, so I can't see how I could possibly get away with such gross misconduct.

Bottom line, it's completely out of my hands now and I don't think there's anything I can do to influence what will happen. What's done is done and I simply gotta wait and see.

You will be lucky not to get fired, although the fact they have not suspended you could be a small positive sign.

It would flip the whole thing if you had a case to make. I've dodged being fired for offenses that would normally lead to instant dismissal twice that I remember. Think in these ways - Have you ever asked for some kind of support or training that you did not receive? Is there any record, especially if recent, of you reporting to a manager or whoever that you are feeling stressed or emotional or worn out? Do you have a new medical condition that you have not informed your employer about? Stuff like that will change the whole process.


Peace,

kowalski

Made me laugh a little...

If it goes to rat shit mate, could give you the push to sort out your business or find something more fulfilling than call centre work?

I see where you're coming from but I'm unsure if I have anything like that which I could draw attention to, but I'll have a think.

There is a team of CS agents being trained this week and next, so I have been put into that for refresher training. I'm normally in sales and today one of the CS agents asked my TL if I was joining them permanently, and he said that I was only doing the training. So..

Best case scenario is that I complete the training, get a serious warning and then back to somewhat normal with a personal improvement plan in place. Worst case scenario is I'm in limbo whilst HR carry out their investigation with the inevitability of being dismissed.

I had an idea just now - approach my manager tomorrow and suggest that I call the customer to give them a personal apology. Whether she tells me it's a good idea, allows me to do it, or not, it can't possibly do my case any harm and I imagine could only serve me well.

You're right, and I have of course already been weighing up my options if the worst does happen.

I do begin the entrepreneur course on Monday, although this current situation has obviously thrown a spanner in the works a little.

If I lose my job I'll have to find another one first, if I'm lucky enough not to lose it I'll be getting a move-on with the side business, as planned.

I'm doing fire-marshall training next Tuesday for the company. Maybe this shit somehow helps me in some small way.

I had a better idea.

Convince your manager to make the apology call; call the customer and properly abuse her before standing up and moonwalking out...

I don't know how to moonwalk