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General : Outside techs....what should we document?

Message 1 of 18 in Discussion

From:

PHOENIXPHONEMAN (Original Message)

Sent: 11/19/2008 4:13 PM

For all who work outside....Lets make a list of what we should document in our journals....

Almost every single day my immediate supervisor is NOT at our yard when I start my shift....makes it impossible to get batteries tools etc.....add to the list....

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Message 4 of 18 in Discussion

From:

Chandalar2

Sent: 11/19/2008 7:08 PM

Yes, if you just start 'journaling' as a habit with every minute, pretty soon it just becomes like breathing.

I even noted when I went to the bathroom and how long it took because I overheard the manager asking techs that question - (not me, thank god - guess he knew better : ) This just shows you how low managers can go! DISGUSTING!

But if a judge or arbitrator ever sees your notes on bathroom habits and why you had to document them, they might begin to understand the type of company you work for.

Message 5 of 18 in Discussion

From:

luckaduck666

Sent: 11/19/2008 11:45 PM

Also, I was advised by the union to NOT use any company materials to write on. Go out and buy your own notebook to use. This way if ever needed, the company cannot "confiscate" it.
Another thing, at the end of day, print out your dotlog as a reference for the order you did your jobs in.

Message 6 of 18 in Discussion

From: HalJordan

Sent: 11/20/2008 12:56 AM

I use my "personal cell phone" to document what goes on and then transcribe it to my computer at my house. This way the company cannot accuse you of using any of their resources including their time.

I saw in one of the bathroom stalls at another yard.
"If you didn't eat it on my time, you can't shit it on my time"

Brings a tear to my eye, to think of what a great company this is. *sniff*

Message 7 of 18 in Discussion

From:

jondooh

Sent: 11/20/2008 2:30 AM

My daily page looks like this:

0900 12y 2CMP 11-19-08 Wed. OOY 8:22a

0800 R 1MVE total miles 67.3 boss not in

0100 OTM 1MMRT

0100 SC1

----------------------------------------------------------------

1. 0035678 0401/310 on prem 9a 8a-10a

9.2miles 3344 e Qwest ST

ca ed, ctc f2 pr 301 dt gd sets, ok ed CMP

----------------------BA 10-1015a---------------------------------

2. 0035876 0431/310 on prem 1030a 10-110p

12.5miles 1243 e Lrac lane

ca vms, opn xbx, tnd bk, rprd opn IW.ok simanson CMP

----------------------lnch 110-140p-----------------------------------

**boss called to ask why it took so long on previous job. I said because that is how long it took to take care of the customer. 145p

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

You get the picture. I always reset my mileage before I leave the yard. The OOY=Out Of Yard. All phone calls to and from the boss and I use my company phone for ALL customer calls. For me, it is very calming/soothing to keep a daily journal. When I am asked 2 months from now what I did on a job, I can just pull out the info and read it out, even if I don't remember, it's on paper. Been doing this for a while now, got it down to a science.

Message 8 of 18 in Discussion

From:

Chandalar2

Sent: 11/20/2008 8:14 AM

Hey Hal - you could win the award for that bathroom stall saying - NEW COMPANY LOGO!

How do you use your cell phone to document? Can you leave yourself messages or something? Does is cost minutes?

You guys are GREAT! Jondooh, you exemplify exactly what it is you have to do nowadays to maintain your peace of mind and sanity.

Message 9 of 18 in Discussion

From: HalJordan

Sent: 11/20/2008 12:13 PM

Chandalar,
On most cell phones these days there is a voice recorder option, which I use all the time when talking to my boss, and I use that to make voice notes to my self.

BTW the new verizon phones...........if you hit that button at the bottom, that looks like a microphone, before you take/make a call it records the other person and not you. This works really well when talking to your manager/lrac/customer.

Before you get your hackles up........in arizona it is legal to record another person without their knowledge, as long as one of the parties knows they're being recorded.

In the other states.....YMMV

H.A.N.D.

Message 10 of 18 in Discussion

From:

hahaha750

Sent: 11/21/2008 3:35 PM

get a really good tough digital recorder.

get one with a large amount of storage space on so you can record an entire month's worth of recording and then just download that to the hard drive at home.

i record morning meetings and thru the day on problems that i find in the field.

once.....they came to me and demanded an explanation on one certain problem and why "I" was taking so long. (2-3 months later of course)

I gave them a 3 and 1/2 page type written explanation on all they problems that i encountered.....

i haven't heard thing back from them in over a year+....

when you hit them between the eyes with the truth.... they flinch..... especially when you point out that the problems were made worse by certain decisions that THEY made...... then when you email it to them it becomes a legal document. while their boss hasn't seen the email they know now that their boss can see why certain problems exist.... if you choose to email it to the 2nd and 3rd and vp if needed.

i tell ya it staggers them.

get yourself a Olympus DS 40 - digital voice recorder.... it's pricy but it will save you a lot of work when you can download the whole month at one time.

you can pick it up for 117.00 at http://www.17photo.com/product.asp?id=141910&l=Pricegrabber

if that is too much try Olympus VN 4100 - digital voice recorder at amazone.com for 30.00 bucks http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000OVPBA4?smid=A17MC6HOH9AVE6&tag=cnet-ce-20&linkCode=asn

It is not as clear as the ds40 but will do the work and you can down load the entire month of recording to you harddrive and just forget it until you need it. save it as let say november 2008 work info.

you can go thru it day by day......

don't for get to send obvious problems by email to the mgr at least once a week.. just ask them what ever happened to that problem... like an update...

it is actually good for your mgr.... and keeps him busy trying to solve all those problems.... when he can't get it solved---- it makes him harder for him to come at you and demand why you have not gotten certain things done......

that will keep him rocked back on his heels.....

Message 11 of 18 in Discussion

From:

Chandalar2

Sent: 11/21/2008 8:55 PM

hahaha - WOW! All I can say is you are fabulous & your methods should be heeded (? is that a word) by all techs!

Fighting them with their own stupidity and incompetence should be the rallying call to everyone!

Thanks for passing this on - btw, maybe you should put this valuable info on a page/disussion of its own so no one misses it.......

Message 12 of 18 in Discussion

From:

PHOENIXPHONEMAN

Sent: 11/21/2008 9:12 PM

it's great when we all pool our minds together.....think I'll get one...I hate journaling...I can handle taking to myself though.....feel right at home!!

Message 13 of 18 in Discussion

From:

badpenny534

Sent: 11/21/2008 9:38 PM

documentation is great,however its done.i remember &can quote conversations verbatim, as i did to mgmt ,they didn't appreciate it much only when i was in cable maint &they had court cases abt ca cuts.i was told by mgmt that any work diaries (documentations)even those done on your own time would be considered company property-much like intellectual property if i invented a telco related product on my own time while still employed by qwest &that the company owned these items.

Message 14 of 18 in Discussion

From:

Chandalar2

Sent: 11/21/2008 10:02 PM

ok, so I guess I would advise that your journal be a BIG DEEP SECRET!

I hope that any judge would find that your notes about your work day could be used as evidence to save your own dear a__.

Message 15 of 18 in Discussion

From:

Chandalar2

Sent: 11/21/2008 10:08 PM

what about the idea of emailing this info to your boss or to yourself on company email? Then it's in the company's hands as well as yours and if anything did happen, it could be supenaed (wow, can't figure out how to spell that one) to use it as evidence on your behalf?

Or maybe putting it into your personnel file?

I don't know.....just thinking out loud here....

It would be nice if a real lawyer could answer these kinds of questions for us - like maybe our union lawyer?

(1 recommendation so far)

Message 16 of 18 in Discussion

From:

racingrosie558

Sent: 11/23/2008 10:39 AM

Keep this information to yourself. Don't send it to your manager, or any other manager in the company. The first thing they do is scrutinize it for anything they can turn against you when we get to the grievance meeting. It is better if they have no idea how detailed it is. We used to do alot of problem solving as stewards and in this new regime we have learned that if we lay all our cards on the table during problem solving by the time we get to the grievance meeting they have found all the answers to our questions and it isn't in our favor.

The other things I have suggested the technicians keep track of is such things as traffic problems that slow you up, weather that does the same, sitting at a railroad crossing for 15 minutes, etc.. anything that slows you down, gets in your way, and impedes your progress.

As to the fact that if you invent something good for telco it becomes theirs, that is true, but I believe they would have a harder time with your personal journal, but like it was said earlier - Big Secret..

Message 17 of 18 in Discussion

From: red5598

Sent: 11/25/2008 3:22 AM

My video camera works just fine. Cameras do not lie. Smile.

Message 18 of 18 in Discussion

From:

hahaha750

Sent: 11/30/2008 12:33 AM

let me correct something.

it is correct that you keep your journal a secret...

when you check on your 1st level you never tell them it was from your journal.... you just make sure that your facts are correct and you just ask your 1st level questions... as a check... then you make sure you enter it(their reply) into your journal.....

when asked questions about what happened 2 months ago..... that is when you check in your journal and you give them a good reply....

they'll know you have something but they won't know if you really have a journal or just real good memory!

reply or note your reply in an email to your boss.

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