Mixed Messages

I plonked myself into the bed at close to 5pm today, supposedly for a 2- or 3-hour nap. But it was 1am when I finally awoken from my deep slumber.

To update on the last nonsense incident:

The new First Boss asked to see me about the parent.

She seeked to clarify with me the conversation content of the incident. After that, she assured me that I did not have to change my practice of making a child stay back to complete his work just because a parent called up to complain. However, I am about quite sure I would not stay this particular child back anymore for whatsoever reason.

The parents were simply unreasonable.

The Boss felt that the parents were highly sensitive (they took whatever I said to the extreme and jumped at everything I said) and too protective of their child (kept stressing that the boy was a 'very good boy at home').

She asked me not to call them since it would likely invite another shelling from them. She would call them instead and inform them that I would communicate with them via the student handbook from now on. Just as well. Who would want to 'communicate' with such unreasonable customers?

She was very nice about it. She 'taught' me how to write in the handbook should the child did not hand in his work again (since the parents are highly sensitive to words) ie. just write 'so-and-so did not hand in his work on this-and-that date.' Do not even dream of writing 'This is to inform you that ...' or 'For your information ...' or 'Please look into the matter.'

She did not want me to call, also because she did not want the parents to think that I have cowered because they complained to her.

Sounds impartial enough I thought.

Another colleague is also having problems with the child.

She is conducting supplementary lessons for the class but the child does not attend them. The child lied about having submitted the consent form when he had not. When he finally did, the parents indicated that they did not consent.

She does not want to call them as she has anticipated that they would be very difficult since she already had such a difficult time chasing after a slip of paper. And under normal circumstances, parents would not disallow their children to attend supplementary or remedial lessons.

However, when she spoke to the new Boss, the new Boss asked her to call them! And even told her that the parents 'are okay'.

... ...

Well, I guess time will tell what kinda person she really is - a Boss who is supportive of her staff or partial to the customers.