When Ross got to the office, he was greeted by Vic, who handed him "Negative reports from marketing clients", causing lower profits, and thus, lower fees paid to RossShell by said clients.
Ross sighed. "Good Morning, RossShell!" He said. Vic was sitting in the room, but Ross was talking to no one in particular.
"Well, Vic, you're the COO. Free thought here, whats the reply?" Ross asked.
"Either we need to drum up new business, and fast, or we may need to let some more people go" Vic said.
The economy was slow, which could be part of the problem.
Another part was "Murphy's Law"
RossShell had kept expanding, expanding, and expanding for so long, that some contraction was bound to occur.
"I have a potential way through in the Far East. Kayley might complain, but if you and I go together, and I go with a nurse, she might have no choice but to say yes" Ross said.
"Let's think about our options, and talk in a couple of days" Vic said.
"Okay, oh, and I have what might be an acrimonious meeting with my good friend Tim for lunch
He sounds very angry and upset about something and I'm going to get the business" Ross said.
"Go. Stay calm. See what he has to say, and react in kind" Vic said.
Ross piddled through the morning with work.
Ross left for his meeting with Tim at Shun Lee.
The men shook hands, ordered, and then Ross said calmly.
"I'm here, Tim, and I'm all ears. Please tell me what is on your mind" Ross said quietly.
Tim sighed. "Ross, I know that we've been business associates and best friends for thirty years. It's just, since you stopped doing my work yourself, it just seems like I have to explain everything to your account managers. Everything with you is "Automatic" because you know how to handle me even when there is a problem. I know that we agreed to just be friends, and not be in business together, but I'm beginning to see that is not possible, thus, I need you to do my work again" Tim sald calmly.
Ross sighed. "While you are my best friend, you are also my most important client. You and I both know that with all the battles we've had over the last more than quarter century. You've threatened to fire me, and never done so., I've threatened to resign from your account, and not done so. Its like, one of us is not right without the other" Ross said.
"Then you will do my work again?" Tim said.
"Yes, but please, do me a favor, if you want changes, please report anything to Vic, and let him tell me. its best for both of us so that we dont get into every detail, and then one of us overreacts, and the pot boils over. Will you please agree to that?" Ross said.
"Agreed" Tim said, as the men shook hands.
Ross and Tim finished a calm lunch at Shun Lee, and Ross went back to the office.
When Ross did, he loosened his tie. "Vic, please come into my office"
Vic did and Ross said. "Hold all calls, please, Vic and I have important business to talk about" Ross said, and closed the door.
"The look on your face says you did not have a good meeting with Tim" Vic said.
Ross sighed. "Tim is unhappy with the quality of the work being done. He wants me to do the work myself again. He's my client, Vic, I have to say yes. There is a but in there. Any contentious messages are going to be passed through you, and given to either Tim and or me. As you are my assistant, this works best. Kayley might be upset, but it really is not her decision" Ross said.
"I'm sorry, Ross. Maybe this is just a period, and things can go back to normal. I know between the troubles the company is having, and now this, it is a bad time" Vic said.
"We've survived worse than this, Vic. We will find a way through. Please let's talk about any other company cuts tomorrow. I've had about enough for one day" Ross said.
"Of course, Ross" Vic said
Ross checked out early, went home, and threw his clothes into his closet with a loud "Damn!"
Kayley , was startled, and called out "Ross?"
"Yes, it's Ross the failure, I am present" Ross said, angrily and with gloom.
"Come over here, sit down, calm down, let me give you an iced tea, and then tell me all of your troubles. I'm all ears" Kayley said calmly.
Kayley handed Ross his iced tea, Ross took a swig, and said. "Oh, Kale! What a day! Not only are the company numbers more down and we will have to probably let more people go. Tim and I had a very contentious meeting. I know that Tim has another problem in business that is not relevant to me , and that he's in a bad mood, but he's also not happy with the quality of his work, and I agreed to take his work on again, for now" Ross said glumly.
"Oy Vey!" Kayley said.
"Kale, maybe it's just a phase. Let me see if I can figure a way out of this. Part of this as we know is the economy, and part of us is maybe that RossShell is just too damn big. Maybe I should give some of our accounts to other friends of mine, just consult and take a consulting fee. Yours and my day to day living expenses are not that astronomical anyway. We dont live in a penthouse, just a two bedroom, one of which is a den, and we eat out or call in every night. Besides that, what else do we do? We dont have kids, so its not like we have college or grad school payments like other people our age do" Ross said.
"Try to stay calm, Ross. Dont overreact. Tim is probably angry about his work, but he;'s probably also angry about his other problem, and maybe the pot just boiled over. Do his work, and see how it goes" Kayley said.
Ross and Kayley had a quiet dinner, and then went to bed quietly.
That day, and the next one were not good.
Then, as Ross and Vic were trying to comb through RossShell's problems and cuts, the worst possible thing that could have happened to Ross did.
While Ross was thinking of how to Drum Up business for RossShell,. there was a call from Steve.
"Big, Big investor show of 500 people this Monday, Your personal presence is required" Steve said.
"I will be there Steven, with all attention" Ross said calmly
The wheels, kept spinning, and spinning, and spinning around.
Not only did Ross have to take on Tim's work again.
No sooner did he have to "Digest that" then came a call he was needed in OKC personally for a big investor show.
What would Kayley say?
What could possibly happen next?
That would be seen.
Ross sighed. "Good Morning, RossShell!" He said. Vic was sitting in the room, but Ross was talking to no one in particular.
"Well, Vic, you're the COO. Free thought here, whats the reply?" Ross asked.
"Either we need to drum up new business, and fast, or we may need to let some more people go" Vic said.
The economy was slow, which could be part of the problem.
Another part was "Murphy's Law"
RossShell had kept expanding, expanding, and expanding for so long, that some contraction was bound to occur.
"I have a potential way through in the Far East. Kayley might complain, but if you and I go together, and I go with a nurse, she might have no choice but to say yes" Ross said.
"Let's think about our options, and talk in a couple of days" Vic said.
"Okay, oh, and I have what might be an acrimonious meeting with my good friend Tim for lunch
He sounds very angry and upset about something and I'm going to get the business" Ross said.
"Go. Stay calm. See what he has to say, and react in kind" Vic said.
Ross piddled through the morning with work.
Ross left for his meeting with Tim at Shun Lee.
The men shook hands, ordered, and then Ross said calmly.
"I'm here, Tim, and I'm all ears. Please tell me what is on your mind" Ross said quietly.
Tim sighed. "Ross, I know that we've been business associates and best friends for thirty years. It's just, since you stopped doing my work yourself, it just seems like I have to explain everything to your account managers. Everything with you is "Automatic" because you know how to handle me even when there is a problem. I know that we agreed to just be friends, and not be in business together, but I'm beginning to see that is not possible, thus, I need you to do my work again" Tim sald calmly.
Ross sighed. "While you are my best friend, you are also my most important client. You and I both know that with all the battles we've had over the last more than quarter century. You've threatened to fire me, and never done so., I've threatened to resign from your account, and not done so. Its like, one of us is not right without the other" Ross said.
"Then you will do my work again?" Tim said.
"Yes, but please, do me a favor, if you want changes, please report anything to Vic, and let him tell me. its best for both of us so that we dont get into every detail, and then one of us overreacts, and the pot boils over. Will you please agree to that?" Ross said.
"Agreed" Tim said, as the men shook hands.
Ross and Tim finished a calm lunch at Shun Lee, and Ross went back to the office.
When Ross did, he loosened his tie. "Vic, please come into my office"
Vic did and Ross said. "Hold all calls, please, Vic and I have important business to talk about" Ross said, and closed the door.
"The look on your face says you did not have a good meeting with Tim" Vic said.
Ross sighed. "Tim is unhappy with the quality of the work being done. He wants me to do the work myself again. He's my client, Vic, I have to say yes. There is a but in there. Any contentious messages are going to be passed through you, and given to either Tim and or me. As you are my assistant, this works best. Kayley might be upset, but it really is not her decision" Ross said.
"I'm sorry, Ross. Maybe this is just a period, and things can go back to normal. I know between the troubles the company is having, and now this, it is a bad time" Vic said.
"We've survived worse than this, Vic. We will find a way through. Please let's talk about any other company cuts tomorrow. I've had about enough for one day" Ross said.
"Of course, Ross" Vic said
Ross checked out early, went home, and threw his clothes into his closet with a loud "Damn!"
Kayley , was startled, and called out "Ross?"
"Yes, it's Ross the failure, I am present" Ross said, angrily and with gloom.
"Come over here, sit down, calm down, let me give you an iced tea, and then tell me all of your troubles. I'm all ears" Kayley said calmly.
Kayley handed Ross his iced tea, Ross took a swig, and said. "Oh, Kale! What a day! Not only are the company numbers more down and we will have to probably let more people go. Tim and I had a very contentious meeting. I know that Tim has another problem in business that is not relevant to me , and that he's in a bad mood, but he's also not happy with the quality of his work, and I agreed to take his work on again, for now" Ross said glumly.
"Oy Vey!" Kayley said.
"Kale, maybe it's just a phase. Let me see if I can figure a way out of this. Part of this as we know is the economy, and part of us is maybe that RossShell is just too damn big. Maybe I should give some of our accounts to other friends of mine, just consult and take a consulting fee. Yours and my day to day living expenses are not that astronomical anyway. We dont live in a penthouse, just a two bedroom, one of which is a den, and we eat out or call in every night. Besides that, what else do we do? We dont have kids, so its not like we have college or grad school payments like other people our age do" Ross said.
"Try to stay calm, Ross. Dont overreact. Tim is probably angry about his work, but he;'s probably also angry about his other problem, and maybe the pot just boiled over. Do his work, and see how it goes" Kayley said.
Ross and Kayley had a quiet dinner, and then went to bed quietly.
That day, and the next one were not good.
Then, as Ross and Vic were trying to comb through RossShell's problems and cuts, the worst possible thing that could have happened to Ross did.
While Ross was thinking of how to Drum Up business for RossShell,. there was a call from Steve.
"Big, Big investor show of 500 people this Monday, Your personal presence is required" Steve said.
"I will be there Steven, with all attention" Ross said calmly
The wheels, kept spinning, and spinning, and spinning around.
Not only did Ross have to take on Tim's work again.
No sooner did he have to "Digest that" then came a call he was needed in OKC personally for a big investor show.
What would Kayley say?
What could possibly happen next?
That would be seen.
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