A part of me likes the challenge of working in NYC and project managing job sites. Yesterday saw me start at 168th St and end somewhere in the West Village. Each step of the way (over 3 job sites) their were obstacles that required finesse.
Stop 1 saw a small furniture delivery at a major hospital. The first issue is always the freight entrance. We set up a loading dock 3 weeks out yet we wait as others jump in front of us. My favorite? We had to wait for a Pepsi truck to unload 70 cases of soda. Ironic, I thought, that the priority here is not providing furniture to OB/GYN specialists but rather filling the cafeteria with cancer/fat making drinks. If we think for a moment that this Country is ready to start eating right and exercising we are kidding ourselves. To make matters worse we are living longer too.
Get used to a World with fat, old people calling the shots. HMO's and big Pharma will be laughing all the way to the bank.
I laughed about it and headed to the office to catch up on some paperwork. (I will ignore the fact that some of my product was absent at stop 1 and what was there is not what client wants. That was obvious I thought.)
I was in the office for about 15 minutes before I found out the 2nd stop is proving troublesome too. Turns out the union shop steward is not allowing delivery to floor 8.
The driver called me: "The GC said to just leave it on 1. Nothing is being allowed upstairs."
"I will be right over" I said.
This is my favorite!! Go chase the Union GC and make nice. I tracked him down. "Um, Bill, I am told my guys cannot get my product up to 8. I was told to come in here today, with install set for tomorrow. Why can't I get it up?"
As any good union head he made quick reference to me not getting it up being a personal problem. Classy. And untrue if I must say so myself!
But after the showing proper id/announcing my presence with authority would you believe we were granted access to the magical freight elevator?? As furniture dealers scramble to deliver all product and storage to a finished floor I thought it brilliant they decided to tile the floor leading to this magically elevator. Makes perfect sense to leave a 2' x 2' opening for large pieces of custom furniture. The delivery was made and things went well from there. That is to say we are picking up incorrect pieces tomorrow and taking new measurements for the remaining parts needed to wrap this job up. They call it a punchlist or day 2. I call it par for the course.
Ended up in lovely Soho delivering bookends and color charts to clients. I managed to stop by another site and gather intel for more "day 2" items. Was it freight damage this time? User error? Vendor screw up?
Nah, probably just me.
Oh, there goes the cellphone again. Another county heard from - 3rd stop. Courier never got the floor plan and they have NO idea where the product goes.
"I will be right there" I muttered to myself. Why do I bother scanning and sending this info if no one reads it? I take a breath and remember that this is why I am in today. Make it all work!!
There is a reason my daughter is with my parents this week. So I can be knee deep in problems and screw ups. Extinguish the fires and do so with a smile on your face.
I scramble to feed myself around 3 and do my best Joey Chestnut. Gotta scramble to beat the tunnel traffic otherwise the 40 minute commute is 2 hours.
Of course the moment I leave the garage and wait for the mrs, she texts me. "Its so nice out, wanna stay and hang in the City."
Ugh, I am in the car, exhausted and sick of this place. Next time.
And there HAS to be a next time. Because if that is all the City has to offer me I may as well move to Topeka and sell insurance.
Figured by 3pm I deserved some food. Ate to excess and
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