Typical Day
Amber is at her desk, fired-up and ready to roll at 8:00AM sharp. She figures she has at least a million things to get done today and every intention of making it happen. She loves her job working as a corporate relocation specialist. She works for a contracting business specializing in relocating employees for various clients across the country. The challenge of balancing customer needs with company incentives to come in under budget keeps her adrenaline flowing.
Amber, admittedly, has some weird taste.
Topping today's agenda is a virtual meeting with a large medical research facility interested in using Amber's relocation service as a perk for the physicians it wants to hire. Second on her list is a big move for a news anchor relocating from New York to Miami to work for a large, worldwide cable channel. Amber's business instinct tells her to check on that move, so she picks up the phone.
"Hello. N. Y. C-Ya Later Movers. Can I help you?"
"Good morning. This is Amber at Relocation Services Inc. May I speak with Rob?" Amber hears a click, then some bad elevator music. Thirty seconds later, Rob answers.
"Yo Amber, I was just thinkin' about you. Knew you'd call. The truck left for Ohio an hour ago. Everything's fine."
"Ohio? What do mean Ohio? That truck is supposed to go to Miami FLORIDA. Please tell me this isn't going to delay things. This is a huge account, Rob. I need that truck in Florida, ASAP."
Amber waits while Rob clicks through his files on the computer. Sure enough, someone, somehow, got the state wrong. But, they haven't lost too much time and can get the truck re-routed. Woooo...too close for comfort. "Let's not have any more near-disasters today," Amber thinks to herself. She makes a note to check on this move again after lunch. She wouldn't be satisfied until that truck is in south Florida. The family arrives in forty-eight hours and she wants the house set up like they already live there.
The 9:30AM virtual meeting is coming up in a few minutes so Amber grabs a bottle of water and hurries back to her office. Almost back to her door, she hits a tiny slick spot and breaks the heel off her right shoe. Limping in the doorway, one of the relocation assistants sitting in on the meeting gives her a concerned look.
Amber waves her off. "I'm okay. It's just Monday." She holds up her shoe and looks at the damage. Yep. Totaled. What else could happen today? Better check my teeth before this meeting to make sure I don't have a pepper flake from breakfast or lipstick on them.
The virtual meeting goes well and Amber finds the recent college grad who's sitting in with her, Katie, quite impressive. She takes great notes and asks thoughtful questions. As the call ends, they discuss a few points, then Katie offers to go out and get Amber's shoe repaired. She mentally awards Katie some brownie points.
Amber checks her calendar and makes a few follow-up calls to clients with the standard list of questions. Is there anything else we can do to get you ready for your move? Is there anything you'd like us to do differently for your next move? I hope you'll go online and fill out the survey which will be seen by the staff here and where you work. We hope they will use our services again.
Amber could say all this in her sleep. Truth is, she does sometimes. If some of the crazy dreams she has from time to time about her job ever come true...No. Don't even think like that.
At 12:30PM, Amber's cell dings her with a text message. Katie's at the shoe repair shop waiting for Amber's fixed heel and wants to know what to pick up for lunch. Amber thinks for a moment, then texts back, SUSHI, in all caps.
When Katie returns at 1:15PM, she takes her fixed shoe for a test drive in the courtyard and spends thirty minutes eating and soaking up a little sun. Amazing what a little break and a few rays will do for you.
Back in her office, Amber writes instructions for Katie to back up all the recent move notes as both digital files on the company server and paper copies in the office filing system, making sure to note the companies used in new states. Amber is about to pick up the phone when it starts ringing. Caller ID says: N.Y.C-Ya Later. "This better be good news," she thinks. "Hi Rob. What's up?"
"Why you gotta think something's up? I'm just callin' to tell ya the truck is makin' good time and ya got nuthin' to worry 'bout."
Amber loves Rob's accent. It reminds her of a TV character on one of those cops shows set in the Big Apple. "Thanks Rob. I never doubted you."
"Aww yeah you did. But, it's okay. I even found out what happened. We gotta kid workin' here who used to live near a little township called Miami in Ohio. He writes out orders by hand on our forms. You know the old man who owns this place still likes carbon forms. Anyway the kid moved to the city 'cause he wants to be an actor. I told him another mistake like that and he'd be actin' like he's unemployed."
Amber snickers. "Just don't go all Godfather on him, okay?"
Her second line rings and Amber lets Rob go. "Hello. This is Amber. Can I help you?"
A tiny, elderly voice on the other end of the line identifies herself as the mother of Amber's client moving to Miami. Monday is about to become monstrous. The woman wants to hire Amber's company to move her to Miami as close to her grown child as possible—and make it a surprise. In her six years on the job, Amber has never had such a request and the thought of entangling herself like this in a client's family dynamics is downright frightening.
She takes the lady's information and promises to get back to her soon. Then, she buries her face in her hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Katie taps on her door frame.
"Hey. Are you okay?"
"I'm just having a moment."
Katie suggests she field the next few calls herself, so as to let Amber work on setting up the upcoming moves for the stack of new clients she has to work through. Amber, very appreciative, makes another mental note to keep Katie around.
At 5:45PM, after contacting moving companies in Indiana, Washington, New York, and Connecticut, as well as real estate agents in North Carolina, Illinois, and Virginia, Amber feels ready to call it a day. She's set up home viewings for three families and confirmed a cross-country move for a third. Feeling tired, but satisfied with her work, she tells Katie to go home for the day, slips off her newly-repaired shoes, and kicks her feet up on the desk.
At 6:00PM, Amber fishes her keys out of her purse and takes the elevator down to the parking deck, eager to get home.