For this past holiday, however, I decided to send my customers something different. While my colleagues sent their customers those cakes as usual, I sent mine baskets of preserved fruits, nuts and herbal teas.

I made sure the products were the best quality and that the packaging was very beautiful.

When my company paid the bills for the holiday gifts, it turned out that my gifts were slightly less expensive than the cakes. Now my colleagues are complaining about me.

They say that I have damaged the reputation of my company by sending my customers "cheap" gifts.

I disagree. I never thought about comparing prices between the baskets and the cakes. Although slightly lower in price, the baskets were still expensive. It seemed to me that the quality of the products I chose was very good. I also thought our customers would appreciate receiving healthy foods instead of fattening ones.

Everyone sends cakes and cookies. At least my customers would remember what I sent.

Dear Khun Melanee, do you think my colleagues are correct to blame me?

PV

Dear PV,

Presenting a healthy, tasty gift instead of a fattening cholesterol-buster - it sounds to me as if your colleagues are envious of your good idea. Just wait. Next year, all of them will be giving their customers dried fruits and fruit teas.

By then, of course, you will have moved on to baskets of "spa food", perhaps, or tasty but healthy cakes made with honey and carrots.

Dear Khun Melanee,

I enjoy the work in my office. It's very complicated, but I have the training for it, and I think I'm good at it.

My friend (let's call her "Nee") also works in the same office, and I know she's very good at it although I don't quite understand her job.

A week before the New Year, Nee had to take leave suddenly because of a family emergency.

My boss couldn't find anyone in another office to take over her work, so he asked me to do it.

I explained that I didn't know what Nee's responsibilities were, but he said it was easy and he would explain it to me. I agreed to do it, but only temporarily. I think I did okay, but the work wasn't as perfect as the way Nee did it.

The other day, my boss asked me to see him. While I was waiting outside his office, I heard him talking on the telephone. It was easy to hear him because he was talking very loudly.

I knew immediately that he was talking to Nee. It sounded as if she didn't want to come back to the office (or maybe she still had that emergency), but my boss wouldn't agree.

He kept on telling her how much he needed her to come back.

Then he said, "No. No. Pook (that's me) can't do your work. She's very bad. She's useless. I don't want her to continue doing it."

Now I feel very bad. My boss knew that I was untrained for it. Why would he say such bad things about me to Nee? I did my best.

I never thought that my New Year would start in such a bad way.

Now I am thinking that I should resign. Do you agree with me?

Pook

Dear Khun Pook,

I doubt very much that your boss thinks you're stupid. My guess is that Nee's absence has greatly affected the work in the office. You obviously haven't had time to take care of his own responsibilities, have you? Your boss needs his "expert" to return as soon as possible.

Nee probably said something like, "You don't need me. You have Pook."

Perhaps she even thought that you might take over her position in the company. Then your boss began feeling nervous and felt he could persuade her to return if he made her believe that you really couldn't take her place.

It's true that there are better ways of telling someone how good she is without saying bad things about other employees. Perhaps your boss is not so tactful.

Moreover, he didn't know that you were listening.

Please calm down. What your boss said to Nee is no reason for you to resign.

By Melanee petra   

Do you have a Problem that Melanee can advise you on? Fax (02) 751 4446, or e-mail her at:

melaneepetra@hotmail.com