I recently got a job through a temp agency working for a well known company at their corporate headquarters. There are many workers aroundme and I don't know if they're temps of not, but I happen to meet two. One of them works as a customer service rep and takes calls all day. I can't help overhearing her because of her proximity, but I was very impressed with the way she handles customers.....the phrasing she uses, etc. I found it hard to believe she's a temp given her level of skill.
The other person is clerical and is very confident and optimistic.
Well, I really messed up. I meant to compliment the "phone" lady, but the conversation went in another direction and I asked her how long she worked for the agency and where she worked before. She asked me if I were temp to perm and I replied that I didn't know, and would call my employer that day to find out. I work part time. I never gave the compliment.
Another time the other girl mentioned she was a temp from the same agency, and I expressed my surprise. She sat right next to the supervisor so I thought she was someone important. We got into a conversation once and I asked her what she majored in. She said she didn't want to work for this company forever, that it was only a ten-month contract, blah,blah,blah. I was shocked at her remark because she was standing up and anyone could hear her.
When I got home I called my boss at the temp agency and asked her if I was temp to perm. I got a lambasting you wouldn't believe. She said she had been "receiving calls" about me, that I was making the other temps nervous by asking questions about their job positions and titles. She also said that I was jeapardizing their employment status by doing so. The venom in her voice was unmistakeable. She also said that I was complaining about my job duties, which was an outright lie.
I didn't think I did anything so terrible because my motives were good. However, my employment advisor said I'm in the wrong, that temps are extremely competitive, and the best thing is not to talk to anybody while on the job. She also said that I should leave a voicemail/email to my temp employer with an apology expressing my regret for my actions and an assurance that I wouldn't do anything like that again.
Please help me word an apology, because it makes me ill to think I have to apologize to that woman. I made mistakes, but so did the other temps, and I feel it's unfair that I have to take all the blame.
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