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Dealing with others mistakes - whats the best way to go about this?

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  • 29-01-2012 1:29pm
    #1
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭


    Hi all, hope I can get some advice here about an issue that's really annoying me.

    I work in a small office that involves data entry. One person enters the data and the next person checks that the data entered is correct and adds more information to it before completing the work. My problem is is that I am the second person in the line and the person who does the original entry continually makes mistakes. The data we handle is customer information so its usually small mistakes such as peoples names entered incorrectly, addresses being wrong, missing house numbers, village names being left out or being wrong etc etc. We also have 2 ways of entering customer information, if a reference number is present we have to use one way, if not, we have to use another. The first person regularly uses the wrong one as they either don't notice the number or just don't bother use it.

    This really frustrates me as it is me that signs off on the work so I am responsible for the completed product. I feel that things should be done correctly so I often spend a lot of my time fixing these mistakes (often I have to delete out the record and start from the beginning) which is frustrating and takes up a lot of my time (time I can little afford as we are very busy and it really slows me down, making it look like I'm slower at my work then I really am).

    The first person also spends a lot of time making personal calls from the work phone, which also causes a backlog in the line. They sometimes start trying to work as they're on the phone, leading to even more mistakes. My team leader and supervisor see this going on, and even though the official office policy is no personal calls at work, nothing is ever said about it.

    I have tried approaching the first data entry person in relation to not using the reference numbers and they told me they didn't know they were meant to use them (its office policy that we do, its in writing etc, so that was a lie, they just wouldn't admit they were doing it wrong). I then spoke to my team leader about it, who spoke to the first entry person regarding not using them, and they agreed that they would use them from now on. This did lead to a bit of an improvement, but not much. Other times I have handed back mistakes, I get snapped at and it still doesn't get fixed correctly, so I end up having to fix it myself anyways. I try to be as cheery and polite as I can, but all I get is bad attitude in return.

    From what I can tell, my other colleagues just let these mistakes go, so maybe I'm just being a total perfectionist, but I do notice that when they hand mistakes back they get a totally different attitude (oh, i'm so sorry, I'll fix that etc). It doesn't help that this person has been there a lot longer then me.

    Tomorrow is another beginning of another week of this, and I'm sick of it. Has anyone any advice on whats the best way to deal with it? Should I just hand back every mistake they make and tell them to fix it themselves, I'm not dealing with it until its done correctly (leading to a very bad atmosphere in a very small office) or keep fixing them myself? This person is quite friendly with the team leader so I'm not sure how much support I would get with this approach though. Any advice?


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    #2
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users Posts: 25,966 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Start keeping statistics about how many mistakes, and how much time it takes to correct them.

    Plant the idea in the team leader's mind that s/he needs design new work procedures that decrease the risk of mistakes - or to accept that your job takes longer.

    You need to be cunning, though, this needs to be the team leader's idea, not yours.


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    #3
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    This is my perception of it: You say the other guy is there longer. Could it be that he thinks he should be in your position and you his. From what you describe it seems your further up the food chain than him. He could be doing it on purpose. Like justmary says i'd start keeping meticulous records of every mistake


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    #4
    matrim
    Registered Users Posts: 7,518 ✭✭✭matrim


    As others have said keep a record of everything and if you are handing back mistakes do it via email so you have a record. It might be worth not handing back every mistake but mentioning repeat mistakes in emails. E.g. Only hand back every 3rd mistake but when you do mention that this is the 3rd time they have made a mistake this week (or day).


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    #5
    LegacyUser
    Registered Users Posts: 166,026 ✭✭✭✭LegacyUser


    OP here, thanks for all the replies and advice, its much appreciated!
    JustMary wrote: »
    Start keeping statistics about how many mistakes, and how much time it takes to correct them.

    I did start doing this for a while, unfortunately I never had the courage to follow through with it, but its something I'm definitely going to start doing from now on. We recently had a complaint regarding a mistake that was released so hopefully I can follow this up with statistics to show how many small mistakes there are.
    JustMary wrote: »
    Plant the idea in the team leader's mind that s/he needs design new work procedures that decrease the risk of mistakes - or to accept that your job takes longer.

    You need to be cunning, though, this needs to be the team leader's idea, not yours.

    While there have already being measures put in place to reduce mistakes, there probably is room for improvement. Nevertheless, when this person is off, and someone else is doing the job, there are way less mistakes, so regardless of work procedures, this person is just being careless with their work.
    lucyfur09 wrote: »
    You say the other guy is there longer. Could it be that he thinks he should be in your position and you his. From what you describe it seems your further up the food chain than him. He could be doing it on purpose.

    We each have different, but equal roles which require different qualifications so I don't think they want to be in my place. While I don't think they are making the mistakes on purpose, its possible that they are more careless when they know they are passing the work onto me then if it were some of my other colleagues.
    matrim wrote: »
    As others have said keep a record of everything and if you are handing back mistakes do it via email so you have a record. It might be worth not handing back every mistake but mentioning repeat mistakes in emails. E.g. Only hand back every 3rd mistake but when you do mention that this is the 3rd time they have made a mistake this week (or day).

    Unfortunately, its a small office so we don't use email to communicate, its all word of mouth, so any mistakes have to be handed back in person, so there's no avoiding the attitude.

    Thanks for all the advice, definitely going to start keeping track of all errors and the time involved in fixing them. I will try and make suggestions regarding possible improvements in work procedures, wish me luck!!


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