you decide,

Right well here goes,
I had my apraisal at work with my boss today, the long and short of it you dont need to know but the question I have for you guys is simple.

Internet usage came up! it has been noticed how much I browse the forum. This is not from what I can tell too much of a problem, it does not interfear with my work to much and I dont actually take breaks for lunch or fag breaks like some employes of the company that shall remain nameless(you know who you are ). As so many of you now are sending me PM's asking for prices on this and that and can I bring this or that to selkent/soho or mail stuff to you, should I A)stay on the forum 9-5 and tell the boss that if I don't he will loose money? B)stay off the forum 9-5 sod the lot of ya, please the boss but he looses money? or C) change jobs?

Cant remember her name but she works with you. Talked to her on VD once about summat that Id ordered from you guys - think you were on leave that week.

Certainly, your boss should know how much you guys do for us and other forums just by even browsing the wanted sections...

Perhaps you should all keep track of exactly how much stuff gets ordered by people on here and other forums you frequent. Then it would justify your presence on here

[fizzwheel]

I think that for a little while you should stay off the forum 9 - 5 otherwise it might become a big problem, your boss as obviously noticed and I would take it as a kind of informal friendly request to cut down on your daily forum fix.

Is there anyway your boss would consent to setting up an online ordering system so that if we want to order it online or via an email address that we could use if we wanted to order parts etc etc... You've got a website already so you are not far away from being able to do this.

HTH

Try and strike a compromise, explain that people order bits off the forum and present him with evidence of this. Maybe set up some hours for checking the forums like once in morning, lunchtime and once in afternoon?

Failing that use a proxy and tunnel the traffic through that atleast it wouldnt show you going to the forums all the time

Try and wangle some thing that allows you to look at the forums, gotta be worth a shot

[Richie]

sorry , i thought you were at work.


wot was the queation?
I had my apraisal at work with my boss today, the long and short of it you dont need to know but the question


and the rest is ..

sorry...

d) wait till I get home then check email or PM's

or maybe I'm missing some thing here.... please don't hit me... just explain as I work and threre no time for internet...

How much do you like your job and how willing to compromise are you to remain in that job?

To me perfectly honest with you I've found the maxim of "work to live, don't live to work" to be a good guide.

If you enjoy your job then you should be willing to compromise on some issues, unless those issues are the very things that make your job enjoyable. But at the end of the day it's down to how you feel about it rather than how your boss will react to it - It's your job, your time, your life - he just pays you for it.

How willing is your boss to compromise? How well do they understand what constitutes your time spend on this forum (e.g.; enquiries, orders etc vs general chat/posting)?

If time spend here is important to you as a part of your working day then you need to portray it from the angle of value to the business, rather than value to you - something you are unlikely to be able to do if you got a job in an unrelated field. You are lucky in that it does have such a benefit, so a compromise on 'time spent' should be achievable in a reasonable world.

Here's hoping you live and work in a reasonable world!

Originally Posted by K

How much do you like your job and how willing to compromise are you to remain in that job?

To me perfectly honest with you I've found the maxim of "work to live, don't live to work" to be a good guide.

If you enjoy your job then you should be willing to compromise on some issues, unless those issues are the very things that make your job enjoyable. But at the end of the day it's down to how you feel about it rather than how your boss will react to it - It's your job, your time, your life - he just pays you for it.

How willing is your boss to compromise? How well do they understand what constitutes your time spend on this forum (e.g.; enquiries, orders etc vs general chat/posting)?

If time spend here is important to you as a part of your working day then you need to portray it from the angle of value to the business, rather than value to you - something you are unlikely to be able to do if you got a job in an unrelated field. You are lucky in that it does have such a benefit, so a compromise on 'time spent' should be achievable in a reasonable world.

Here's hoping you live and work in a reasonable world!

I like your post.

where's option d. - dont know/care?! :P

i like K's post, live to work, dont work to live.

he's had a quiet word in your shell like, maybe have a quiet word back in his. you get some business from the site. ok its not going to be enough for him to retire to the bahamas but little acorns and all that.....

Hey didn't I order all that stuff from you via pm?!? That's like £500 of business right there. If I didn't know you via Kate and the forum, I probably would have spent it all in Infinity and HG instead. And I know I'm not the only one...

The long and short of it is this. If you are performing adequately, and getting everything done, then they can't comment on how much time you spend on forums. If they think that you have too much time on your hands then you should both work out why. It's far worse to have you sitting there twiddling your thumbs - that's a sure way to make you quit. Mind you, if they want you to do more, suggest that they pay you more too.

The employment market is just that, so don't forget that they have to compete for your time too. Perhaps you should have a look at the alternatives (quietly of course)...

[BillyC]

Joe,

Only you know how much business you give to Steve, through your contacts on this site. Let him know how much - give him examples.

I for one would be happy to write to Steve, and express my gratitude for the service you've given me! It is far easier for me to consult you on here with a few PM's, to get the pieces I need - rather than dragging myself to the a local dealer and getting them to do it, and then go back when the parts are in stock. Discount or no discount!

I trust you, and through that I trust the services that Steve has to offer. If it weren't for my contact with you, given your position and situation, then I'd be looking elsewhere for parts, consumeables, advise, workshops, and dare I say it - even a new bike when the time comes.

Please feel free to show Steve this message.I know I've given you at least a few hundred pounds worth of business, that otherwise, to be honest, would have gone to a local dealer. I'm only sorry I didn't know about you when I needed a new radiator! That would've doubled the turnover of my current account!