The "firefighting" - style busyness from March till now: My job is the "thermometer" for the company's operation
Since the first week of March, I've been pushed onto the "firefighting track" — the daily rhythm is "chasing clients in the early morning, measuring data during the day, and writing reports at night", and I haven't dared to turn off the alarm even on weekends. As an engineer for system maintenance and customer complaint handling, I understand too well the significance of this busy signal: when my work changes from "periodically checking processes" to "plugging loopholes in real - time", it means that the company's operating system has a "chain failure". It's not a minor mistake in one single link, but the whole process from raw material receipt to finished product delivery has "come loose" — for example, after the SOP of a production line was updated, there was no training, and workers operated according to the old method, resulting in batch size deviations; another example is that the raw material inspection standard of the supplier was relaxed, and the toughness of a batch of plastic particles failed to meet the standard, ultimately causing the fracture of the end - products. These "systematic loopholes" are not single - point problems but "break out in batches", so I've changed from a "system maintainer" to a "problem firefighter", spending every day in the customer's factory, beside the production lines, and in the meeting rooms.
Those "non-stop" daily routines: the cycle from customer doubts to data verification
In the busiest two weeks, my daily routine was "customer's production line → company meeting room → home". I even had to calculate whether taking a sip of water would delay the next verification. I remember one morning, I rushed to a customer's factory in Suzhou with three vernier calipers and squatted beside the production line for four hours. The customer said, "The tolerance of each product must be within ±0.02mm." I had to mark the parameters of each unqualified product and compare the temperature of the injection molding machine, the wear degree of the mold, and the raw material batch until I found out the root cause of why the tolerance of this batch exceeded the standard. In the afternoon, in the customer's meeting room, facing the frowning of the quality manager, I flipped through the 30 - page verification report and talked from "the three inspection records when the raw materials entered the factory" to "the five inspection data during the production process" until the other party said, "This cause can form a closed - loop." I returned to the company at eight o'clock at night and still had to sort out the day's results into a Rectification Report until only a few lights were left in the office building. While other passengers on the subway were scrolling through their phones, I leaned on the handrail with my eyes closed, still going over the key points of the email I was going to send to the customer the next day in my mind.
"Absence" in life: Those unspoken "sorry"s
My busyness is not "hidden in the office", but written in every "last-minute cancellation". Last week, a friend invited me to have hot pot. I said "no problem" the day before, but in the morning of that day, the client said "the products after rectification need to be retested", so I could only send a message saying "I'll treat you next time". I originally planned to accompany my child to the park on the weekend, but when I got up in the morning, I was so sore all over that I didn't even have the strength to pick up my phone. I could only send a message to my wife: "I really can't move today. I'll definitely make it up next week." Even my mom called and asked, "Are you exhausted recently?" — She could hear the hoarseness in my voice and said, "No matter how busy you are, you should cook some hot porridge and have it." These "unfulfilled appointments" and "unrealized plans" are not because I don't want to, but because "the problems are not solved and I simply can't stop".
Finally seeing the light: The closed loop of seven cases and the final conclusion
After struggling for over a month, I'm finally about to "reach the bottom". Among the seven customer complaint cases, the two most troublesome ones have been closed: One is the issue of damage during transportation. We redesigned the buffer foam, and the damage rate in the last simulated transportation test (4 hours of vibration + 3 drops) dropped from 15% to 0. The customer signed for confirmation last week. The other is the issue of dimensional deviation. We made a total of five process adjustments, and the passing rate of the last random inspection was 100%. The customer's quality engineer patted me on the shoulder and said, "This time it's okay." The remaining tasks of "deduction" and "working - hour transfer" are the last step. I need to check the amount of liquidated damages with the customer and confirm with the company's finance and supply - chain departments "which working hours can be transferred to the responsible department". Although it's cumbersome, at least "the problems have been solved", and what's left is just "wrapping up".
Grit your teeth again: Those "tiring but worthwhile" moments
Yesterday morning, when I was buying soy milk, a message from a client popped up on my phone: "The notice of the conclusion of the XX case has been sent." I stood at the entrance of the convenience store and scrolled through my emails. When I saw the words "agree to close the loop", my nose suddenly started to sting. I remembered that at the beginning of March, looking at the seven "red alerts" on the to - do list, I thought "it's simply impossible to finish". Now, when I look again, there are only two red alerts left on the list. When I got home last night and flipped through the calendar, it was full of marks for "client visits" and "verification tests". Suddenly, I smiled. Those mornings spent squatting on the production line, the explanations in the meeting rooms, and the days of writing reports late at night were all for this moment: the loopholes have been fixed, the client's trust has returned, and my "fire - fighting mission" is coming to an end.
This morning, when I turned on my computer, I renamed the folder "Rectification Report" to "2024Q1 Customer Complaint Closed - Loop". Then, on my to - do list, I marked "Handle deductions" as a "Priority item". Tomorrow will be a new day. But this time, I know that "the finish line is right ahead" —— just grit my teeth a little more, and I can complete the last step.