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2. The Tech-Only Train Wreck

 Previously on Mellon’s Place


Juan Manband looks on as Dee Zaster speaks on phone.

 

DEE: Pardon me… did I hear you right?

Voice of Really Big Client HR Director on smart phone

HR DIRECTOR: This is the last straw. Once you muddle through our enrollment, I am replacing you.!

Dee slumps into her office chair. Juan stares, jaw hanging open.

 

DEE: Ah crud. This is going to kill Walter.

Juan goes to leave.

JUAN: It’s not my fault! A lot of people use the License This! platform. Where did we go wrong?

WIGGLY SPECIAL EFFECT – FLASHBACK TO THREE WEEKS AGO

Walter sits behind desk, looks at Juan and Dee.

DEE: We saw the License This! demo. It’s pretty cheap. We can save some face by giving it to Really Big Client for free.

JUAN: Yeah, Cybil and I can set it up, the technology will take care of everything.

WALTER: OK, I guess… let’s do it.

Walter picks up a stress ball and squeezes it furiously. His face a portrait of conflicting emotions…

Juan leaves, Dee lingers.

 

DEE: Oh Walter… I was wondering if you decided about the EB Futurama conference. You could use a break from the office. I know I sure could.

Walter stops squeezing, his expression softens, a hint of a smile lifts a corner of his mouth.

WALTER: Yeah… yeah. So, you want to go too? With me? Together?

 
 

Dee does her best to appear cool blushes anyway.

DEE: Oh, sure… not together, together… just, well, you know, as colleagues.

Now Walter tries to play it cool.

WALTER: Of course. As colleagues. For sure. Nothing more. I think we should go. I’ll register us tomorrow.

Dee, nods, leaves Walter’s office, and smiles as she walks down the hall.

DEE:(Under her breath) Not so sure it’s nothing more.    

                         DISSOLVE TO:

 

Cybil Wrights – account manager with an eidetic memory and a passion for client service sits in front of her desk. Desk lamp casts a circle of light on the wall behind two computer monitors. A line starts blinking on her desk phone. Annoyed, she picks up the receiver.

CYBIL: Juan… I told you never to call me here!

JUAN: Ha! Very funny. Thought I would find you there. What’s happening with setting up the Really Big Client online enrolment?

CYBIL
:
All I can say is we’re getting what we paid for.

JUAN: That’s good… right?

CYBIL: It’snine at night! Where are you? Home probably watching football? Maybe you’re going to get what we paid for!

 DISSOLVE TO:
 

CEO sits on luxurious leather couch near marble-topped coffee table. Original of Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe dominates wall behind him. HR Director stands.

 

CEO: So, how d’you think Mellon’s bunch is going to do with our open enrollment?

HR DIRECTOR: You know, I’m not sure. It seems like they may have their act together on this one. I’m hoping for the best.

JUMP TO:
 

Cybil at her desk, eyes shifting furiously between two monitors. Anger and panic on her face. It’s the day before Really Big Client open enrollment.

CYBIL: Hey Juan, these guys have new hires during OE, can they choose new plans for next year?

Juan Manband speaks loudly over cubicle wall…

JUAN: Don’t know… Let’s call License This! And ask.

CYBIL: Cleaning this data is too much for two people. Not my fault if it’s messed up. I found two employees with the same ID number. There are people I don’t know about in the census data! Let’s call Dee and ask if she knows anything about this!

JUAN: Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea… she’s with Walter. Hey, is this employee Bill or William? In one list he is Bill and in the other he is William.

CYBIL I think I set up Critical Illness right… test it and see if it works the way the plan document says.

JUAN: Walter told the client employees will be able to enter the PCP code while enrolling.

CYBIL: That’s not even possible. I have to upload plan documents in so many places, I hope I don’t miss anything.

DISSOLVE TO:

Dee Zaster and Walter Mellon enjoy a sunlit breakfast. Dee on her smartphone. Back at Mellon & Associates, it’s the first day of Really Big Client open enrollment on License This!

 

DEE: Hey team! How’s the RBC OE going? Hope we’re all set… you’re the best!

WALTER Dee, ask if they’ve set up email reminders for employees to enroll in voluntary plans. License This! said it would increase our voluntary plan revenue.

JUMP TO MELLON’S CUBICLE FARM

Cybil Wrights typing rapidly, phone cradled between ear and shoulder, still wearing same clothes… frazzled, hair askew, red-rimmed eyes.

CYBIL I’m pedaling as fast as I can!

JUMP TO:

 

HR Director is at his desk, opens an employee email, reads:

This new system sucks! It keeps timing out. When I call I just get a receptionist without a clue! I’m single but the system says a guy named Patrick is my wife!

HR Director on phone with Dee

 

HR DIRECTOR: My receptionist is seeing the plans and rates for Executives. I thought employees cannot choose both FSA and HSA… this system is not preventing it! I saw that in the demo. Did you guys set up this thing correctly?

DEE: Umm… gotta check in. I’ll get back to you.

JUMP TO:

 

Dee, staring at her phone, looks up as Walter comes out of bedroom.

DEE: Uh oh… gotta call the office. Hmmm… I like that shirt.

Walter sits beside Dee. Smiling, she speed dials office.

DEE: Juan! Can’t you take care of this? You said this tech would make it much easier! Really Big Client’s HR Director just called… even his life insurance enrollment isn’t working. There was no EOI message though he requested over GI.

JUAN: The rep said this would be so easy! (We hear Juan’s muffled voice as he says…)

Cybil, are you sure you set everything up the way you were supposed to?

JUMP TO:

 

Cybil Wrights standing at her desk, paper strewn about desk and floor. Yells over cubicle wall at Juan Manband.

 

CYBIL: Didn’t you tell me this EOI process worked?

Juan can’t reply before receptionist yells from across the hall

RECEPTIONIST: What on earth is happening? Why are there so many calls from Really Big Client employees today? The phones are ringing off the hook!

Cybil picks up phone, punching keypad violently.

CYBIL: Hello, I need help right now! I’ve left so many messages! Your demo showed me an easy way to add beneficiary information. The system is freezing up at life insurance beneficiary! I got an email saying we’ll respond within 48 hours. We’ll have lost a client by then!

Voice of License This! agent can be heard through the phone.

AGENT: What is your ticket number? Someone will call you back. By the way, what’s the client’s Tax ID?

CYBIL: Hey, this isn’t my only client! I’ve got to get to my next one!

JUAN: What the %^&^$. Maybe it’s time to update my resume!

CYBIL: This is the second Ben Admin system we’re tried. It’s not working. I’ve had it, technology stinks!

DISSOLVE TO:

 

Dee, knocks on door, enters trailed by Juan and Cybil…

 

DEE: Oh Walter… it’s terrible. (swallows hard to suppress a sob.) We’ve lost the Really Big Client account!

WALTER: What? I knew this would happen! We’re never going to get technology right. What are we going to do?

 

 

DISSOLVE TO: TEXT SUPER ON BLACK:

 

No Account Managers were harmed in the production of this episode.

 

FADE TO SUPER:

 

NEXT ON MELLON’S PLACE
“CLUES AMONG THE WRECKAGE”

 

ROLL CREDITS

Director: Mathew Augustine
Producer: Nitya Mathew
Executive Producer: Mathew Augustine
Screen Play: Curtis Verstraete
Director of Photography: Janice Baez
Production Designer: Denna Mathew
Editor: Juan Brito
Associate Producers: Pat Porter, Russ Darrin
Original Concept: Curtis Verstraete
Emailed On Location @ WFJ Studios Workforce Junction Team

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. No animals were harmed in the making of this soap opera.

Workforce Junction, LLC. Concord, CA 94520. USA
www.workforcejunction.cominfo@workforcejunction.com

©2020 Workforce Junction, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

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Season 1