In case you haven’t been following the story, I began my retirment exactly one month before Coronavirus shut my job down. The plan was to call all the clients and tell them that I am retiring, and then meet with them and the new advisor to explain the client situation, investments, and anything else either party needed to know. The meeting with clients part was supposed to take 3-4 months. I had time to call all the clients and tell them about my retirement, but 2 days before the appointments were to begin, the company shut all face-to-face client meetings down.
I helped the new advisors as much as I could over the next few months but had to cut my hours back again and again, because as they improved, they needed me less. This week, the company told us that it was time to start meeting with clients again. That means I have to dig out my high heeled shoes, and go back to work.
For a while there I thought I wasn’t going to get to meet with the clients again at all. I was afraid that by the time the company allowed us to meet with clients, I might no longer even work there. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I thought meeting with everyone one more time would make the job feel completed or something. Closure maybe?
I know how I feel about it now. I don’t want to go back to working full time. I love working my measly 7.5 hours per week. I love lingering over my coffee. I like working out in the mornings and having my afternoons to myself.
The most annoying part about all this, is that if it weren’t for coronavirus, I’d have been done with all this months ago! I thought at some point I might like to go back to work teaching at the university or something like that, but perhaps not. I’ve clearly adapted to a loose schedule, and I like it.
I’m probably overreacting a bit. The clients have been working with their advisors for 6 months now. I was in the office the other day and picked up the phone (because I was the only person in the office not already on the phone) and the person on the other end was a client I had worked with for 20 years. After chatting for a moment, SHE ASKED FOR HER NEW ADVISOR. She didn’t even want to discuss whatever she needed with me.
I wonder how many clients will want to meet with me at all at this point. Some still won’t want to come in because of Coronavirus. Some are already used to the new advisor and don’t see the need to meet. I guess I’m about to find out. Hopefully I’ll be done meeting with everyone who wants to by Christmas, and will only go into the office on an “as-needed” basis after that. Keep your fingers crossed.
I bet you won’t have to meet with them after all. Most people don’t want to meet face to face yet, so even if your company wants you to see them they might not want to see you. If your responsibilities have already shifted to other employees I really don’t see why they would need you to do this in the first place. If it’s a company policy I would think they would simply waive it in the time of COVID.
I have called to ask the company for some guidance and they haven’t been helpful. I am a woman of my word, though. I told my clients I would meet with them and their new advisor and I will still do it if they want to. But I think you’re right. Many just won’t want to.
I went back and did 4 months of consultancy work (2-3 days a week) for my company after I had retired. This was agreed just before I left, although I had a two month gap between my last full time day and the start of the consultancy work. Anyway, I hated doing the consultancy, my heart just wasn’t in it, I’d made my decision to retire and I’d moved on mentally. I did the time and collected the money, there was little interest and zero passion – that’s never been how I’d worked before. Hope your experience is better, but either way, it’s only for a short period of time.
Yes, there is a timeline on this, and it’s ticking. There is light at the end of this tunnel. It’ll be over soon. I told my clients I would, and I will.
Your post is just a cry from the heart! I understand you, your plans are ruined, now you don’t feel free … I hope this ends before Christmas … These are crazy, unprecedented times that we live in.
I thought I would have an update about how it’s all going but thanks to the hurricane, it’s all on hold again! Definitely crazy!