Everyday I get bugged by somebody that doesn't know the rules, informal or formal guides on how things are done.
For instance, in men's restrooms, if there are 3 urinals, a man must choose the far left or far right one. If the far left and far right are taken, he goes to use the standard toilet. The middle one is not an option unless every other option is exhausted. We follow these rules because we are not barbarians.
But there is one unwritten rule that continues to be abused in my workplace. After 4:50, no citizens phone calls. Why you ask? Because a "short" question or a "short" discussion is never less than 10 minutes. And after 10 minutes, you're on my time. I've been on phone calls that started at 4:57 and ended at 5:40 with the caller saying stupid shit like "Jeez, I didn't mean to go on like that. It's after 5:00 and I didn't wanna keep you." Where I gotta respond like a good public servant and tell 'em it's no problem. It is a fuckin' problem.
The thing about unwritten rules is you can't enforce them per se. I can't get mad at my secretary for doing her job. I can't NOT answer the phone because it could be anybody, from the politicians to the administration to the press. And if they need me and it's before 5:00, I'd better be available. If they're not dialing me direct, the only number that pops up on my phone is the secretary's number, so I'm fucked.
The essence of this is a little bit of laziness. I hate doing shit anyway. Worse than that, I hate listening to people. At 4:58, this dude called me to complain about some frat house on his block. His rage and ire was so palpable the phone could barely contain it. You would have thought that a crack den had opened for business and hired his grandchildren to slang. It's a fuckin' FRATERNITY HOUSE. Talked to me for 20 minutes at the end of a long day about house they're always on their porch drinking beer. Who gives a fuck?
To call me at 4:50 to talk about some business's sprinkler system flooding the street is stupid. My department doesn't deal with drainage OR streets. Furthermore the department that does deal with drainage ALSO deals with streets. One well placed call to the WATER AND STREETS DEPARTMENT might have done the trick, don't you think?
This asshole called me yesterday at 4:55 to ask me about the chances of success of his business if he moved to our area. How the fuck would I know? Don't you have marketing people? I'm not a fuckin' financial analyst. Flush your money down the toilet for all I care.
There you have it. A man charged with dealing with people that hates dealing with people. That's life.
Peace,
KZ
11 comments:
You are on fire today.
While I feel your pain....I say this....it could be worse....you could work in the Hospitality Industry. Where because someone pays for a room, they think it enables them to treat everyone in the building like shyt AND, we have to answer calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week....including holidays.
Your hell is someone else's heaven.
i know how you feel. folk call me with bull not even related to what i do. i work in a lab and analyze water. that's it. i don't inspect shit. i don't set up scheduling for those fools. they call and bitch to me about stuff they should at the other building. i'm a lab rat pure and simple. and since my bump up, i get even more bs calls. but i must say they don't call after 5, so i'm good with that.
btw, happy friday :|
I don't get it...what's wrong with the middle urinal? It works correctly, right? Does what shoot up instead of going down the drain? Is it shorter than the rest of them? What if their are 4 men in the bathroom and only 3 urinals and one toilet?
I feel you because people have tunnel vision when it comes to their wants and needs. People should know damn well not to call a business 10 minutes before it shuts down because mentally the person answering your call has already left the building.
Ahhh... the joys of being being a public servant.
One trick that always works. When the phone rings 5 minutes before quitting time, let it go to voice mail. If it's the "higher-ups" call them back and say that by the time you got to the phone they had hung up. If it's the public, screw-em call them back the next day.
I work in bureaucrazy, but thankfully I do not deal with the public. Only the media. I would like to say it's worse, but at least I can cut them off when their questions get too pointed. Or I pull out my favorite saying "Asked and answered. Demander et repondu. Let's move along. Il faut qu'on débrouille."
whoever in the blue fuck left a whole book as a comment needs to get a life and a blog of their own...
you don't seriously think anyone's gonna read that now do you?
Howdy. I found this blog via Mrs. 1969's. This is very on-point, but I have to say that ultimately, the problem is not the people we encounter while working. No my brother, the problem is working. WHY THE HELL MUST WE WORK? This is not what I was put here for!!! Uh, sorry. Just tired. Good blog!
To Paraphrase Scarlett OHara:
"As God is my witness, I'll never do direct services again!"
Yeah, 1969 and Zed, I feel your pain because Ive worked in politics, hospitality and most recently in credit counseling. The very same people who are calling and/or demanding sh*t in a rude and untimely manner, would NEVER put up with such at their own jobs. Which is why my phone clients got "disconnected" on the regular!
At my current job, I read and draft contracts make a spreadsheet and go home. Maybe I do a little presentation with handouts once a month. Its great.
All of you who are in public service/ hospitality/ crisis counseling/ direct services have patience I will never develop. God Bless You!
caller ID! I dont answer any calls *outside of my peeps* after 4:30. I love the good ole' US Gov.
LOL...the middle urinal. This is the 2nd time this week that I've read about this rule.
Gotta luv work! As for me..
"You have the wrong number"
"Well can you transfer me?"
"Umm...no. You need to hang up and call the operator"
Hey it's the govt...they'll never know who they spoke to!
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