You do your job, I'll do mine...thanks.

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Mon May 23, 2005 8:43 pm

Have you ever had a job that EVERYONE thought they could do better than you? Have you ever been corrected by someone so many times you wanted to reach over and give them a sharp smack upside their head, because you know they are just flat-out WRONG? How about that person or boss who tries to point out mistakes just to feel superior?

I've been a bartender for 14 years. I can pour circles around pretty much every bartender I have come across. A fast-paced bar, stacked 3 deep in line, music blaring and running mach 2 with my hair on fire is how I love to work. I thrive in that environment. I am damn good at what I do, and when some pea-brain comes along and says "You used Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau in that premium Long Island, that's wrong." I really want to grab my bat from behind the bar and rearrange his dental work for him. What I do instead is say, "As soon as you're ready to come back here and pour drinks with me, I'll give your suggestion a bit of thought." Who here has to deal with twits like this in your job, either customers, bosses, or co-workers? Let's hear your story.

john8pies · Post by **john8pies** » Tue May 24, 2005 12:36 am

I`ll refrain from using foul and abusive language, but I think it`s a sad fact of life that wherever you work and whatever you do, there`s always "somebody" who hasn`t got a clue how to do your job but who thinks they can do it better than you do it!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:07 am

I had a customer shrieking at me about not getting a refund without her receipt (I suspected she had stolen the item in the first place). She was also telling me how to do my job and telling me what an incompetant boob I was. When she took a break from her rantings I asked her "How would you deal with a customer like you?" She said she'd give me the refund. I got her an application and told her apply for my job because I'd lose it if I gave her a refund.

lady cop · Post by **lady cop** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:13 am

nvalleyvee wrote: I had a customer shrieking at me about not getting a refund without her receipt (I suspected she had stolen the item in the first place). She was also telling me how to do my job and telling me what an incompetant boob I was. When she took a break from her rantings I asked her "How would you deal with a customer like you?" She said she'd give me the refund. I got her an application and told her apply for my job because I'd lose it if I gave her a refund.:yh_rotfl :yh_laugh :yh_bigsmi LOL good for you! ...the only people who try to tell me how to do my job are the dirtbags i am putting in handcuffs. hahaha

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Tue May 24, 2005 6:23 am

No matter what you do, there where always be that one person you can't please no matter how hard you try. There will always be quite a few that think they could do the job better and not make it an hour if they tried.

LC, I must admit, although not while handcuffed, I have been accused of telling a cop how to do their job. When the guy hit my son, I said, "You better arrest him THIS time." He replied, "Don't tell me how to do my job." My son said at that point he thought, "Oh no. He's going to get mom started and SHE will be the one to go to jail." LMAO

I usually just tell the ones that try to tell me how to do my job, that I've survived without the unwanted advice this long and have done just fine. As a matter of fact, the last guy I said it to, I am the only bartender he doesn't give a hard time.

minks · Post by **minks** » Tue May 24, 2005 8:18 am

OMG say it's not so, yes yes yes, my previuos job to this one, I was micro managed to death, sooo much so that I would set up an excel spreadsheet (I know excel inside and out and blind folded) and the boss had to re-arrange it always, and endlessly for esthetic purposes when it was only for mere record keeping. SHE made me insane. Yep same boss that was my best friend that we discussed in another thread.

Ack BR I know what you mean but people like these boss's, CONTROL FREAKS

Wolverine · Post by **Wolverine** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:52 am

Guy I worked with thought he knew

everything. and granted he is pretty smart. he is certified in more fields of Protection than I even knew existed. but he is book smart. lots of knowledge but very little practical application.

for a while I was in charge of payroll. we were going through a transition period. the head payroll guy was fired for stealing. so they put me there until someone else was hired.

this guy comes up to me, along with about 15 others screaming that their checks were wrong. unfortunately, many were. he steps in, literally, and starts punching in the work codes into the program. I was able to refrain from pummeling him. his yard however.....:sneaky:

the next payperiod a few checks were dorked. only 3 this time. one was his.

hollering that he was missing 35 hours. I double checked everything and he was mising 3.5.

this last pay period here he comes claiming to be missing hours again. so I pull his entire year. everything he worked, everywhere. and i had him sit with me and watch what I found.

I didn't think he was missing more than 3 or 4 hours. But guess what I found...

he had been overpaid by nearly 120hours.

so on this next paycheck i am having Wendy in Payroll deduct everything he was over paid. check should come out to about $150.:wah:

buttercup · Post by **buttercup** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:35 am

im a hairdresser, the amount of women that show me a pic saying (i want this) is unbelievable :rolleyes:

so you explain they do not have the right type of hair for the style or face shape to pull it off, they insist you go ahead & do it & when the end result is as near the pic that you can get it, bearing in mind they dont have the right hair or face shape & they have the nerve to tell you another stylist could do it better, do me a favour, go to another stylist then :rolleyes:

sorry bit bitchy that but do me a favour ladies, if your stylist says you dont have the right hair or it wont suit you, its because she knows, trust her, she trained a long time

gets off soapbox :yh_blush

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 9:49 am

buttercup wrote: im a hairdresser, the amount of women that show me a pic saying (i want this) is unbelievable :rolleyes:

so you explain they do not have the right type of hair for the style or face shape to pull it off, they insist you go ahead & do it & when the end result is as near the pic that you can get it, bearing in mind they dont have the right hair or face shape & they have the nerve to tell you another stylist could do it better, do me a favour, go to another stylist then :rolleyes:

sorry bit bitchy that but do me a favour ladies, if your stylist says you dont have the right hair or it wont suit you, its because she knows, trust her, she trained a long time

gets off soapbox :yh_blush
You'd love me as a customer. I always say, "You're the one with the training. Do what you think would look best."

Wolverine · Post by **Wolverine** » Sat Jul 30, 2005 11:46 am

Far Rider wrote: I had a boss growing up, mean , mean man, made us work like dogs and paid us nothing. Somedays from way before sun up until after sundown. Nothing was ever done right until it was done right with the proper enthusiastic attitude that demonstrated strict obedience and that you indeed enjoyed obeying his every command!

Boy did I want to quit!...

*smiles*
for a minute there i thoght we were going to here some story abot a hard-a$$ drill instructor while you were at boot. I think my old man was trained by your old man. luckily the training didn't stick. only on the weekends.

actionfigurestepho · Post by **actionfigurestepho** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 12:39 pm

I remember making a catalogue for a warehouse where I used to work. My boss kept sending me change after change, to the point where I needed to fit something like 12 items on one page. And he wanted all the pictures a certain size, the font a certain size....When I tried to point out to him that you can't just magically fit 12 products on an 8.5 x 11 sheet he got pretty offended, marching around saying "a PROFESSIONAL could do it!"

So I did. There were no margins, the font was barely readable, the pictures were miniscule...but I got 12 items on one page, just like he asked!

He called and hired a REAL computer expert to "fix" it. It cost him about $300, and in the end, he was down to 8 products. "I don't know why you tried to cram all those products in" he told me. "It cost me a lot of money to fix this."

I quit that job :yh_bigsmi

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:00 pm

And I notice that kids gripe about-where's dinner, where's my favorite shirt-why don't they go and cook it and clean it themselves? (I can say this, my last two are teenagers, not little ones)

Oh yeah, I work too and do these things when I come home.

(did we say the same things to our mom's?)

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 1:33 pm

buttercup wrote: im a hairdresser, the amount of women that show me a pic saying (i want this) is unbelievable :rolleyes:

so you explain they do not have the right type of hair for the style or face shape to pull it off, they insist you go ahead & do it & when the end result is as near the pic that you can get it, bearing in mind they dont have the right hair or face shape & they have the nerve to tell you another stylist could do it better, do me a favour, go to another stylist then :rolleyes:

sorry bit bitchy that but do me a favour ladies, if your stylist says you dont have the right hair or it wont suit you, its because she knows, trust her, she trained a long time

gets off soapbox :yh_blush

I've had the same hair dresser for over a decade and I always put my head in his hands. Once in a great while I don't like it but it usually grew on me - the style I mean. WHen my hair started falling out by the handfull after the 3rd week of chemo I went in crying and crying. This lovely person gave me a hug - washed my hair for the last time and shaved my head all the while making me feel so special. He talked to me about others who had lost their hair and how it grew back on every single person!! Pretty soon there were tears of laughter replacing tears of sadness. I will never forget the kindness that was given so freely to me that day.

I say this because sometimes we aren't aware of how much we do for another person in the course of "doing our job".

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:03 pm

THIS THREAD IS ALL ABOUT TEACHERS! And I'll admit it, I used to think it was a cake job that anyone could do....but then I tried it. After I went back to college I learned there is so much more to teaching than just knowing information yourself. Sure you're smart....but can you teach it to other people, and here's the kicker...get them to REMEMBER IT?

I have three degrees and over 11 years of college. I've won all kinds of awards in teaching, Red Apple (top 100 in the state) three times, Golden Apple (top ten in the state), Who's Who in American Teachers (12 years in a row) and I was even nominated for Disney Teacher of the Year (Top ten in the country!) Yet still, every year, I have someone say, "You aren't teaching that right." Now...how would you know?!!

I would NEVER presume to go up to any other professional and tell them they were doing their job wrong. For example, walking up to a welder and saying "You're welding that wrong." I just don't know enough about everything involved. But people have NO PROBLEM telling teachers that they are teaching wrong.

I once asked a great principal of mine why that is. He replied, 'Because they were all in class at one time, and they think that makes them experts." Let's get this straight people, just because you attended a class doesn't mean, by any stretch of imagination, that you know how to lead a class.

There's a reason for all those education classes they make you take before you are certified to teach. Add to that the constant training to perfect your craft, more than any other occupation I've ever seen, and trust me, teaching is a LOT more difficult than you think it is.

And that's coming from someone who previously flew fighter jets for a living! I sometimes tell people, "I used to fly fighter planes, but then I became a teacher because I needed something really challenging!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:14 pm

I taught at the community college here and found it so rewarding I am going to sub this year in Bernalillo - all grades. I figure if I can contribute to the education of our kids.....................even if it is just giving teachers a break. My hat is off to you Jives.

Jives · Post by **Jives** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:32 pm

Hey that's great, Nvall!

Here's a couple of pieces of advice from a former sub:

1. If you are subbing kindergarten, get some rest the night before...those little ones will WEAR YOU OUT!

2. If they ask you if you want to sub Special Education, the answer is "no". Just trust me on this one. They are out of the league of anyone not specially trained for it.

3. P.E. is fun to sub, as is music. Don't shy away from any assignment if you can help it. (But see above)

4. Engage. Teach wire to wire. The less "down" time you have in yor period, the less trouble you'll have. Start the lesson the second they get there, and finish when the bell rings. If you want trouble, let them sit there with nothing to do...that'll do it.

5. Never sink to their level. Students will try desperately to find the one thing that gets under your skin, then say it right out to you. Why? Because if you melt down, not only is it entertaining, they don't have to do any work.

"Mr. Ives, your shoes are ugly." "Yes...You are completely right, that's probably because I bought them at WalMart, but they do go with my 1970's haircut, don't you think? Now... we still have to do this assignment, would you like me to help you on number 12?"

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Mon Aug 01, 2005 2:45 pm

Jives wrote: Hey that's great, Nvall!

Here's a couple of pieces of advice from a former sub:

1. If you are subbing kindergarten, get some rest the night before...those little ones will WEAR YOU OUT!

2. If they ask you if you want to sub Special Education, the answer is "no". Just trust me on this one. They are out of the league of anyone not specially trained for it.

3. P.E. is fun to sub, as is music. Don't shy away from any assignment if you can help it. (But see above)

4. Engage. Teach wire to wire. The less "down" time you have in yor period, the less trouble you'll have. Start the lesson the second they get there, and finish when the bell rings. If you want trouble, let them sit there with nothing to do...that'll do it.

5. Never sink to their level. Students will try desperately to find the one thing that gets under your skin, then say it right out to you. Why? Because if you melt down, not only is it entertaining, they don't have to do any work.

"Mr. Ives, your shoes are ugly." "Yes...You are completely right, that's probably because I bought them at WalMart, but they do go with my 1970's haircut, don't you think? Now... we still have to do this assignment, would you like me to help you on number 12?"

1. I agree - but they are sooo cute

2. I agree - I have no special training

3. I love sports and am one hell of a piano player

4. Engage - I thought that was the only way to keep attention, interest and discussion

5. Little Bastardo's have a lot of tricks - don't they? - LMFAO. I've had many students tell me I have the "Die, Bitch, Die" look as I tell them we are off subject.

I really appreciate all your hints - I do. I may be asking you for more suggestions as I go. The only grades I have taught are community college and there is sometime more respect there. THANKS JIVES :-4