Another do not poke the bear story

[Star*]

I'm at work....the phone rings...

A man is on the phone trying to leave some information for my boss. He's a very fast talking man with a heavy NY accent. He's called before. Short, rude, and thinks I must write in short hand. (perhaps 20 years ago yes, today no.)

So I'm trying to write down the information, my boss is standing over my shoulder. I ask him very professionally, politely the information again - trying to make notes of his conversation. I write what I can understand, asking again to please repeat.

When I asked the second time the man roared the information at me, and bellowed personal information of a private nature regarding an account that had nothing to do with me. My boss still listening just feet away.

Now? I'm ticked. So I said calmly "You know what Mr. XX? I'm not a speed writer, and until now I've been professional and polite for your rather terse conversational manner, however the information you just gave me you had no right to give me, it was private, personal and completely unprofessional of you to blurt such things out (he tries to interrupt) FURTHERMORE your tone, your attitude the entire length of this call has been ridiculously childish and I find you and angry little man and if you're going to be a jerk this is what I'm going to do because I DESERVE TO AND WILL BE TALKED TO BETTER.....(click)

My boss was flabbergasted. I hung up the phone....and went back to work and then said "Oh, Mr. XX left you a message to call him, but I don't care to ever speak to him again."

About five minutes later? Jerk called back....begged me(not kidding-begged) to accept an apology stating we all have bad days. I said "We sure do, but sometimes it's not a good idea to poke a bear."

Hope your day was JUST as PMS as mine.

 

[totoro]

--------------------------------------> POKE


So you have short hands?

 

[Mom2oddson]

Oh to be able to do that to a few people around here. Work for a few who like to order instead of ask....and they order you to do something but don't give you a 100th of the information you need and when you ask for clarification, then get mad at your inability to help them.

 

[GoingNorth]

Ten years working both internal and external IT help desks; everything from product to end user support.

Oh yeah! been there done that, got the t-shirt(s)--literally. I still have some US Robotics (the modem biggies) shirts and sweat.

 

[KTMom91]

I'm so glad you were able to explain things to him so clearly!

 

[mstang67chic]

My boss was flabbergasted. I hung up the phone....and went back to work and then said "Oh, Mr. XX left you a message to call him, but I don't care to ever speak to him again."

About five minutes later? Jerk called back....begged me(not kidding-begged) to accept an apology stating we all have bad days. I said "We sure do, but sometimes it's not a good idea to poke a bear."

Hope your day was JUST as PMS as mine.

It's like neither your boss, nor the jerk have dealt with you before. Do they forget everything overnight???

 

[gcvmom]

I hope he appreciates the education you gave him today!

 

[Wiped Out]

I love that he called to apologize! You rock!

 

[Shari]

Too funny!

Hope the day goe better!

 

[jal]

You Go Star!

 

[ML]

I am so proud of you Star. That short obnoxious man needed a bear mauling. Sounds like he even liked it!

 

[AnnieO]

Poke
Poke
Poke
...LOL Star, I love it!!!!! I am taking lessons. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Star*]

I told my Mom...on the way to the bank. It wasn't like a "oh look what I did" call because this is me anymore. I'm just so tired of being pushed...literally. Then it was like someone pulled the cord on the light in the attic of my brain.
WHY do we allow some people those trespasses and yet seemingly other people have this aura or air about them that those same pushy people just avoid? What is it about THOSE people that the same people who cross me and think nothing of it - won't cross THEM? WOULD NOT THINK of behaving the way they do to me with THEM.

Any thoughts? I swear the more I watch the Dog Whisperer the better I am getting about all of this....lol. Eventually I hope to be a short, very tan, Mexican man, with extremely white teeth and sparkling smile. RAWR.

 

[ML]

I think you're approaching wisdom. You're getting better with each passing year, and well just SMARTER. I love you!

 

[Star*]

ML ----

Ahhhh maybe? LOL.

 

[trinityroyal]

WHY do we allow some people those trespasses and yet seemingly other people have this aura or air about them that those same pushy people just avoid? What is it about THOSE people that the same people who cross me and think nothing of it - won't cross THEM? WOULD NOT THINK of behaving the way they do to me with THEM.

Star, this question of yours really gets to the heart of it, doesn't it. Why do people feel that they can push us around, even if we WILL push back?

I was talking with husband about this very thing the other night. I asked him a) if people found me intimidating, and b) if yes, why?

I had noticed that people were sort-of tiptoeing around me, and I was confused by how or why people would be intimidated by a little half-pint girly-girl like me.

He said that yes, people do find me intimidating. He explained it this way.

"You have a sort of 'devil-may-care' air about you that people find scary. You don't have a lot of time for people or their nonsense, and you really don't give a s*** about what they think of you. So...all that comes across as confidence so high it borders on arrogance. So...people are intimidated by you. "

Now, inside I'm a little girl playing dress-up in my Grannie's beautiful suits and heels, but if that comes across to the world as confidence bordering on arrogance, and as a result people don't do things to get on my nerves, then I guess overall it's a good thing. I'm friendly to people, but I really don't give a hang whether they're friendly back (Thank you Asperger's), and I don't get all emotional about stuff (Thank you again Asperger's), so I guess I come along with a "Don't mess with me or I'll mess with you and you REALLY won't like that" air.

I don't know if any of this makes any sense, but I thought it was kind of relevant. I'm trying to think this all through as I type it, so it might be all drivel.

Anyway, Star, I'm very proud of the way you handled Mr. New Yawk, and I bet he will never mess with you again, and he will personally see to it that none of his people do either.

Sending hugs, and one of my Grannie's beautiful suits for you to play dress-up in. Maybe it will ward off people's nonsense.

Trinity