One of my coworkers is a real ball of sunshine. I overhear this exchange with another coworker as she’s leaving for the day.

Coworker #1: “Well, have a good night, [Coworker #2]!”

Coworker #2: “No, I won’t have a good night. I’m spending it with my daughter!”

I used to be the Social Committee representative for my department. The committee had organized a day on which everyone in the company would wear a pink T-shirt to support a nationwide anti-bullying campaign, and the president of the committee decided that it would be a good idea for every department to get a photo taken for the company newsletter.

Social Committee President: “I’m leaving it up to each rep to make sure that as many people as possible are included in their department’s photo. That means sending out an email in the morning and then going around to everyone’s desk shortly before your department’s appointment time and reminding them.”

So, on the morning of the picture-taking, I sent out an email. Approximately fifteen minutes before our appointment, I went to everyone’s desk as instructed. Most of the people had already left, so it didn’t take me long. I got to the last desk approximately five minutes before the appointment time. Satisfied, I walked over to the elevator so that I could join my department. Just then, the elevator doors opened and a bunch of chattering people emerged, all wearing pink T-shirts.

Me: “What’s going on? Why are you back? Did something go wrong?”

Colleague: “Photo’s done!”

Me: “What? Already? But our appointment isn’t until 2:00, and it’s only five minutes to.”

Colleague: “Yes! Even though it was a bit early, we did a nose count and realized we were all there, so the photographer got it over with.”

Me: “Um… not everyone was there.”

Colleague: “Like who?”

Me: “Like ME.”

Colleague: “Oh. Oops.” *Giggles* “I guess we forgot you.”

It probably sounds very petty, but I was hurt and upset to be left out. My department wasn’t very big, and it wouldn’t have taken much for someone to notice that I was missing — especially since they knew I was the department representative. I’d already had some not-great experiences with the Social Committee, and that was the last straw that convinced me to quit.

A job I liked and hated at the same time was the tech support help desk job. I enjoyed the busy work and dealing with hardware/software, but I hated the customer interaction because 75% of the time, the person on the other end of the phone had issues following basic instructions, making the work frustrating.

On the other hand, some of my coworkers made the job frustrating because of how they treated the people on the other end of the phone.

I had been with the company for about eight months — not a long time, but more than enough to have a great handle on speaking with those that call in and be able to handle the entry-level issues with ease. Sitting at the desk behind me was a coworker who was a bit harsh with customers. He had been working at the company for about a year and a half, so he had more experience under his belt.

This day wasn’t much different than other days. A new hire was brought on the floor and was tasked to sit with my coworker so he could see how things were handled from inbound calls to opening a ticket, to closing a ticket, and everything in between.

We hit a lull, and the inbound calls were low, so I wasn’t actively taking a phone call. As I was going over open tickets, I could hear my coworker talking to a customer on the phone with the new hire sitting there listening.

I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end of the phone was saying, but I could hear my coworker’s end.

Coworker: “Sir, we do not support that device. There is nothing I can do for you.”

He muted the phone, gave an annoyed sigh, and told the new hire:

Coworker: “This isn’t uncommon. These stores call us when anything goes out at the store and expect us to fix everything for them. It’s so annoying.”

He unmuted the phone and started talking with the customer again.

Coworker: “Sir. Let me ask you this. Is your refrigerator running?” *Pause* “Is. Your. Refrigerator. Running?” *Pause* “If it wasn’t, would you call us to fix it for you? We don’t service your refrigerator, and I already told you, we don’t cover or support the system you’re having trouble with. There’s nothing else I can do for you. I’m closing this ticket. I cannot help you.”

[Coworker] just hung up on the guy and proceeded to close the ticket.

The new hire excused himself. He returned about five minutes later and pulled a chair up next to me.

New Hire: “I was told I could sit with you and see how you handle things.”

Me: “Okay. Here’s what I’m doing right now since there are no inbound calls.”

I went on to explain what I was doing, and I asked him what he knew about the system for setting up tickets and so on. He sat with me for the next ninety minutes or so as I took phone calls, resolved issues, and closed out tickets. I had him walk through opening a few tickets and handling an inbound call as I helped him through it.

Eventually, the floor manager came over and got the new hire, and they walked off to his office. That was the last I saw of the new hire for the rest of the day. For the next couple of days, he sat with a couple of other guys and with me. On that Friday, we came to find out that the new hire wasn’t a new technician to work the phones, but the new floor manager (since the current manager had been promoted), and his first task was to decide who to keep and fire.

[Coworker] and one other employee were let go.

The new floor manager and I actually became good friends, and after a couple of years of working together, he asked me if I remembered the first day he was in and how he sat with the guy behind me and then with me. He then went on to tell me that his first task at being the new floor manager was to let me go because I was the low man on the totem pole. However, after sitting with the guy behind me for an hour and listening to how he talked to people and treated them like crap, he fired him, instead.

When I went back to work after getting my appendix out, I was on strict orders not to lift anything over two kilos. Funny thing: many whole pumpkins and watermelons weigh more than two kilos. I made do by rolling them over the counter, etc.

I called for help one day when a customer decided they didn’t want their watermelon; I couldn’t take it back myself.

Coworker: “You’re being so lazy! Why do I have to do your job for you?”

I had to remind him I’d gotten my appendix out and was on strict doctor’s orders.

I worked with a guy who, in front of the office, would come up to payroll at the start of every December and ask how many sick days he had left. They’d quietly tell him. He’d loudly repeat it back to them.

Thus, before the new year, we knew how many days he’d be out sick, like clockwork.