Me: “Hey, can you pass [report], please?”

Apprentice: “No.”

Me: “Sorry?”

Apprentice: “I said no. You always get me to do stuff around here.”

Me: “Yeah, it’s called your job.”

Apprentice: “Well, I, err… I want to be doing other stuff, interesting stuff.”

Me: “You know what? I will get the report myself.”

I walk around to his desk, and he knocks the report to the floor.

Me: “Real mature.”

It’s only a small office, so everyone notices. People stop talking to the apprentice, and he eventually goes for a break and doesn’t come back. It gets late in the afternoon and I have forgotten about it, until the boss comes into the office and addresses us.

Boss: “I’ve had a phone call from [Apprentice]’s dad, claiming that he’s being bullied and that we are not giving his son any actual, meaningful work. Does anyone want to explain?”

The office is a bit tense and no one wants to say anything. Out of the blue, an older woman, the sort of grandma type — she actually bakes cookies and brings them in — speaks up.

Coworker: “He’s a lazy little s***. He’s rude, arrogant, and doesn’t want to be here. Don’t bring him back, [Boss].”

Boss: “Okay. I, err… Well, I will certainly pass on that message.”

True to his word, he did, and the apprentice never came back. We eventually took on another who was great and stayed on for years afterward.

I started a small company with a friend. As it started to do well, we hired some staff, and eventually, we had to move into a proper office. After a few years, an opportunity to open a second site became available. I spent my time between the two sites for a while, and then almost exclusively at the second, getting it up and running.

It was a lot of work and I worked some stupid hours, but it would be worth it when it took off properly.

I arrive at the first site to catch up with the other owner around midday, and I’m ignored by the receptionist who then tuts at me when I grab a coffee. I make my way inside and to the office.

Me: “What’s the new receptionist’s problem?”

Co-Owner: “Oh, her. Yeah, she has been skating on thin ice for a while. I’m just waiting for the recruitment agency to call back to find a replacement.”

Me: “Good. Can’t have potential customers facing that.”

Co-Owner: “Did I tell you about the complaint?”

Me: “No?”

Co-Owner: “She was adamant about it and threatened to go to the papers, of all things. Made a right scene and wouldn’t let it go.”

Me: “What was the complaint about?”

Co-Owner: “You! She said it’s not fair how you come and go as you please, taking the coffee.”

Me: “The cheek. I pay for the bloody coffee for the staff, and does she get that I work sixty-hour weeks?!”

Co-Owner: “I tried to explain. You can see why we want to get rid of her.”

Me: “Please let me break the news to her.”

The agency found us a temp that could start in a few days. I made the trip specifically to handle the old receptionist. She tried to argue with me before she knew what the meeting was about. We gave the temp a full-time role as they got to grips so quickly.

Related:
A Most Unreceptive Receptionist, Part 11
A Most Unreceptive Receptionist, Part 10
A Most Unreceptive Receptionist, Part 9
A Most Unreceptive Receptionist, Part 8
A Most Unreceptive Receptionist, Part 7

I’m at the store, and I head back to my car and instantly see an issue. The car next to me has parked diagonally in the space; it’s actually partially in three different spaces. It’s not a big car and the spaces aren’t small; the driver just looks to be a selfish a**.

As I approach, the car door opens, and yes, the driver lets it rest on my car.

Me: “Close your door.”

Woman: “Oh, I’m so sorry!”

I struggle to squeeze past to get to the driver’s side.

Woman: “Am I in the way?”

She just watches me struggle past her car.

Me: “What do you think?!”

Woman: “Can you get out okay?”

I ignore her and get in the car. I haven’t shut my door yet.

Woman: “Some people are so rude.”

Me: “If that’s how you park a car going forward, don’t do me any favours and reverse anywhere near me.”

She stood there with her hands on her hips giving me a death glare, and then she turned around only to walk into the road and into the path of an oncoming car. It stopped and, of course, she started to shout at the driver.

I see a great light for sale on a local selling group. It’s in great condition but the price is really high, so high I wonder if it is a mistake. I decide to see if the seller will be reasonable.

Me: “Is this still available?”

Seller: “Yes.”

Me: “Is the price correct/negotiable?”

Seller: “No, price is firm.”

Me: “Oh, okay. No, thanks.”

Seller: “This costs [price] new.”

Me: “It doesn’t, but okay.”

Seller: “Check the website; it does!”

Me: “I did and it doesn’t. I’m happy to make you an offer but it doesn’t cost that new.” 

Seller: “He thinks I’m lying. Look!”

He attaches a screenshot, but it’s of the American store. I attach a screenshot of the UK store that is selling the light new for less than what he is asking for it used.

Seller: “Yeah, but we bought it from America.”

Me: “Okay, you can buy it from wherever you want, but it’s the same light. I would rather pay less and get it brand new.”

Seller: “But we paid [price]!”

Me: “Good for you. No one else will.”

He blocked me, but I could still see the light sitting there for months unsold. I bought mine straight from the manufacturer’s UK site. I even got free delivery.

Everyone working on the assembly line has had to move around after some new equipment was installed. I’m now working with a bunch of new people. They seem okay, but the guy down track from me seems a bit of a waste of space. I don’t know the guy, but any opportunity to slack off, he will. I’m not sure he actually checks anything, which is pretty bad as he is supposed to be the goalkeeper to stop stuff getting out.

It gets close to the end of the day and [New Guy] disappears. The problem is, if he doesn’t pass off my parts, then I quickly run out of room, and then the guy before me will do, too.

I keep working until my section is full and I literally can do no more. I ask around to see if anyone knows where he is. 

Me: “Do you know where [New Guy] is?”

Coworker: “What time is it?”

Me: “It’s 15:30.”

Coworker: “Did he leave about fifteen minutes ago?”

Me: “Yeah.”

Coworker: “Yeah, he goes for a smoke and then something to eat about this time on a Monday.”

Me: “And that’s okay?”

Coworker: “Well, no, but he gets away with it.”

Me: “The line has stopped for me. I’m backed up.”

Coworker: “Oh, just pass the parts through. He doesn’t check them, anyway.”

Me: “I can’t.”

Coworker: “Oh, come on, man. Just do it. We’ve always done it that way.”

Me: “No. I mean, I can’t, even if I did want to. I don’t have the access and the PC is locked.”

He swore and grabbed his phone. He tried to call [New Guy] but he didn’t answer. We went down to his machine, where, apparently, he leaves all his passwords. But they weren’t there.

Just as [Coworker] decided to go and find [New Guy], the timer alarm went off and management came down.

Eventually, we had to tell them what had happened. Of course, just letting parts go to the customer without a safety check is pretty bad, and they didn’t know how many parts were out there.

I think they wanted to fire [New Guy] on the spot, but they couldn’t, so they transferred him to work in the yard doing actual labour. He lasted two weeks.