Ewww.

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

Here at HellOffice, I have one particular client who is the very epitome of mouthbreather. It always sounds as if he's got the phone shoved in his gaping maw. Or he could be Darth Vader. The jury is still out.

What makes this extra creepy is that said client is local, about 25 years older than me, and is always calling to ask me to go to lunch with him. I repeatedly turn him down, as any sane person probably would, but he's very persistent. Instead of emailing files to me, he always says he'll 'swing by the office and drop them off, and then maybe you can get away for lunch'.

I lock myself in the bathroom after warning our receptionist of the impending arrival. She is always really thrilled to know he's dropping by. I can tell by the way she throws around the expletives.

Now, I know that this can happen as a result of being a female with a decent phone presence who always tries to be nice, but this isn't Tech Support Match Game. I'll fix your files, help you configure your server, and even explain the tax code. But I'm not available as an escort, thank you.

Sick bastards. This isn't the first time this has happened, either. I've actually told our receptionist to keep one client from contacting me at all due to his overexuberance to 'get me drunk and treat me right.'

Bleh.

(x-posted to my personal journal)

Comments

[jecook]

Sounds like grounds for a sexual harrasment "incident" at work.

I'm sure HR would see it your way as well.

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

I did report it to my manager, who himself is a clueless mouthbreather. He at first told me to just look past it, but after enough bitching Mr. Margarita is now on my list of clients I don't have to deal with.

I'm in the process of trying to rid my life of Vader as well. But with us being in the middle of our busiest time of year, I'm not having as much luck.

[caitriona27.livejournal.com]

I had one guy like that too. Even after I explained that I was married and my husband is 6'6", it still persisted. My manager has since made sure he is not to be given to me under any circumstances.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

But you're just sooooooooooo secksi!

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

Well....that's not the point. ;)

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that you got it to stop.

What is wrong with these people? I can't figure it out!

[thalionar.livejournal.com]

that's really horrible, and the fact that your manager isn't helpful is not cool, either...

do you have any evidence to present your boss? do you have a second line manager you could go to that might be more sympathetic?

if you try both your manager and second line and still aren't getting anywhere, I'd try HR.

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

The only real evidence I have is this creep coming by the office all the time and asking for me. Our receptionist can back me up on those details.

And because we're so small of a company, my manager is also our HR person , so it's kind of bad. I may just take it over his head to the company president.

[caitriona27.livejournal.com]

From what I hear my guy is a real sleaze to begin with, so I guess he figured since I'm female it's appropriate to hit on me..

I've talked to him a few times since the incidents, he's better, there isn't the directness of asking me out, but it's there in innuendo.

I hope it gets better for you. You do have the right to tell him no, you are not interested in persuing anything beyond the current business relationship. If he still persists, I'd push to have someone speak to his manager (if he has one)

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

The 'get you drunk' guy evidently got his 15 year old step-daughter pregnant (!!) and is still married to her mom. I found this out from his sales rep, who evidently got this information from him because he volunteered it. GROSS.

Thanks for the well-wishes. Hopefully Vader will be off my radar pretty soon. :)

Wait a minute, did you call a helpdesk, or did you mistake our number for a date line?

[igz00.livejournal.com]

I get male customers who will call in, ask for me, and then talk to me like they've known me for years or get upset when I have the day off. I work at a university so they shamelessly hit on me on the phone... and I wonder if some of them think this is a date line. I definitely avoid meeting 98% of my customers in person due to that.

Though it is interesting how much information they will volunteer because they think you are interested.

Re: Wait a minute, did you call a helpdesk, or did you mistake our number for a date line?

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

Wait a minute, did you call a helpdesk, or did you mistake our number for a date line?

One of these days, I'm going to just snap and say "Look, our number is 1-800-XXX-XXXX, not 1-900-DIAL-A-HO!"

They do like to volunteer information though. Some of it is fantastic and hilarious, and the rest makes me want to take out a restraining order.

And HOLY CRAP

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

You're at Purdue!

I'm an alum. B.A. '98. :D

[jazzmasterson.livejournal.com]

The 'get you drunk' guy evidently got his 15 year old step-daughter pregnant (!!) and is still married to her mom

This just sent the whole thing from "sick" to "surreal." Who the hell are you tech supporting, the national association of walleyed mouthbreathers?

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

Who the hell are you tech supporting, the national association of walleyed mouthbreathers?

Close.

Accountants.

Oooh!

[jazzmasterson.livejournal.com]

Worse!

Re: Oooh!

[sargiegirl76.livejournal.com]

That's why January is a living nightmare around here. :)

[random-c.livejournal.com]

You have clearly missed one of the essential skills of being a female tech: Putting The Fear into them. Not that I've ever encountered anything this bad, but the one that tried it with me didn't come back and try again.

Its a small world...

[igz00.livejournal.com]

Thousands of us crazies out there, bound to run into one of em sooner or later
:-p

oh and ...

Go Boilers!

[ximinez]

The only real evidence I have is this creep coming by the office all the time and asking for me. Our receptionist can back me up on those details.

Keep a journal. Update it every time you talk to said person, good or bad. IANAL, but my understanding is that such things can be used as evidence in court.

And because we're so small of a company, my manager is also our HR person , so it's kind of bad. I may just take it over his head to the company president.

And if that doesn't work, mention that you'll have your lawyer contact them about it. If that doesn't work, go find one!