Am I a dick?

[PE-ness]

I need some advice.

I've got this client who has turned out to be a real asshole. Won't even let me in to start my job. Everything was fine at first. We got together in the front office, had a friendly chat, a few drinks, and finally agreed that I would go around the back of the facility to perform my services.

I completed my inspection out back, and then attempted to enter to begin my work, and suddenly this asshole doesn't want to let me in! I tried reason at first - you know, hey, we agreed to this, everything's ready to go, just let me in and let's get this over with - but still no go.

Well, I admit it, I lost my cool and got a little pushy, and then this asshole just blows up on me! I mean, just unloaded on me! I got out of there quick and just gave up on the whole thing.

But later on I was talking to my two office mates about it, and they both suggested that I being a bit of a dick about the whole thing, and maybe that was the whole problem.

I was flabbergasted. Me? A dick?

So I need your advice:

1. Am I dick?

2. How can I approach this problem in the future, to ensure I am not denied entry again?

Thanking you in advance,

PE-ness

 

[Dleg]

1. Yes.

2. Maybe you need to soften your approach? Be less hard-headed about it?

 

[Supe]

You just need to butter him up a bit. He'll be a bit more relaxed that way, and you can just slide on past him when he drops his guard.

 

[Ble_PE]

I mean, just unloaded on me!

I thought that was your job?

 

[Master slacker]

Being a dick is one thing. That can be handled with in certain hands. However, you can usually do an exterior visual on some assholes, but don't expect to always be let in. And when they say "no", don't expect to force your way in, either. That makes for an awkward situation. Finally, and I can't stress this enough, if you're trying to enter in the rear and the owner "blows up" on you... DON'T FREAK OUT! Just remain calm, say you have more important business elsewhere, and leave without making eye contact.

It's ok. Being a penis is hard.

 

[Dark Knight]

I voted YES. No further comments.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

See, there's three kinds of people: dicks, pussies, and assholes. Pussies think everyone can get along, and dicks just want to fuck all the time without thinking it through. But then you got your assholes, PE-Ness. And all the assholes want us to shit all over everything! So, pussies may get mad at dicks once in a while, because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes, PE-Ness. And if they didn't fuck the assholes, you know what you'd get? You'd get your dick and your pussy all covered in shit!

 

[Chucktown PE]

^^ Oh my.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I was just going to say that when you were hanging around the back door you could have unloaded on the asshole. That probably would have been a huge mess and wouldn't have been much fun for anyone but at least you would have released some frustration and you wouldn't be all hot and bothered.

 

[MA_PE]

I guess I'm unclear on why your inspection needed to be done through the back door. After the initial meeting, you should have continued in through the front and done your job. If the client refused to let you in the front and then turned around and wouldn't let you in the back either then maybe they're the dick. Although the client dicks usually like to let people in the back, but sometimes just stop after the inital oral meeting.

I hope you ran some fundamental checks on the client's prior history to make sure they weren't dicks before you started doing business with them.

 

[Chucktown PE]

The other thing you might consider is that you shouldn't have given up so easily. The asshold might have felt much better after blowing up on you, i.e. maybe the asshole needed to vent a little bit and would have been perfectly happy to let you in after taking a shower to calm down or something. Then you could have tried buttering the asshole up like Supe mentioned, I think if you had just given it some time and let the asshole know that you weren't leaving no matter what, things might have worked out.

My suggestion is to go back again to day and see if the asshole is there. Take the asshole out for a nice dinner and get the asshole drunk, then the asshole might be much more willing to let you in.

 

[testee]

I don't know where this leaves me. I want to see my co-workers succeed, but that story seems kind of fishy to me.

maybe fishy isn't the right word. Regardless, this whole episode has me confused. Yet I voted for the first choice? :mf_argue:

 

[benbo]

I don't know where this leaves me. I want to see my co-workers succeed, but that story seems kind of fishy to me.
maybe fishy isn't the right word. Regardless, this whole episode has me confused. Yet I voted for the first choice? :mf_argue:

THere we have it. If testee thinks PE-Ness is a dick, it must be true. Testee has a unique perspective on PE-Ness. They're very close.

 

[Chucktown PE]

I don't know where this leaves me. I want to see my co-workers succeed, but that story seems kind of fishy to me.
maybe fishy isn't the right word. Regardless, this whole episode has me confused. Yet I voted for the first choice? :mf_argue:

I'm sure this whole incident left you feeling rather blue. You were probably ready to burst with frustration.

 

[csb]

:blink:

 

[Sschell]

1. yes

2. maybe you should poke around and see if there isn't another way in...

 

[Kephart P.E.]

I need some advice.
I've got this client who has turned out to be a real asshole. Won't even let me in to start my job. Everything was fine at first. We got together in the front office, had a friendly chat, a few drinks, and finally agreed that I would go around the back of the facility to perform my services.

I completed my inspection out back, and then attempted to enter to begin my work, and suddenly this asshole doesn't want to let me in! I tried reason at first - you know, hey, we agreed to this, everything's ready to go, just let me in and let's get this over with - but still no go.

Well, I admit it, I lost my cool and got a little pushy, and then this asshole just blows up on me! I mean, just unloaded on me! I got out of there quick and just gave up on the whole thing.

But later on I was talking to my two office mates about it, and they both suggested that I being a bit of a dick about the whole thing, and maybe that was the whole problem.

I was flabbergasted. Me? A dick?

So I need your advice:

1. Am I dick?

2. How can I approach this problem in the future, to ensure I am not denied entry again?

Thanking you in advance,

PE-ness

Too hard to say if you are a dick or not, we would need more specifics.

Typically though, Engineers are horrible at interfacing with clients -especially first time clients. Engineers are usually really good with people they have worked with before, but pretty bad at introductions and interacting with new people. I know this because I am one of these types of engineers.

We often come of as arrogant know-it-alls telling people what to do and how the work will be completed and how long it will take. While we are doing this, we believe we are telling the client excellent information that he can use to his benefit. I mean if someone is working for me, I want to know what he proposes to do, the steps of the process, and how long each will take. And I don't need him to flower it up or pay me compliments.

However, all he (the client) hears is "I know everything, you peons have nothing to say that could be important, so keep you mouth closed, I will tell you when I need you to speak".

Do you ever notice how easy your relations are with clients who are engineers/scientist vs people with (soft skills) backgrounds?

 

[Wolverine]

I respectfully disagree with the concept that practicing your soft skills might help you get in better. Have you considered getting some medication to help you stand up for yourself? Or you could always get in your client's face and see if this is just getting blown out of proportion.

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

I agree with RW, you need to take a firmer stance. Be a little more rigid.

And I sincerely hope you had proper PPE on when the asshole exploded.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

You should have just waited untill attention was averted and just snuck in the back door. Sometimes announcing your intention to do so can be counterproductive.

Sorry everything blew up in your face.