Wednesday 5 March 2008

If I Was A Lumberjack Then I'd Be Ok

This conversation took place today between myself and a PA from Company X, regarding a scheduled meeting that I was asked to confirm. I also had to ensure that the room the delegates were meeting in had internet access. The meeting was to be held at Company X.

Lopz: Hi Becky, it's Lopz here from (insert company name). We spoke the other day. We have a meeting in the diary for this afternoon for Dagwood and Steven.
Becky: Er.... one moment please..... yes (muffled scrabbling sounds), yes. I've got it. Is that the meeting with Richard and Paul?
Lopz: No, it's the meeting with Dagwood and Steven.
Becky: Oh. Er..... when is it for?
Lopz: This afternoon. It's in the diary for 3:30pm. You do have it in there, don't you?
Becky: Oh yes, yes. It's there.
Lopz: Good. I need to make sure that the meeting room you've booked has internet access.
Becky: Um, ok... let me see. (long pause, during which heavy breathing and more scuffling can be heard) Erm, I'm not sure... do you know who booked the meeting room?
Lopz: No Becky, I don't. Since the meeting was arranged to be held at yor offices, it is your responsibility to book the room. So I wouldn't know who booked this room if it wasn't you, as I don't work there, and you do.
Becky: Oh.... right. Well... can I call you back?
Lopz: Yeah, that's probably best.

5 minutes later.....

Becky: Hi Lopz, it's Becky.
Lopz: Yes Becky. Have you found out who booked the room? (this last said a touch sarcastically)
Becky: Well, the thing is, there's been a mistake.
Lopz: Oh?
Becky: Yes, You see, Steven actually can't make the meeting.
Lopz: He can't make it. But yesterday afternoon he was available. What happened in the last 12 hours?
Becky: Well, you see, it's... erm.... it's complicated. There was a miscommunication. Can we reschedule?

Translation: I am too stupid to know that when a meeting is held in my offices, I have to book a room and not rely on an external PA WHO DOESN'T WORK HERE to do it for me. So now I am trying to cover up my stupidity with a lie which messes you and your team around. I am an incompetent cow.

10 comments:

phillygirl said...

That or she probably wa stoo incompetent to book the original meeting and another more competent PA booked Steven during the same available time-slot. Sigh.

The Blonde Blogshell said...

ARGH!! That is so infuriating! It pisses me off when other people are incompetent! I'm not so I don't expect others to be! LOL!

Lopz said...

@philly - that is EXACTLY what happened. She probably never put it in there in the first place. I suppose my first clue should have been her response to my introducing myself - "Who?" Despite having spoken to me just days ago to set up the meeting. Um, yeah....

@blondie - incompetence produces the most intense form of irritation. It can make road rage seem like child's play :-P

Miss Caught Up said...

LOL I hate incompetent people, too. They just get in my way to succeed for total world domination. :)
Thanks for commenting on my blog, by the way.

;)

Lopz said...

My pleasure, and right back at you.

World domination? Sounds good to me - let's exterminate the dunces sit pretty on our high IQ's ;-)

Mike said...

Most front people can be retarded. AKA, the receptionist (who can't answer the phone half the time) takes care of the coffee money. Coffee costs 50 cents. I poured myself a coffee, walked up to her, and held out a dollar and my cup. "Can you make change" I said, as I handed her the dollar and showed her the coffee. "Ok. How much do you want back?"

DUUUUUUHHHH

Next time I'm going to say "three quarters, two dimes and a nickle" and walk away with my free coffee.

Sweets said...

amateur! hmmm... being a PA you should be able to arrange the impossible and smile while sounding as if you have everything under control... which you do of course... that is so easy or is that just me?!

Lopz said...

@Mike - hello and welcome! That is totally a "Here's Your Sign" situation.... people like that should have name tags reading: I'm a dunce, please take advantage ;-)

@Sweets - it's not just you. Inside you might be having a nervous breakdown, a hernia and an acid-spewing ulcer all at once, but on the surface you're cool calm and collected, and you cope with the aplomb of a seasoned showman. We're definitely underrated.

Lopz said...

Well, they will do...in the same rescheduled meeting next Tuesday! But luckily mine knows I'm too good to be the culprit ;-)

The Divine Miss M said...

I love it when that happens ;)