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  • #1

    "Until we're done"

    So I got called do do a "spot" yesterday while working. A "spot" is when you have 2 people help a fork lift drive through the store by having one person in front of & one person in back of it to manuever through customers on the floor safely. PLUS when we reach a particular aisle, it has to be blocked of with aisle "Aisle closed" retractable signs. 2 aisles must be blocked off so if when a fork lift gets something & it falls then it won't pose a danger to customers.

    So I'm in the middle of a "spot" when this lady comes up to me asks me how long the aisles will be closed. I said.."Until we're done". I didn't think there was anything wrong with what I said. I didn't say it nasty or anything. Seems she got pissed & said to me..."That's a real intelligent answer!" I told her "I'm sorry" & she hissed & walked away. Then another customer who was nearby looked at me, I looked at him & HE said..."Gee, some people are just too nasty for their own good" I said..."I could tell you stories"

    So was I out of place telling that lady what I said? It took a while for the forklift team to complete the job. I don't know, maybe I should haver said..."It'll be a while yet".
    Last edited by Bright_Star; 02-21-2009, 01:01 PM.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    She was expecting you to know exactly how many seconds you were still working on that spot. So the correct answer would haven been "3204915301349 seconds".
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    • #3
      Saw that at lowes the other night, isle blocked (they do both sides 1 where truck is working and the isle next to where product is being pulled off of) CU in the isle that was blocked thought it was not a big deal becase: the forklift is on the other isle. oi....
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      • #4
        Since you asked, it wasn't the most helpful of answers, so, yeah, you could have worded it better. "Until we're done" comes off as rude, or even smart-assed, even if it's not said in a rude or smart-ass tone.

        You may not have known exactly how long it would be, but you also would have had an approximate idea, since it probably wasn't the first time that something like that had been done.

        I think the better way of answering would have been, "Until we're done, which should be about 15 or 20 minutes (or whatever time frame it takes).
        Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

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        • #5
          While I'm one to say stuff like, "It'll take as long as it takes," or "until we're done", myself, I see nothing wrong with the phrase. But I think I have to agree with Ree on this one, in that it's probably not the best phrase to use at work with a customer, because it can sound facetious whether that's the intention or not.

          I like Ree's answer, or even something along the lines of, "I'm not sure, hopefully no more than 10-15 minutes (or other time span as necessary)

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          • #6
            Quoth wraiths_crono View Post
            (they do both sides 1 where truck is working and the isle next to where product is being pulled off of)
            In a way, I can see why: if something accidentally gets nudged off of the shelf on the other side. If it falls, nobody is hurt; if it doesn't fall but could pose a later danger, it can be fixed.
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            • #7
              Yeah, I agree that the phrase may come off as being smart alecked when you aren't trying to be. Though I don't really have a problem with it.

              Maybe a better phrase would be "I'm not sure. it will probably be a while."
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              • #8
                That sounded like a rather vague response to me, but I wouldn't have considered it rude. The sc in question sounds like she could use an attitude adjustment, though.

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                • #9
                  Quoth Mordecai View Post
                  The sc in question sounds like she could use an attitude adjustment, though.
                  Two aisles were blocked off. The customer was trying to do some shopping and may have wanted something down those aisles.

                  If the lady had been given a better idea of how long it was going to take, then she would know if she had time to wait, or if she was either going to have to come back at another time, or go to another store to get what she needed.

                  Personally, if I had been the customer, I wouldn't have been all that impressed, either.

                  I don't necessarily see her attitude as needing an adjustment, other than snapping that it wasn't a very intelligent answer in a not so nice way, considering that Bright_Star said she wasn't nasty in her tone when she answered.
                  Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

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                  • #10
                    Quoth Ree View Post
                    I don't necessarily see her attitude as needing an adjustment, other than snapping that it wasn't a very intelligent answer in a not so nice way, considering that Bright_Star said she wasn't nasty in her tone when she answered.
                    Sorry, but I still think the customer was in the wrong. She hissed at Bright_Star after she apologized which should have made it pretty obvious that she/he wasn't trying to be rude. Overall I think she needs to learn some more social skills if she thought that talking down to an employee who meant no ill will towards her was even remotely acceptable.

                    Also, if she really did need something then she should have explained in a calm and reasonable manner what she needed instead of flying off the handle like that.
                    Last edited by Ree; 02-21-2009, 09:55 PM. Reason: Excessive quoting

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                    • #11
                      My answer would've been, "However long it was going to take before, plus the time you've wasted asking for an estimate of how long it will be."

                      Then again, I am a confirmed smartass.

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                      • #12
                        Quoth Bright_Star View Post
                        So was I out of place telling that lady what I said?
                        Yes, You could have given her your best estimate with the appropriate prevarications or simply said "sorry, I don't know."
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                        • #13
                          Maybe vague is the best bet here (e.g., "a while but I'm not really sure") -- if you give them a specific amount of time, they'll come back in half that time and demand to know why it's taken you "double" the time you guessed at...excuse me, GUARANTEED for them

                          That's why we don't give specific times for support callbacks unless someone sets a specific appointment time in advance...
                          Last edited by EricKei; 02-21-2009, 10:23 PM. Reason: hulk no kan spel
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                          • #14
                            Quoth EricKei View Post
                            Maybe vague is the best bet here (e.g., "a while but I'm not really sure") -- if you give them a specific amount of time, they'll come back in half that time and demand to know why it's taken you "double" the time you guessed at...excuse me, GUARANTEED for them
                            I was thinking the same thing. Giving them a specific time would make them either do that, or come back at that exact time, and "WHY ARENT YOU DONE YET OMG!!!11!". If I were that lady, I'd just deal with it, checking back every so often. She didn't need to get her panties in a bunch about that.
                            Last edited by Ree; 02-21-2009, 10:42 PM. Reason: Fixing quote tags

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                            • #15
                              That's why I suggested adding in, "When we're done," with an approximate time frame.
                              Too tired of living and too tired to end it. What a conundrum.

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