Annoying work guy.

[arete85]

I don't know how to respond to this guy at work who is driving me nuts. We are part of a large new intake at a well-respected company, and underwent training together as part of a group of about 8 people (though he got pulled out for one-on-one training after his progress was unsatisfactory).

Basically, he bugs me. Not his fault, and I can completely acknowledge and try to control that...at least where things that are irrational on my part are concerned (he has the strangest hairline I have ever seen! lol). But I have been asked to help him whenever I am free, which has meant that he has talked over my own customer service calls (inbound call centre) at times and I have had to shush him. I once helped him, after a week on the phone and a week of training, do something that we learnt on the *first* day, in the *first* hour. Bring up a file, take a CC payment...?!

I have heard him make up information rather than ask for help...again, he should know this, but DON'T MISLEAD CLIENTS BECAUSE OF YOUR IGNORANCE. "There may or may not be a waiting period or a fee on that service, I'm not sure, so...yeah...mmm...ok bye", is NOT doing your job. His phone manner is pretty awful, but that can be said of so many these days.

It isn't entirely his fault, for instance I have noticed that he clearly doesn't have the computer skills which I understood to be a prerequisite for the position- this should have been discovered in the recruitment process. But it is just so frustrating to hear him all day and to help him when required (which I do as politely and patiently as possible). Yesterday he put someone on hold while he located a key on his keyboard.

I politely asked him in the first week not to call me something...I forget what now, it may have been 'baby' or 'hun', certainly something affectionate/sexy along those lines. He claimed that he was talking to his computer (while looking at me/in the middle of talking to me) and pointed out that he has a wife.

Today I had to speak to somebody about him (the supervisor) to ask how to broach a subject politely, as well as to make him aware of it.

Because this guy, on his way out to lunch, stopped by my chair while I was on a call (didn't see or hear him) and *tugged on my braid*, said 'See ya mate' and walked off before I could do anything...and too quickly to see my Icy Stare of Death.

I try my best to be polite, he joined me (alone, just finished eating, closing a book) at lunch earlier in the week as I really was about to get up and have a cigarette before I had to go back. He rolled his eyes, looked sad, and said 'That'd be right'.

I just don't know what to do. I feel bad for him, he's obviously pretty incompetent and I try to treat him with respect as he's old enough to be my father, but he drives me up the friggin wall.

HELP!!!!

(oh, and he left his old job because he wanted to be a manager and it wasn't happening )

[Chocolate Cake]

Maybe you can ask your supervisor to station this guy far away from your work space?

[bopper]

As long as your supervisor is sort of a normal person, I would do just what you did.  Ask for advice on handle the situation.

Then next time his incomptence slows you down, ask your manager how to prioritize helping Annoying Guy since working with him is taking so much time from you completing your work.

Or ask your supervisor that you thought in training that there is/isn't a waiting period, but you heard Annoying Guy saying there wasn't/was, and you just wanted to make sure you got it right.

In a normal world, Annoying Guy will be gone soon.   If not, ask if you can not be asked to train him as despite you trying all the different techniquest you know, he still isn't learning so maybe somebody else would do better with him.

[Sirius]

Re the pulling hair:  I'd tell Mr. Hair-Puller in set terms that if he touches your hair again you're going to pull his.  I have very short hair, and if someone pulled my hair I'm apt to come up swinging.  Then, if he does it again, tell the boss. 

[snowball's chance]

I politely asked him in the first week not to call me something...I forget what now, it may have been 'baby' or 'hun', certainly something affectionate/sexy along those lines. He claimed that he was talking to his computer (while looking at me/in the middle of talking to me) and pointed out that he has a wife.

Don't you just love when guys do that?  Every sleaze bag I've evr worked with is hitting on me one minute, and then talking baout his wife or GF the next.

[Twik]

You have my sympathies. You're stuck with an adolescent boy in a man's body - not adult enough to be competent, and so immature that pulling the braids of a girl he likes seems like good strategy.

He is coming on to you, so watch yourself.

[kathrynne]

The last time someone was nasty enough to pull my hair on purpose was junior high school. It was that jerk's way of saying he had a crush on me.

Last I knew the guy was in the penitentiary in Jackson, Michigan for arson.

[EvilAlice]

If not, ask if you can not be asked to train him as despite you trying all the different techniquest you know, he still isn't learning so maybe somebody else would do better with him.

I like this solution.  I don't know how your company works, but maybe this guy needs a certain number of strikes before he's out.  You doing this could add a strike.  Sounds like people want to just keep passing him around to be someone else's problem.  Show some team spirit and continue that game!

It's awful that someone so clearly incompetent can still manage to hold the job.