# Dealing with the "Jovial Dick"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-jovial-dick/477070>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 14, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-jovial-dick/477070 "2008-12-14T00:51:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 37

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**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\
**Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-jovial-dick/477070/37 "2008-12-15T17:58:53Z")

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I just read your other thread about him, in which you said:

> [@How do incredibly inobservant people survive?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-incredibly-inobservant-people-survive/476076/13):
>
> Fortunately for me, we’re now done with training and I don’t have to deal with this man anymore. Now we’re on different shifts, which only overlap a couple of hours three days a week, and he’s on a different team which is some distance from mine.

Ah, well, I guess you spoke too soon. 😉

The guy really does sound like he has some sort of mental problem. Or maybe he’s just a douchebag.

> [@Sigmagirl](#):
>
> I had one of those where I used to work. I used this:
> 
> Say to the customer, “Excuse me, I’m sorry, but there seems to be an emergency. Someone needs to speak to me urgently. Can I put you on hold for a second?” Turn around and give him the stare of death and ask, “What is the emergency?” When he says there is none, say loudly, \*“You had me put my important customer on hold just because you wanted to chat?” \*Turn around and get the customer back and apologize, saying it was a false alarm. Go back to work.
> 
> This may have to happen two or three times.

This is very similar to what I was going to suggest.

It has the twin advantages of covering your ass _and_ giving you a concrete item to complain about, should it come to that. You can’t really complain that he’s just being annoying. You can say that he asked to speak to you while you were on a call, and you had to put the customer on hold. And it covers your ass just in case he really does need to get your attention while you’re on a call at some point. If you ignore him and it really WAS important, then you’re the one who did something wrong.

Do they monitor your calls or how often you put a customer on hold?

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