Work-related annoyances, what are yours?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

What job duties really annoy or irritate you, you know, things you have to do, but don’t enjoy doing?

for me it’s…

repairing PowerBook G4 12" Aluminum laptops, i swear to Og, it’s like Apple deliberately went out of their way to make one of their most service-hostile designs ever (the winner is still the old PowerBook 2400), in order to get the top case of the 12" off, i have to remove (no exaggeration here) Thirty Four screws…all of varying sizes, that’s just to get the top case off.

Og help me if i have to replace the optical drive, in order to do that, i have to remove another few dozen screws (sadly, not an exaggeration), the structural frame, the display, the hard drive, the logic board, and the power management board, all because Apple hides one screw underneath a hook under the logic board…

15’s and 17’s aren’t as bad, yes they have lots of varying sized screws, not as many as the 12", but they’re laid out more logically

in second place, doing Reed Switch Assembly replacements on the iBook Dual USB series (the white rectangle ones), there, i need to dissasemble the lower case, remove a metal shield from the top of the lower case, physically remove the screen assembly, take that apart to access a very delicate sensor board and wiring bundle, re-route the incredibly thin wires on the new RSA, reassemble the box and test it in the partially open state, just in case Apple shipped me a bad part…

finally, logic board replacements on the G5 Towers, the older “El Capitan” style cases (G4 Sawtooth to Mirror Door models) were utter joys to work on, i could field-strip a MDD in 5 minutes (worst case), processor swap, 2 minutes, hard drive/optical drive replacements, seconds, heck, i could perform a “Logic Board-Ectomy” in 2 minutes, the drop-down side door with the logic board mounted to it was a brilliant bit of engineering

the G5 towers, ugh, they went from a simple, elegant to service case design to a (lets be brutally honest here) really nice looking standard PC case design, the drop-down side door (and it’s ease of servicing) was gone, replaced by a far less elegant standard case, in order to do a logic board swap on a G5 tower, i have to completely gut the case, removing processors, power supply, ram, everything, yes, yes, i know that’s what’s involved in a board-swap, but there are a lot of sub-steps added to it which slows down the total repair time, it takes me about 15-20 minutes to strip a G5 to the point where i can remove the logic board…

just minor headaches, what are your work-related annoyances

2

Training sessions and powerpoints. There is at least one every month, plus several that are done every year. I don’t mind trainings for stuff like human subjects use and security briefings, but I fail to understand why I have to take training on hazardous waste handling and ergonomics, when I don’t handle anything more toxic than whatever I left in my mug over the weekend and never lift anything heavier than the phone receiver.

3

There are reasons I still tote a WallStreet (with hopped-up innards, to be precise) and this is one of them. I hope the 17" is less user-hostile to futz with… <sigh> … this PB is well beyond what most other folks would consider its useful lifetime as a primary machine. The rest of it I can handle but the 10-base-T is really kiling me.

My annoyance du jour: I open my email yesterday to find this turd from the technically illiterate company co-owner:

1st reaction: You can just “put back” the little part that you use, all the parts interact and are interrelated, and the current structure is chock-full of 6 months’ worth of data that isn’t compatible with the structure before the alternations. (And you damn well did too attend the meetings, saw the prototype, and signed off on the changes, you arrogant lying fuck!).

2nd reaction: You da boss. I’ll just do it exactly as specified: make the files we had 6 months ago live from backup, with the current ones renamed and made available on a read-only basis. Why should I warn you about the screaming you’re gonna get from everyone else on both sides of the river?

Two hours later I got a frantic message from him: “Put it back, put it back!!!”. :smiley:

(Blithering idiot only takes note of the portion of the system that he directly works in and never listens when it explained why overall system-wide changes are going to have impact on his workflow for entirely necessary and legitimate reasons)

4

Give me the parts and tools to do my job and I’ll be happy to do so!

Typical day~

7:00 am- Job is assigned. No details of how to do it, no specs, no prints, just the typical ‘make this happen over there’ type job.

7-7:30 am- Confer with more knowledgeable types (I’m merely an apprentice electrician) about how to accomplish assigned job. Decide how and begin gathering work materials.

7:30- 1:00 pm- Root thru empty drawers and slots and cabinets, go to other departments drawers and slots and cabinets and scavenge, go look up part numbers of everything I need and write them down, take part #s to boss-type person who has the magical ability to order from General Inventory, recieve 1/3 the parts I need from General Inventory, revisit boss and reiterate requests, eat lunch, ride around looking outside, in scrap containers, ask everyone I see if they’ve seen any X Y or Z, revisit General Inventory to find boss has indeed ordered the rest of the parts but they only have another 1/3 in stock, start fabricating and jerry-rigging.

1:00-2:45 - Start the actual job.

2:45-3:00 Explain to boss why the “5-minute” job that should have realistically taken 3 or 4 hours isn’t done, listen to boss gripe about lazy tradesman getting righteously outsourced, lock up tools and go home.

Department bosses constantly ‘steal’ from each other’s departments and order us to steal, so much time is spent trying to have the better budget numbers when it’s all coming out of the same pot regardless.

Wanna save money? Give us the necessary materials and you could cut over half our workforce. I’m all for job security but dayum the daily frustration fills me with grrr.

5

[QUOTE=MacTech]
What job duties really annoy or irritate you, you know, things you have to do, but don’t enjoy doing?

for me it’s…

I work in PR/Marketing/Trend prediction/Research, and as a part of my job I book advertising space and handle all press communications for my clients.

(Yes Mr Hicks I shall kill myself shortly)

The worst WORST WORST part about my job is dealing with advertising sales reps, and taking incoming cold calls from the incompetants among them. Totally guaranteed to take me from ‘nice & mellowly productive’ to ‘Blood boiling red misty rage’ in under 10 seconds. I used to sell advertising space myself, so I know just how easy it is to be professional and do a good job. So when the CHIMPS that call me start blethering like loons… well ‘grrrrrrr’ sums it up nicely!

Worst offences

  1. Not checking they’re speaking to the right person when I answer
  2. Not knowing which clients I represent or having any knowledge of their business
  3. Telling me they’d like to run an ‘editorial’ profile then trying to charge me for it
  4. Telling me I NEED to be in their never-heard of magazine (Do I? Do I really?)
  5. Trying to keep me on the phone by draaaaging ooout theeiir seentaaanncceees
  6. Lying about their titles circulation (and just lying)
  7. Repeating the same old stock buzzwords that say nothing and mean less (I’m blaming you for those, you big 'ole naughty USA you! But honestly - c’mon rep monkeys - BUDGETUNITY? POTENTIALISE? are you on crack?! FUCK. RIGHT. OFF.)
  8. Not listening (I’ve told you I don’t handle that client, stop pitching me stuff for them!)
  9. Asking unbelievably stupid questions such as ‘I’m just phoning re XX Soup Co… what do they make?’
  10. Using really really old sales tactics such as the ‘assumptive close’ (Obviously you’ll be booking in this feature, I’ve optioned you 5 pages and sent you the invoice)
    11)Sending me cut & paste proposals with my client name inserted here (sometimes in different fonts…niiiiice)
  11. Presuming that because I’m PR, I’m therefore a bit thick and won’t really understand the big tough world of sales, or cotton on to the shonky maths in your billing.
  12. Having 2 or 3 reps from the same title call me on the same day pitching the same thing

…and this is my personal favourite

Asking me if I know of their magazine - then when I say ‘no’ continuing straight on as if I’d said yes. If I haven’t even SEEN your magazine what are the chances of me spending my clients money on booking a page in ‘ferret wranglers monthly’ just because you say I should? Nil. Nada. Not a sausage - and you should KNOW THAT! grrrr!

Oh - that feels so much better off my chest - cheers MacTech!

6

Life isn’t all wonderful in teaching.

Every few years, a “new” philosophy comes out…(usually it’s just a combination of two or three old philosophies). Then, the principals, wanting to look like they’re doing something about test scores, scramble to adopt the new philosophy. If you’re a teacher in one of these schools, you’ll have to spend several days away from teaching in some boring, training. The trainers act like their way is the only way of doing something…if you are not doing it the way they are, then, you are someone who just doesn’t want to change and you don’t really care about what’s best for kids…just what’s easiest for you.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve always been thought of as a good teacher, have always gotten good evaluations. It doesn’t matter that your students adore you and work hard for you and that you are a positive presence in the classroom. It doesn’t matter that you have been teaching for over 20 years and you know what works for you. All that matters is that you change at the whim of the administration…well, if you want an easier life in teaching, anyway.

7

Right now, it’s the 18-wheel truck parked in front my building taking up several perfectly good parking spaces! :wally

There are others, but I’ve got to face them, rather than grumble about them.

CJ

8

Small form-factor PC cases. Ugh.

Dell came out with the Optiplex SX line which are very cute and tiny but a real bear to disassemble. Its great to be able to hide your PC and free up the desk space but it can be tough when the case needs to be opened and the tiny little screws removed to get at the one thing burried at the bottom.

9

Inactivating/terminating temps in our system. Because we don’t keep centralized personnel files on these people, every form they fill out is filed in a different place. Which means I have to track them all down so I can write their termination date on all of them, so they can be purged after the requisite time period (7 years after termination of employment). That means at least 6 different places I have to track down a form for each person. Then I have to try to decipher, from the notes (or lack of them) on their application card, the reason for the termination/inactivation, and log that reason into our database, before filing the application card in the appropriate “deadbox” file, according to job category & year of termination.

I also despise any transaction that involves placing a telephone call.

10

hey, at least it’s not the Mac Mini, opening that case is another headache…

it’s a friction-fit case with such tight tolerances that the only way to crack the case open is with…

a putty knife, yes, that’s Apple’s official take-apart tool, a bloody putty knife, it should work well in theory, but here’s what typically happens…

jam the putty knife into the side of the machine, and lift, the case will begin to lift, then as soon as you release tension, it’ll snap back, you dig in a little deeper and the side lifts up, slide out the putty knife and go to the other side, lift, the opposite side starts coming up…

and the first side snaps back down, ARRRGGGHH!, back to the original side, but hold the second side open with one hand while you pry the original side…

Pop!, case pops open, perform the fix/upgrade/whatever, then snap the case back on, making sure to put the back of the case down first to properly seat it, squeeze it together, as you move to the front of the case, the back lifts as the front snaps closed, leaving a gap at the back of the case…ARRRGGGHHH!!!, now i have to pull the case apart again!

i will say this in favor of the Mini, once the case is off, it’s easy to work on, as there are only four parts in it, logic board, hard drive, support frame and optical drive, and all those are held in place by 3 screws in the support frame, it’s just getting the case apart that’s a bear…

11

Wow, you all have such high-tech and ‘important’ jobs I feel like I can’t complain.

My work-related annoyances?
Getting paint on my clothes. It always comes out, but it bugs me and if I want to go somewhere after work, I still have to go home and change.

Stepping on Play-Dough. Spending 10-15 minutes picking Play-Dough out of the tread on the bottom of your shoe is very annoying.

Getting sneezed on. Very unpleasant.

Being asked to “Tie my shoe, please!” and finding the laces wet. That’s just gross.

Rainy days. That means no playground time.

12

Today it’s whatever gorram idiot that got oil on the 40x microscope objective and failed to clean the damn thing off. Thanks for ruining my cell count you moron.

And a second helping to whoever left the labels out of alignment on the printer.

I may have to flay someone.

13

I have to deal with this problem all the time. I teach the lab sections for intro bio courses. Most of my students have no idea how to use a scope when they enter my class, so they’re not used to dealing with immersion oil.

I don’t know if you know this, but you can clean a lens with caked-on oil by making a 1:1 mixture of diethyl ether and 95% ethanol. Dip a Q-tip in the mixture and then rub it on the crudded-up lens. You may have to push a bit, and really make sure you get at every little bit of the lens, especially the perimeter of the lens. For a really messed-up lens, you may have to apply the cleaning fluid a few times. But the stuff really works.

14

Sales Guy: Hey Mark [that’s me], I told a customer that our product would make water run uphill and rocks float.*

Enginerd: That’s not how it works - the rocks sink, and water only runs downhill. We might be able to work something out with his site constraints, but it’ll require a couple of additional manholes and some extra pipe.

Sales Guy: But I already gave him a price! Can’t you figure something out?

*I wish I were kidding. Oh, how I wish I were kidding…

15

how very Dilbertesque…

of course we both know that salesdrones are the natural enemies of the tech/engineering people :slight_smile:

16

(Yhellow, All. have been lurking on the boards for months now, and finally decided to bite the bullet :slight_smile: .)

Work-related annoyances? Wow. How do I count the ways?

  1. Moronic Director who doesnt know ass from elbow, and suffers from chronic ignorance and dandruff.
  2. Benighted sales reps who couldnt sell a peanut to a chimp.
  3. Scumsucking colleagues with obnoxious cellphone ringtones.
  4. Anyone who raises his voice by a few squilion decibels when he’s on the phone. (Hey moron! Its an phone, not a goddamn Alp! You dont have to yodel at the top of your lungs!)

The list is actually endless, but I’ll stop now, since my I feel my blood pressure going up a few points.

Disclaimer: Its my first post, people. Ive read the rules and the FAQ, and I hope i havent erred, but if ive screwed up in any way, or made any faux pas, please let me know without making me feel like the world’s biggest dolt. :slight_smile:

17

I work two retail jobs. Isn’t that enough of an annoyance? :smack:

18

I work in a mental hospital. There is good reason for stringent protocols but I think that our pharmacy is picky beyond belief. BID means give the med at 0900h and 1800h. If a new doctor comes in and writes and antibiotic order for BID the pharmacy issues it for 9 and 18. Then phones us and says “this antibiotic should be given every 12 hours for effectiveness” Then we have to chase down the doctor, get a new order for say “0900 and 2100”, AND get and order to discontinue the BID dosing. Some doctors who are not used to this system get irrate. Some refuse to comply with our requests. So we, the lowly nurses, who actually spend time with the patients, and know them best, are stuck between the feuding doctors and pharmacy. And who knows, we could have someone with a roaring infection, coughing and spitting. We just want the damn stuff to work. We don’t care who’s “right”. We want to give the medication and not be accused of making a “med error”.

There are very many petty petty things, which I won’t evn list, its my day off and stewing about work is counter productive.

19

Software developer here. Oh dear, Oracle Reports***** I dread having to build a report. Using this tool is like pushing string. To describe one problem. It has a WYSIWYG layout editor where you specify where you want your results to appear on the page. The trouble is, moving items in the layout effects the logic of the underlying query. To make an architectural analogy, it’s like you change the facade of the building on your blueprint, and it lays the lift-shaft on its side and connects it to the heating system. You can irretrievable break a report by moving an item by one freaking pixel. And you won’t know until you run the report. The old hands here develop reports in pigeon steps, making a copy at every step.

But still, beats dealing with people.

*****Reports is a forth generation programming tool for generating reports (surprise) from SQL queries against a relational database.

20

Us Project Managers aren’t too fond of them either…

“You told them we could do WHAT? By WHEN?”

gery_ideas