Come and talk to me

Someone please tell me what the proper protocol is for when I’m on the phone and a person walks up to talk to you? As I remember, you wait for that person to get off the phone and they begin to speak. Right? Oh no. You couldn't be more wrong. Apparently you can speak and have a FULL conversation with someone who is on the phone. Yeap, that’s right people. I clearly have a phone attached to my head and speaking into it and people come up, look at me, see the phone and start talking to me. Grrrrrrr, I can only hear half of what they are saying and half of what the person on the phone is saying. I love to multi-task. I really do but come on. You’re killing me. Do you really think I am Super Woman and can assess what you are saying to me and give the correct response back? Do you think you’re time is more valuable then the person on the phone’s is? Do you think that I’m just going to stop what I’m doing because you are now gracing me with your presents? Ohhh, I need a Motrin.

Hands off!

Where I work, my desk is out in the open. I like to call it my fish bowl. What this means to members is that what ever is on my desk is fair game and they can read and/or take anything off my desk. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Most times I am dealing with sensitive medical information and should not have prying eyes looking at it. My desk is facing out so that I look out on to the floor. People see me when they are looking at the back of my computer monitor. So this means they have to step around my desk to see what is on my screen. Trust me some feel like they can do this. They will walk around look at my screen and ask “what are you working on?” Really? You actually feel like that is appropriate?

It also helps to mention I have personal space issues. My personal space bubble is pretty big. If I stretch my arm completely out and you are touching any part of my arm and hand, you my dear, are way too close. Big, big bubble around me. With this said, when people walk around my desk it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention then for you to lean in and look at what I’m working on, Oh my god. I am in full convulsions now! Back away from the receptionist. Back away! Beep! Beep!

The other day I had in my paper file a monthly class schedule lying on the top tier. Across it I have written in large black letters my name. My name is on it (I just want to state that again). A man reaches over and attempts to take it. I yell at him (this was the second time in a week and a half this has happened) ‘Wait that is mine! It has my name on it!!’ He said “Oh I want one where…” I say ‘It’s hanging on the wall (where they have been hanging monthly schedules for years) right there you may have one of those!’ This of course is about two or three steps from my desk. Seriously, I almost had to run after him this happened so quickly. I have never been to any establishment where it looked like it was ok to take something off anyone’s desk unless there was a sign that said take one. Ugh people. 

Checking in is so hard to do

People amaze me. When you change one little thing it can completely over take someone with stupidity.

I work at a high end gym. I am a receptionist there so I get to see many interesting human dealings. I’ll go ahead and tell you I think people are stupid. They astound me with their idiocy.

When people become a member of this facility they get a membership card with a bar code on it. Each time they come into the gym they need to scan it. Kind of like those grocery VIP cards you get to put on your key ring and receive discounts. Anyway this scanner is on my desk and people come in and scan their card. I also have an electric pencil sharpener on my desk and an electric date stamper on my desk. Now all three of these devices are black so I can give a little credit to confusion there but really people? Really? People want to scan their membership card in the pencil sharpener or the date stamper. These objects are yes the same in color but shape? Nope. Size? Nope. How about location on my desk? Nope. The scanner is the closest thing to them as they walk in. The other two objects are at the end of my desk far from the scanner.

It’s funny to watch them stand there waving their card in front of the pencil sharpener. I give them a second (mainly for my enjoyment) and then show them no this is it. Pointing to the scanner as politely as I can possibly muster then I get the old embarrassed laugh and “oh”.

Looks similar to ours but ours is round

This all confusing scanner now has a bow on it (Christmas decoration) which has confused these people even farther. The scanner looks like a big eye of sorts. The front has a BIG red laser for scanning and at the very top of this round object there is this little (little mind you) blue light. This light is basically there to let you know that is piece of equipment is on. Well come to find out these people think the tiny blue light scans your card and the big red laser light is there just for the fun of it. Now that the bow is on top of the blue light and now people are very confused. They stand there and look at it for a second (I laugh to my self during this second) and try to scan their card above the bow. Oh come on! At this point I normally ask if I may see their card and I matter of factly scan it in and again the embarrassed laugh and “oh”.

Seriously folks I had no idea that these types of things are so out there. I only pray that these people know that green means go and red means stop when they are out driving on the road. Hold me, I’m scared.