StarDestroyer.Net BBS

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-06-22 11:06am 

Supervising Art Director: Let's get this design fully detailed and finished and sent over to construction so they know what they're talking about when they tell us they can't afford to build it.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-06-22 08:20pm 

This didn't happen to me at work, fortunately. In the school where I studied electricity, some weeks ago, someone was ordered to clean with a brush the contacts of the fuses of a circuit that simulated the electrical instalation of a house -those that are before the electricity meters that have a nominal intensity of 160. There was so bad luck that the metallic part of the brush touched two phases and, as anyone with some knowledge of electricity knows, got an accidental short-circuit.

As there weren't more sensible protections than the fuses -ie: no circuit breakers-, it was a very serious one. There was a great flash of light and the poor man ended with 2nd-grade burns at least in the face. He was sent to the hospital, but at least it seems fortunately he's getting well of the burns.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-07-11 10:51am 

That still doesn't answer the question of why he wanted to know where to find it.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-07-22 07:45pm 

Context: I work in a printing shop.

Me: "I know they're our biggest client, and we want to keep them happy... but Comic Sans? Seriously?"

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-07-23 10:05pm 

well today we got our bi-weekly guest complaints posted on the bulletin board...

the longest complaint taking over a page of text, was a NSFW description of being in the room next to a honeymoon couple...

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-07-24 05:03pm 

I think he was trying to reference the proper syntax for using a long-double as a variable.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-07-26 02:21am 

So I get a radio from the Family Shelter.

FS: "Dave, do you know where to find any pillows or blankets?"

Me: "No, there's none."

FS: "Are you sure? Because we really need some."

Me: "Well, I could check the basement, but those are probably covered in bedbugs and rat shit."

... Turns out she was standing right in front of the family that was booking in when I said that last bit.

Whoops.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-06 09:33pm 

from today:

Guests asking questions in front of a child.

Guest: What's going on with all these helocoptors and traffic.
Me: Well I would say it was "Search and Rescue" but they found the people they were looking for two weeks ago.
Child: They're picking up the bodies!

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-07 05:25am 

Newly opened shop, has a freezer for ice creams, but it's not stocked up yet cos like it's new (and has to sit overnight).

Customer: I'll have 3 <name of ice cream>
Server: Sorry the freezer is empty at the moment, we don't have any <name of ice cream>
Customer: *goes very red in the face* THIS. IS. A. DISASTER!
Server: Geez, get a grip man, the sinking of the Titanic was a disaster, this is just ice cream

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-07 05:38am 

If a server was that immediately patronizing and sarcastic to a customer in a place I owned, he'd be fired on the spot.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-07 10:34am 

well there is the countless times we've used Monty Python to tell the guests not to harrass the wildlife, leading to you need holy handgranades to kill the park's squirrels meme...

also I'm an aspie so I try not to be offensive, I just won't lie to people, though I may omit some things and rephrase...

oh, and more camper deaths over this weekend....

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-07 11:47am 

Actually the owner (and everyone in earshot) thought it was absolutely hilarious, especially given the man's reaction to being told there was no ice cream - he was to say the least apoplectic

I voted for giving the server a pay rise and a promotion

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-07 07:42pm 

I give the shop a year, maybe two at most, with customer service like that.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-08 08:03pm 

An angry customer, even if he's unreasonably angry, is something you need to fix. If someone at a store tells a joke while I'm shopping and I laugh, I might tell one person. If I go to a store to buy ice cream, and they tell me they don't have what I need, and then when I get upset they mock and laugh at me, I'm telling EVERYONE I KNOW about the store with shitty customer service.

An unhappy customer can cancel out 50 happy ones. Your owner is going to lose all of his money if he doesn't understand that.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-09 02:56pm 

The grocery store chain I used to work at actually hired customers to go shopping, then fill out an online survey of their experience at the store. They called it "Mystery Shopper". Results were posted in the break room.

A way to make the program better, in my opinion, would be to give a bonus (like maybe a $10 gift card) for a Mystery Shop that scored 100%. Instead, employees cited in they Mystery Shop get a poster saying basically "good job".

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-09 05:58pm 

NERD ALERT:

*Me listening to some music at my desk*

Co worker: Oh, man! I haven't heard that song in years!

Me: Yeah, but, it's instantly recognizable, right? Pretty cool album I got here, it's the city of prague philharmonic playing Sci-fi music!


Co Worker: Cool, man, I love Star Wars!


Me: ....It's the main title theme to Back to the Future.


Co-worker: Are you sure?


Me: Get out of my office.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-10 04:04pm 

I am a security guard. Our setup is a custom job and gets pretty finicky.

Me: Watch the cameras tonight. They been glitchy lately.

Relief: I haven't noticed anything. You sure something is going wrong?

*Every camera loses connection*

Me: Really. You had to say it.

This was followed by about 3 hours of grumpy tech people fixing things and waking up da boss. I know why some guards get a bit suspicious. Sans the various media forms always killing off guards.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-10 05:47pm 

Signed a birth certificate for a newborn today. When he grows up, he can say "Danger is my Middle Name!" and **PROVE IT***

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-10 08:10pm 

that's a good one Tev, well we're having a baby boom here in the park, six little ones all in Julii/Agustus one of my former bosses named his little one "Holden" I'm hoping it's not after "Catcher in the Rye"....

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-12 01:39am 

Me (negotiating with UPM* at an L.A. studio) - Okay, and my rate on a 56-hour contract is Senior Specialist Hourly scale, $X kit rental, five-day week.

UPM - We're doing the movie under a rebate deal with the State of California, which governs the budget. Your rate is (names something less).

Me - I understand the state deal, but that's been my rate on the last several features and I'm not interested in a pay cut. Let's work something out.

UPM - There's nothing to work out. The last guy I hired is on at that rate, that's the rate. I'd like to have room to deal but I'm afraid it's take-it-or-leave-it.

Me - I feel you. I don't think I mentioned that I'm the only available designer with the software skills the PD wants, as well as the only person available with the credits the producers say they want. Plus, the only person available who has worked before with the core team you already have, and knows the workflow. Also, the only person in possession of a number of location documents that I know you need, and that you don't have time to survey yourselves. And right now I'm leaning toward "leave it."

UPM - (sound of fingers drumming on desk) They told me you were going to say that. Okay, you can have your rate, we'll hide it somehow. Do you always negotiate like that?

Me - You know, it's never occurred to me to think of it in terms of 'negotiating.'


*UPM = Unit Production Manager, the hands-on-the-cashflow-spigot guy whose job is basically to say "no."

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-08-12 01:59am 

Kanastrous: That brought a smile to my lips.

< Current Comedian of the Hour Leaving a box packed with things> Hahaha I am leaving with company equipment. I am so totally going to steal and sell it off to the highest bidder. Just kidding.

Me: Hehehe that is pretty funny. Now you have to show me everything in the box because if it's true and I let you out without checking, we both are screwed. <Guy frowns gets a agitated look on his face> Me hahaha just kidding your boss already cleared you ahead of time. Your free to go have a nice day.

Yeah I was kind of a dick about it. But then again that sort of thing, with company he works for, is not that funny at all.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-09-07 09:08pm 

sunday from the asshole boss of the dineing room.

AssBoss: What where you saying about me! *the chefs are right next to him*
me: I wasn't saying anything about you, I was just singing to myself.
Chef: Well what were you singing Colin?
me: Hey-na, Hey-na, Iko-Iko unday Jaq-a-Moe fee na nee no, Jaq-a-moe Feena nay.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-09-09 10:39pm 

I'm not getting the reference on that song, if there's one to get.

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-09-09 11:10pm 

It's a NO Indian Mardi Gras song, about two groups of Indians fighting each other, basically a fun non-sensical song I learned in kindergarden (but like a bunch of jump rope songs, and nursery rymes it can have some darker overtones)

 Post subject: Re: Conversations From the Professional Front Lines

Posted: 2011-09-10 02:07pm