DIFFICULT PEOPLE - CASES

Doesn't it seem that some people were put into this world for no other reason than to aggrevate you? Ed Howe

Donkey: "And you think you have to deal with dificult people."

"Hard Nosed" Professor
You are a student at a major university majoring in biology. In the middle of the semester you come down with pneumonia and have to miss classes for three weeks. You are not able to keep up with all your classes. You decide to drop philosophy and art history and keep English and chemistry. You choose to remain in first quarter chemistry because you need it for your major and you had a year of chemistry in high school and did well. You figure that since you had a good background in high school, you could make up the work. The only problem is that the professor is known to be a real "hard nose." You talk to the professor and ask if you can make up the work you missed. He yells at you and says there is no way this is possible.

Frustrated Director
When you arrive at work you are summoned to the Director's office. As soon as you enter her office, a verbal assault begins. "Because you were absent yesterday the building was not secured and someone came in and carried off three computers. I've called the police and they want to talk to you." You did not come to work yesterday because you were ill. You are usually the last to leave work each day and you always make sure that all the doors and windows are closed and locked. You did not arrange for anyone else to secure the building, but you did assume that it would be taken care of. It is not in your job description.

Missing Barbie Clothes
Your daughters, ages six and eight love to play with their Barbie dolls. Their grandmother recently made new Barbie outfits (worth about $200 if you bought them at the store) and gave them to her granddaughters for Christmas. Your daughters took the clothes to their friends' house to play (two girls about the same age who also have Barbies.) The two friends asked if they could keep the clothes for a few days and then return them. Two weeks pass and they haven't returned the clothes. You send your daughters next door to ask for the clothes. They return and tell you that the girls say they don't have them. Since you attend the same church as these neighbors, you decide to ask their mother about the clothes when you see her in church next Sunday. You ask about the clothes and she says she has not seen any extra Barbie clothes. She also says that if her daughters say they don't have them, they don't have them. They would not lie.

Irate Customer
You work as a waitress in a cafe serving lunch. Usually, there are not many customers on Tuesdays. But, this Tuesday you have people standing in line to get in. To make matters worse, one of the cook's helpers went home ill about 10 a.m. So, the cafe is a scene of considerable congestion with most customers waiting to be served. As you walk by one table, one of the customers grabs your arm and says, "How long are you going to make me wait? I've been waiting for 15 minutes already. Your service is horrible. Bring my order now."

Imposing Manager
You work in a defense contracting company as a secretary. Your job includes supervising three clerk-typists. You and your staff are busy typing an RFP to meet a deadline for a federal project. A middle level manager in another department calls you with a request that your clerks answer the telephones for his area for the next hour because he needs to have a meeting with his staff.

Manager with Personal Problems
You work as assistant manager in the appliances department of a large chain store. Your manager has had personal problems which have impacted on his work. He comes in late, often leaves early and is preoccupied with his personal problems. This has gone on for about two weeks. At first, it didn't bother you. You liked the opportunity to assume more management responsibilities but now it is becoming a burden for you. You are finding that you can't do your work and his too. You can't cover for him much longer.

Impertinent Daughter
Your 14 year old daughter is in her first year of high school. Her home economics teacher calls you to ask you to remind your daughter that her sewing project is due in one week. You give her the message adding, "Since it's due in one week you had better get started on it." Your daughter replies, "Hyper down, mom. Take a pill."

Impatient Patient
You are a dental assistant. This is your first day on the job and all is going fine so far. You take the next patient into a room and get him settled. You prepare the tray of instruments the dentist will need. Just as you finish this, you hear someone out in the lobby and hurry out to see if it is the next patient. You check the name on the list and ask the elderly lady standing there if she is the next patient. "No," she says sharply, "I don't have an appointment. The doctor said I could drop by anytime and I need my dentures adjusted." You innocently put out your hand thinking they would be wrapped up in a tissue or in a container. But no such luck, she pops them out of her mouth and places them into your waiting hand. You stand there staring at the wet sticky teeth in your palm.

Dented Door
You return to your car in a shopping center parking lot. You notice the cars on both sides are very close to yours. On entering your car a gust of wind grabs your car door and slams it into the car parked next to you. It so happens that the owner of the dented car witnesses the accident. He becomes enraged and yells at you. "Now look what you have done to my new car. What are you going to do about it?"

Sniping Sam
He seems to get a kick out of taking pot shots at you. You and your co-workers are taking about a proposed four day work week. You - "Gee, I wouldn't mind having Fridays off."
Sam - "Isn't that what you have now?" Everybody laughs.

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