June | 2011 | Andrea's Buzzing About:

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7 June 2011 at 19:34 (Small talk, Work / Employment)

“A not-so-subtle clue that your coworker isn’t interested in cubicle small talk”.

My caption for the image from passive-aggressive notes.com site:

A bulleted list pinned to the corner of a generic grey cubicle says:

YES THIS IS MY NEW HOME (FOR NOW)
YES THE SPACE IS SMALLER
YES IT’S A LONGER WALK TO THE COPIER
YEST IT’S A SHORTER WALK TO THE BATHROOM
NO I’M NOT SETTLED IN
NO I HAVEN’T ADJUSTED YET
NO IT’S NOT QUIETER
NO I DON’T KNOW WHY

I can SO sympathize!

~#~

When I’m stocking groceries, I’m also supposed to help customers find things “with a smile!”. Sometimes it’s pretty obvious that someone can’t find an item because they wander back and forth (the toothpicks take up a small “footprint” of shelf space, and are set up relatively high on the back wall), or are squinting at the aisle signs.

But sometimes people are just thinking about what they need to get, or any number of other things. Plus, there are some men who don’t want to ask where something is, or will ask but certainly don’t want you to to them to it (our preferred store policy ). I have trouble reading people’s nonverbal cues, and will at times err to either ignoring those in need (once in a while I don’t even notice there are people there until they, “Excuse me-“), or will go too far the other way and over-inform (what I call “data-bombing”), “The plastic bags and boxes are in aisle 8, but the cling wrap, foil, wax paper and such are in the baking aisle 4. The zipper-baggies on the right side of the aisle, to the front of the store, near the top. Is there anything else for which you are looking?”

In my highly-visual mind, I imagine this cartoon also hung in the aisles:

To our patrons: please mark your Thought Balloon so we may assist you promptly.