Disturbing Colleague 1

[Gymmeh]

My co-worker, the “Sales Engineer,” which does nothing related to engineering, makes obnoxious noises, like snoring, while sleeping at his desk. Any time he is on the phone with customers he talks about everything but our product. Not that I am complaining too much because I am sure our pays reflect our work ;-). But it’s really hard to think and insure I don’t make any calculation mistakes, or what have you with such distractions. Aside from the dirty looks and subtitle comments one can make to my colleague, would anyone have constructive or not so constructive ways of… maybe practical jokes …helping my colleague do work?

I started printing out applicable Dilbert cartoons leaving them on the printer between us.
supervisor knows about him and has come into the office and “had meetings” with both of us, but all of the issues and looks were directed at my colleague. Although nothing really changes and I am sure my boss knows this.

 

[Ashereng]

Gymmeh,

Can you ask for "dividers" to be put in?

"Do not worry about your problems with mathematics, I assure you mine are far greater."
Albert Einstein
Have you read FAQ731-376 to make the best use of Eng-Tips Forums?

 

[Gymmeh]

The layout of the office would make it rather difficult. Any "dividers" would have to be built around the filing cabinets that are built into the building, so it would be impractical.

Plus it is sometimes useful to listen to what he is telling customers so I can yell over that he is wrong and what the right answer is!

 

[mizzjoey]

Well, it could be that he resents having his mistakes being pointed out while he's talking to clients? Perhaps that's why he's being annoying in return?

 

[Gymmeh]

hehe!!...since I wrote that last statement my boss has given him a good talkin' to because one day i was busy doing other things and he allowed a consumer order something the did not comply to ANSI/ASME, AWS and then the operations manager asked me to look at the file just after it was released for production... and I was like WTF why was not run by me! and then the "Poo" hit the fan... and he got a good talking to for disragarding SOP and doing his own thing. Since then a field sales man has also found another one of the same nature in the field that my co-worker approved, and I am currently designing a modification to send to the field to fix the same issue...

I understand not butting in on others, cuz I don’t like people butting in on me. But when someone has been told multiple times (by the boss) that what they are doing is completely against industry standard (compromising safety) and company policy and to transfer call of an engineering nature to John (ME), then I think its fair for me to say to him, "The info your telling the customer is not correct, if they need really technical information transfer them to me."

 

[PSE]

Gymmeh,

Now that the boss is involved, let them handle it. Cash flow got affected adversely by your co-workers actions (a pretty sure way to get management's attention and action). The situation may resolve itself in relatively short order.

Regards,

 

[Gymmeh]

Things are alot better since my boss got seriously involved (before my boss just was pretty casual about discipline for mistakes). I have not had to speak over my college since, the last time, when the "poo" hit the fan.

PSE, Yes paying money to fix large mistakes really gets the bosses attention quickly.