Friday, April 10, 2009

Just Not Worth It

This is the first week that my shortened hours at work have gone into effect, so I...
(oh did I not tell you? That perfect job that I love so much and struggled 14 months to find - cut my hours in half. Trying to figure out what God wants me to learn. He's a barrel of laughs isn't He?)

Anyway, so now I have Fridays off and I decided to be productive today. Scheduled a hair appointment and pulled all my tax related documents together - because hi - only 5 more days! And -hi- five different employers and unemployment benefits is too much for me to try to work out on my own.

I was out the door before 10:00 to go get my haircut. It's lovely, thanks for asking.
Then I stopped at a very well-known tax prep agency - you know it by the big green square. I walked in and noticed that the one guy available was the guy I encountered last year - and remembered that I didn't like him. Hmmm.

He asked if I had an appointment and I thought - nah - of course not, this is the big green square - who needs an appointment? Okay, I might have said that aloud.
Then he proceeds to check their computerized schedule to find an opening for me - since he had someone coming in shortly. Maybe this evening? No, I have church - it's Good Friday you know. Tomorrow? Oh well, he says, let's get started and you can come back tomorrow to finish up.

Well okay, that's at least a start.
So he proceeds to ask me questions and has me sign a pile of forms before we get started.
I thought it was odd that I was signing forms before we started - but hey he's squeezing me in so oh all right.
Then I realized I was rushing because he was squeezing me in - and I thought it better to actually read the forms. But I still felt compelled to rush, so I didn't like the position I was in. Very uncomfortable.

So says I: "Gee, I don't remember signing forms before we get started."

He says, "Yes, you have to."
He said something else - kinda snotty that I can't remember. So I responded, very slowly... "Yes, I understand that. I am just saying that I only remember signing the forms when we are done, and this seems odd to me."

One sheet asked me to check all the services he could sell me during my tax prep, and I thought - I don't want to buy services - so I didn't check any, and then asked him where I am supposed to sign.

"You have to check 'select all'."
"But I don't want you to sell me services."

And rather than try to explain it to me he just said, "Everyone has to."

Oh and did I mention that at one point, a big gob of spit fell out of his mouth and onto the papers I was signing?
Eeew.

I am not really able to explain just what bugged me SO MUCH about him... but KIMA says that it's the people that you don't really know why they bug you, that have personality disorders. That makes sense to me!

But remembering that I didn't like him last year... and that just 5 minutes into this tax prep stuff the whole thing was so unpleasant, I didn't even want to continue was enough for me.

I stood up, collected my paperwork and told him. "You are being really snotty to me and I don't appreciate it. I will just go someplace else."

His response, "Well if that's the way you feel about it."

UGH!
"Yes, that's the way I feel about it."

He started to say something else - and at this point I didn't want to hear anymore. And everything that came out of his mouth seemed condescending and just snotty snotty snotty.

I said, "Now would be a good time to stop acting snotty. And this stuff that has my signature on it... I'm taking it with me."

As I walked back out to my car I wondered if I had sort of lost it! But I rationalize that since just the sight of him today reminded me that I didn't like him last year is justification enough. In the grand scheme of things, there is no point spending an entire hour with someone so unpleasant. I mean, taxes are unpleasant enough right?

Maybe it was also the pressure of feeling rushed. His horrible coffee breath. His lack of customer service pleasantries. It all was too much to put up with.

Have you ever had someone just rub you the wrong way from the get-go? Did you stay and put up with it - or did you just leave like I did?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

i've learnt to trust my 'feelings' about people when they come so strong, esp if a year was between the two episodes, i wouldnt doubt he's to be avoided!

Stacey said...

I'm a few days behind on reading your blog, but may I just say, "You are my hero!"

I'm embarrassed to say that I would probably never do what you did. I am always way too "nice," even undeservedly so. I would simply never go back there, but I greatly admire that you called him out on his rude behavior. Go you! Way to stick it to the big green square! :)

auntie said...

you go girl! i think too often we hold our tongues when people are treating us poorly, and that doesn't do anyone any good. plus, this is your MONEY he's dealing with...you want to be super comfortable that they're doing the right thing.

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