Ahh-choo!
I was at a local Kinko’s to get some color printing and enlarging done. I placed my order and gave the clerk my USB memory stick which was attached to my key fob.
So I sat in the back, on my laptop and tried to catch up on email while they worked on my print job.
I heard a man start coughing; little coughs. But soon, he started hacking. Have you ever heard someone cough like they swallowed a jellyfish and had to get it out?
You get the idea – gross. Everyone stopped what they were doing and I sat there mortified, wondering why people haven’t learned manners and wishing this man would step outside or go to the men’s room.
I kept working and pretty soon a woman started coughing; the jellyfish cough again. I didn’t make a connection because I was caught up in my work. So I sat there thinking “Lady! Get some tissue from the restroom! We don’t want to hear your mucus-having, asthmatic-breathing cough. Geez!”
More emails and then the person standing next to me started sniffling. And then I smelled something, something… weird. Then my eyes started to burn. I turned and saw Kinkos’ employees running around frantically with little plastic Dixie cups of water. Then I started sneezing uncontrollably. What the heck is going on?! And then, you guessed it, I got the jellyfish cough – BAD. Now I was one of the gross people and I started to freak out. Behind me, customers were scrambling to get into the restrooms.
I stopped one of the employees and through the coughing and tears I asked her, “What is going on?!!!”
Mystery Solved
She said, “One of our employees thought a container of pepper spray was a memory stick and pushed the button. Pepper spray went everywhere.” Yep. Pepper spray.
Ever had one of those moments when you realize you contributed to something bad but can’t quite come to grips with it? Well, I remembered being at the order counter, handing over my key fob with my memory stick on it, which was dangling next to my pepper spray.
Why Assumptions Never Lead to Good Results
So I really didn’t think I needed to explain that the memory stick was the small plastic rectangular thingy and the pepper spray was the bright red, cylindrical looking thingy. You might say that the guy behind the counter was stupid and I would probably agree.
But in business, the truth is we never really know what kind of people we are dealing with. We don’t know their intellect, their background or their experiences. So it’s up to us make sure we are crystal clear in all our business dealings. We cannot afford the disasters that come with assumptions.
Have you ever experienced difficulty or frustration because of assumptions? Fill us in…
Photo Courtesy of Carolyn Coles
(c) 2009, The Alicia Arenas Companies, LLC
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
That is both horrible and hilarious. I make my wife carry a pepper spray canister, and I can tell you from an accidental dose that it’s rough stuff.
Assumptions usually get us into trouble. We still make them anyway, though.
It was horrible at the time, but sooo funny now! I think we’ll always make some assumptions in the little things. But in business, sometimes the little things can end up being BIG ugly thing. It’s a caution so that we don’t assume that the person we’re talking to/dealing with understands everything we are saying. One of the best ways to get on the same page with a client or customer is to create an informal “Agreement for Services” or an official contract. One of my mentors creates contracts for the non-profit, donation work she does.
PS – Sorry about your encounter with the pepper spray. It works, though doesn’t it!
Too funny, and yet oh-so-painful to think about. A great reminder for those of us who assume we are being crystal clear only to find the waters muddied. BTW – remind me to never run into you a dark alley!