Business lunches are the epitome of tedious/tedium

[FunnysInTheGarden]

I mean why. Really. Dullsville. Can you tell I went to one today? That 1.5 hours could have been fun.............

[EauDeLaPoisson]

At least food is involved. There is never any food in any of the boring things I do at work

[BackforGood]

I dunno - never been on one. Can't help thinking it would beat my squashed sandwhiches at my desk though.

[FunnysInTheGarden]

seriously, I would rather have squashed sandwiches. Making small talk to folk you would never socialise with normally even over a glass of Pouilly Fume and a chicken ceaser salad is fucking tedious

[garlicfrother]

I used to love them and once made lunch last 13 hours But, then, I love food and finding out my companion's one interesting topic! If all else fails, you can get them to join you in evil speculation about the other diners.

[BrandyAlexander]

Would rather have a sandwich than a 2/3 course meal that leaves you stuffed all afternoon! Mine got cancelled today!

[garlicfrother]

x-post. That's where you went wrong! Small talk. Engage their passions as quick as possible, everybody's got one :)

[FunnysInTheGarden]

oh I love food, just had a gut full of law/property folk I think

[troisgarcons]

1.5 hours ... ooh :-( small fry
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Perhaps you will be invited out for dinner next time, if you can up your conversation

[garlicfrother]

novice - your sandwich got cancelled? Tragic :(

[FunnysInTheGarden]

novice Result! And their passions, jeysus. 4 hours of swiss cinema is enough to put one off other people's passions for life

[MollieO]

I get invited out to lunch all the time. I probably accept one per month and that is only to stop people pestering me. Hate it.

[FunnysInTheGarden]

honestly trois any amount of time is too much time to spend with folk you don't want to be with. Boring fuckery

[MegIet]

Yanbu. They used to drive me up the wall.

In my old job we had a great supplier who didn't insist on taking me out for a meal when I visited the factory. Instead they made me a big plate of my fave sarnies, crisps and a mug of tea while we chatted in the boardroom. They were great, and they got the deal as they actually listed to me and weren't trying to be flash nobs.

[BrandyAlexander]

Lol! I am such a dimwit :) I was supposed to have a business lunch but it got cancelled so I was able to have just a salad, which was all I wanted. I always feel under pressure to make the lunches last longer (to get the most out of it) so will have 2 or 3 courses. I can then barely stay awake for the rest of the afternoon!

[garlicfrother]

I once built a beautiful business relationship with a Very Big Player on the fact that I let him talk about motorways for hours. Swiss cinema sounds slightly more stimulating. Only very slightly, mind you.

[ooer]

I tell you what I hate, it is team lunches where you have to pay your own, and they take ages which is all coming out of your flexi time.

[BrandyAlexander]

I do think the more lunches I do the better I get at them. I still find them really stilted though.

[garlicfrother]

You've happened on the reason why my lunches tended to last longer, novice! If I'm going to be sleepy in the afternoon, I want to be in a comfy restaurant getting drunk

[garlicfrother]

Argh, those team lunches! There's always some dickbrain wanting to pay only for exactly what they ordered, too!

[emsyj]

Work lunches/dinners are ok if you get to go somewhere swanky for free and they don't last too long. I am so greedy that I am pretty happy with free food and don't require conversation too - just the nom is enough to keep me happy.

So, YABU. Only boring people get bored!

Altho I do have really painful memories of an evening client entertainment event that I was 'forced' to go to despite having dry socket infection following wisdom teeth extraction (hideously painful and had chipmunk cheek) - I got stuck with one client all evening who got progressively drunker on the free champagne (that I couldn't sniff even a drop of due to antibiotics that make you throw up if you mix them with alcohol) and kept telling me how uncomfortable he found these sort of events so he always ended up drinking too much.

Hum, maybe YANBU after all....!

[FunnysInTheGarden]

we went somewhere unswanky, so IANBU .

[emsyj]

OOOOOOOh on the 'team lunch' point I do recall going to a rather 'naice' restaurant (suggested by the partner in charge of the team ) which was quite expensive, so most people ordered pasta or pizza with no starter and just a soft drink, then the obnoxious partner ordered calamari, steak, 3 different side dishes, a bottle of expensive wine and a bread selection and at the end, suggested we all split the fucking bill!!!! He was swiftly set straight. Cheeky bugger.

[garlicfrother]

Eeuw, sore tooth night sounds grim!

Am going to leave this thread now, due to severe nostalgia for my days as a conversational lush on expenses :( :(

If anybody wants a stooge to stand in for them at tedious business lunches & dinners, PM me

[catgirl1976]

They are dull

I was on one once. Me on my own with male client at top of Oxo Tower. Once the deal was done, client ordered bottle of champagne.

Waiter brought it over and said in really pervy voice........."a lovely little treat for you madam". Like he thought we were 'together'

It made me a bit boaky. Don't know why but it did.

[pleasethanks]

Oh, I hear you. They can be tedious and painful. Most of the time I would rather be eating my packed lunch at my desk and surfing the net than having to make small talk whilst twitching at someone eating with their mouth open.

I don't agree only boring people get bored. If people have nae chat, it is them that is boring, not the person trying to extract the information out of them!