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Original poster

Why would you go to a meeting without knowing who it's with?

25 replies

Summertrees · 01/04/2019 13:46

Yes, I'm going to have a rant about work and dealing with the public.

If you went to a meeting, and you got into the building and there was a receptionist there, wouldn't you say something like "I'm here to see Peter Williams from Williams Accountants"?

Why do so many people go to meetings when they don't even know who it's with, or even the company name? I just don't get it. "I'm here to see Bob". I don't know who Bob is. There are lots of companies in this building, so hundreds of people. It's no good saying "the nanny agency" either because there's three nanny agencies in the building. Why would you not have this basic information with you?

Why are so many people confused by buildings with lots of companies in them?

I really don't understand the mentality at all.

OP posts:
endofthelinefinally · 01/04/2019 13:53

My friend works as a receptionist for local government.
I am begging her to write a book.
It isn't just the public, it's the other employees.
Her account of a typical day is a mix of comedy, tragedy and everything in between.

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 13:59

She's not the first person to be asked to write a book either. Several of my friends have suggested it to me. There's also been a few books written by taxi drivers who have all sorts of stories. People are just so weird. I'm not a mind reader and I don't know who your meeting is with!

OP posts:
Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 15:17

These people annoy me so much. Sometimes they even get annoyed with me when I don't magically know who their meeting is with. Why do people do this?

OP posts:

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HilaryBriss · 01/04/2019 15:19

I feel your pain. I work in a University and our building is one of the first that you come to when coming onto campus. Despite there being clear signs pointing to the University reception, every man and his dog seems to come into our School reception.

They have usually come for an interview or meeting and have no idea who it is with or what department they should be in. They then look at us as if we are supposed to know what they are talking about and that they have an appointment with David in a building across the other side of campus!

I wouldn't dream of turning up without the letter or email that invited me to a meeting/interview and a clear idea of who I was going to see.

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 15:49

Also I really despair of some job seekers. We've just had someone pop in to ask if he could register with one of the several recruitment agencies in the building. He then asked what sort of jobs they dealt with. Why wouldn't you at least have a look at their website to find that out first? I mean I knew some agencies have out of date listings, but at least you can see vaguely what kind of thing they have. There's no point trying to register with an agency that recruits teachers if you're looking to work as a truck driver. I'm really shocked by the basic lack of common sense.

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singymummy · 01/04/2019 16:27

i completely feel your pain, but equally think, the people who are in the building having the meeting, shouldnt they be telling the external guests tell reception downstairs you're here to see me from X company on floor Y.

basic lack of sense from everyone haha

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 16:34

shouldnt they be telling the external guests tell reception downstairs you're here to see me from X company on floor Y.

Believe me I wish I could ask everyone in the building to mention this on all correspondence. But it still doesn't explain why some people don't even know the name of the person they've been emailing, and surely the company name would be in the footer of all the emails they've sent out.

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isabellerossignol · 01/04/2019 16:40

I answered the phone in work once to a panicked lady on the other end of the phone saying she couldn't find her office and was late to her interview. I knew we weren't holding any interviews so asked for more information. Another organisation had given our address and phone number as their contact details on the letter they had sent her. Confused I had no idea what their address was, so I couldn't even help. I felt really sorry for her.

isabellerossignol · 01/04/2019 16:41

Couldn't find our office, that should say.

Hiddenaspie1973 · 01/04/2019 16:44

Nope. I'm the sort who is agitated when i turn up for a meeting to find 10 uninvited fuckers in addition to the 4 we actually invited. FFS.

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 17:39

I've had to deal with some really difficult people today. Angry

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Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 17:50

Oh and then there's the ones who expect you to phone every company in the building to find out who the meeting is with. No! Just check your email.

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SD1978 · 01/04/2019 18:06

In a hospital here. I've come to see my mum.......I currently have 27 of them- can you be a tad more specific?

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 19:04

Can't I just take my pick? Grin

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LashesZ · 01/04/2019 19:12

I cover reception in a hospital from time to time. I dread the people that come in and yell at me when I tell them they are on the waiting list and can't yet offer them an appointment. Firstly, what did you think actually turning up would do to your position on the list? And secondly, yelling at me doesn't make me want to do any mates rates I could possibly do. I had someone throw their procedure booklet at me the other day. Angry

WrongKindOfFace · 01/04/2019 19:14

In a hospital here. I've come to see my mum.......I currently have 27 of them- can you be a tad more specific?

A nurse friend despairs of people (mostly men) who don’t know the name of the person they’re visiting. What’s her name? Nana. Do you know her proper name? No, she’s just Nana.

jackparlabane · 01/04/2019 19:27

I have to work with a really annoying woman. One annoying thing she does is never put her contact details in emails. So I turn up to meet her for the first time and the receptionist asked if I knew where to go.
No. No idea where in this 8-floor building she is, what she looks like, or her phone number. By the time another half - dozen attendees rolled in with the same problem , the receptionist was not a happy bunny.

Still, at least she'd told us the right building. Unlike the recent training event I went to which just gave "Company Name, Docklands" as the destination. We assumed it was the same building the previous session had been in. But no. It was another building owned by Company that's too small to be on Citimapper. Three train stops away.
Company is now refusing to let My Work use their premises any more...

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 01/04/2019 19:29

I get this at work, usually someone sees my white tunic and assumes I know the whereabouts and clinic rotas of every department ( depaments that have nothing to do with mine )

I have become expert in knowing which department has which waiting room , when the finish , and if not , I can either redirect someone to the Reception (which they always counter with "they sent me here" ) or wandering round to check myself .

Sometimes they are the wrong floor , sometimes the wrong building

Original poster
Summertrees · 01/04/2019 19:38

A nurse friend despairs of people (mostly men) who don’t know the name of the person they’re visiting. What’s her name? Nana. Do you know her proper name? No, she’s just Nana.

Just when I thought I'd heard it all!

How can you not know your grandparents' name?

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Original poster
Summertrees · 02/04/2019 14:14

It's all happening again...

I'm getting fed up of people who pop in without an appointment! There's a lot of very small companies in the building with 2-4 people, so if they go out for a meeting or lunch break, or work from home that day, then nobody will answer the phone. Then the visitor will get annoyed with me. "Can't I just go up to their office to see if they're there?" No. There's a reason they're not picking up the phone! Plus there's several agencies in the building who won't see people without an appointment, so if I sent random people up I'd get told off.

I know this happens a bit in most buildings, but this building is just ridiculous! Hopefully I'll only be here for another couple of weeks.

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Original poster
Summertrees · 03/04/2019 12:37

OMG the stress levels are through the roof today! This place is so disorganised and of course all the visitors think that's my fault. I know this company will be slow to recruit a permanent person as well as they'll just say well we have the temp here so we're not in a hurry. They've even asked me if I want the permanent job myself. No thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
Summertrees · 03/04/2019 13:44

Btw the reason why they needed a temp receptionist here is because their usual person is off sick with stress and they don't know if she's coming back or not! I can't possibly think why Hmm

I'm actually getting worried because I was off with stress myself for most of January and February, due to the stress caused by another company I worked at in December. I'm supposed to be looking after my health!

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Original poster
Summertrees · 04/04/2019 13:01

My goodness we have some SERIOUSLY rude people visiting this building. I just can't understand some people's mentality. I've worked in numerous buildings and most of them are fine, but this one is just ridiculous!

OP posts:
MulticolourMophead · 04/04/2019 14:47

Is there any way to get senior staff to address this with the different offices in the building?

Angie169 · 04/04/2019 15:10

I work in a high security building where everyone MUST carry photo ID at all times as well as the company ID Pass card.
When ever i have to arrange for outside visited again and treats their must give me 48 hours notice they must provide a government recognised ID and if they come in by car they must give the registration plate number. This is on every single email we send out in bold red letters yet the amount of people turn up on spec because they were nearby or don't have photo ID I don't know who they're coming to see absolutely astounds me they get shirty when they are turned away.
Last week I had one come down from the other end of the country in a different van so different reg number no photo ID and 4 hours after he was due, ( we give everyone a two hour window slot, ) he was surprised that he got turned away !

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