Irate E-mail from superior work colleague

John400

Hi, looking for opinions on this one.

I was at my desk in work at the start of December and i noticed that the toner for my photocopier was begining to run out. I followed work protocol and e-mailed reception to ask them was there any toner in stock, and i was informed that there was none left.

Later that afternoon a work colleague (superior position in the company) arrived at my desk and asked me for the previous empty toner box, i gave it to him...he then walked off and said nothing to me.

Myself and other colleagues who worked beside me assumed that he was re-ordering the toner for us, which was understandable. Fast forward to early January, i e-mailed the superior in question and asked him politely if he was in fact re-ordering the toner for us as a month had passed. No e-mail was received back from him.

To last Monday (another week later)...my colleagues asked me if i could send the superior in question a reminder e-mail as we were nearing the end of the toner cartridge. I did.

This is the e-mail i received back from my superior:

'***** (my name...no 'Hi')

I LEFT the empty box with *****in Reception so she could take the details. I DO NOT ORDER CONSUMABLES. It is NOT MY JOB to re-order. You WILL HAVE TO ASK ******* about it as he re-ordered the LAST TIME.

******his e-mail signature, no 'regards'

We were shocked. I politely e-mailed him back and informed him that i was unaware that the box had been left in Reception.

A few questions:

1. Why take the empty box, walk off and not say what he was planning to do?

2. If he is not officially directed by the company to re-order goods then why take the empty box in the first place?

3. Why leave things for a month and a half after receiving genuine e-mails requesting reslolution to the problem, and ignore them?

4. When initially taking the box, could he not have said to me 'I'm going to leave this in Reception for a re-order to take place'

5. Why not answer the queries earlier to cease the general wondering about it?

6. Why the attitude in his e-mail when a genuine query is being made?

7. Could he not say 'this is the reason i took the box' face-to-face or by e-mail?

8. If he didn't want to tell us what he was doing could he not have instructed Reception to fill us in?

Jumpy

I think the personal issue here is that you are far too sensitive. Harden up. Ignore what tone you "think" it was sent in. Emails have no emotion.

dellas1979

OMG - seriously I couldnt believe your 8 questions over ordering toner and an email received from your superior.
As I read down, I thought there was going to be a really really bad email.
WTF?
Ok - you are a little hurt by the POSSIBLE tone of the email - you'll live.
If this is how you portray yourself here, completely over analysing a stupid email, then god bless your superior.

John400

Jumpy wrote: »

I think the personal issue here is that you are far too sensitive. Harden up. Ignore what tone you "think" it was sent in. Emails have no emotion.

I'm as hard as nails believe me, sensitive isn't me.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that you would have to contain your delight at receving that e-mail, after trying to read a work colleagues mind for the best part of a month and a half?

I'm given no instruction/information at work. Guess, oh and harden up mate.

C'mon!

Jumpy

John400 wrote: »

I'm as hard as nails believe me, sensitive isn't me.

Are you seriously trying to tell me that you would have to contain your delight at receving that e-mail, after trying to read a work colleagues mind for the best part of a month and a half?

I'm given no instruction/information at work. Guess, oh and harden up mate.

C'mon!

At least he didnt take your red stapler.

Sorry but I sense troll now.

the glass woman

John400 wrote: »

Are you seriously trying to tell me that you would have to contain your delight at receving that e-mail, after trying to read a work colleagues mind for the best part of a month and a half?

I think trying to read your colleagues mind for a month and a half, and coming up with that list of questions is the actual problem here! I really don't think it was worth giving it a second thought! Try not to over think things so much.

John400

Jumpy wrote: »

At least he didnt take your red stapler.

Thanks for the constructive post.

Can't wait for the next person lucky enough to get a job at my place.

Am i doing the right thing? Do you think i'm going to tell you??

Jumpy

Well if you are actually serious, letting tiny issues such as this get you worked up will result in an early grave from sheer stress. People sometimes get narky. You have to deal with that if you deal with people.
That mail is extremely tame. Hence why I thought you were trying to do an office space style troll.

jdivision

Why didn't you just ask instead of doing it all by email. I think he's right - if you have an issue/lack of toner discuss why keep emailing?

creative100

I don't think the previous posts are helpful, the superior is quite obviously a prick.

matt-dublin

I think the question is why are you asking your superior to order toner.

Sh1t flows downhill, you should have followed up with reception

LegacyUser

Sounds like he was BUSY and just fired of a QUICK email to you! However, there is a tone to it through his use of CAPITALS. I think from looking at the email that he was irritated and expressed this in the reply but I don't think there's anything aggressive about it!

astra2000

JOHN it sounds as if you have issues with this guy and this silly incident has tipped you over the edge. I am going to be honest and tell you there was nothing wrong with his mail, sure it wasnt as overly cordial but neither was it down right rude. It sounded as if it was a reply from someone whos job it is not to place orders, presumably you know who orders the stock it would have made sense to go straight to them with your query.

ztoical

creative100 wrote: »

I don't think the previous posts are helpful, the superior is quite obviously a prick.

Hardly, he's acting like a superior but prick based on the email above, no. Seriously having spent the whole of today locked in a production office with higher ups trust me what he wrote was down right nice.

Seriously over reading into everything OP.

messymess

OP, why "assume" he was ordering anything just because he took the empty box?

If his email seemed a little snotty it may be because you annoyed him. Having said that he's displayed immature with that type of reply. I don't even know why you replied to that email ... pick up the phone ... walk over to this desk ... get in his face!

You probably haven't been in the working world for long? Because if this annoys you, you're in for one VERY hard ride.

zxcvbnm1

Have to agree way ott by the op.

True - the mail wasn't particularly nice. But at most it deserved a roll of the eyes to heaven, show the colleagues the mail and have a quick laugh/butch about the boss and mentally mark his card slightly for the future.

It most certainly did not deserve this list of rambling questions which clearly the op had been thinking about most likely all evening.

As another poster said, man up !

Distorted

I don't think this was an irrate email. It curt and to the point and shows signs of exasperation at being repeatedly asked about something that was obviously not his job when he had far more important things to do. He ignored you the first time because you should have known that from common sense.

It would probably be a good idea to wise up about office heirachy and to realise you can't hassle superiors over admin type issues that are obviously not their job. Why did you wait so long without contacting Reception yourselves?

The lesson is, if it is you who wants the toner, order it yourself! Expecting a superior to do menial admin tasks for you that you should be doing yourself is really not the done thing.

Monkey Allen

I'd advise to stop using email as a means to find out if someone ordered the toner. If this was a question to be posed to several people, that would make sense. But I always find it to be a chicken way out of talking to someone when they send an email to a person who was within earshot of them. Its as if everything needs to be made official and recorded. Even who ordered the bloody toner.

Danniboo

Jumpy wrote: »

I think the personal issue here is that you are far too sensitive. Harden up. Ignore what tone you "think" it was sent in. Emails have no emotion.

That's not entirely true. You are always told not to put text in CAPS when texting when sending an e-mail as it's seen as shouting. I think OP you are overreacting. The guy does sound like he's a bit insulted at the very thought of being asked to do something that is not in his job description, Bless him. But to be honest i'd just get over it and at least you know not to approach him to order toner next time

AnonoBoy

The guy seems a bit annoying but hey that's life.

It's an email you should laugh at, say "Jaysus who p*ssed on his cornflakes." and then forgot about.

It's not serious.

bubbaloo

Jesus, when I read this I didn't look at the poster's name and thought it was written by an over sensitive girl!
Seriously, grow up and get over it. It may not have been the most polite email ever written but neither was it overly rude.
Lesson to be learned here - Don't ever assume anything in the work place - if you want something done, do it yourself.

whippet

this email is symptomatic of what is wrong in a lot of offices these days.

What is wrong with speaking (yes with out typing it) to people. A 10 second conversation would have let everyone know what the story is.

In my office there is a few of these heads who do everything by email, if it wasn't emailed it didn't happen. These people are the most difficult people to deal with generally.

I can't believe that over the course of a month with no toner being replaced the OP didn't even casually say to the other party 'was that toner ordered' ....

Kingpin187

^^^ exactly Whippet

OP - "hey did you order replacement Toner?"

Superior - "No lol its not my job, left it in reception"

OP - "ok thanks"


total running time, 7 seconds.

Sorry, but if I was your superior and received silly emails like that I wouldnt be responding with enthusiasm and glee

ztoical

whippet wrote: »

this email is symptomatic of what is wrong in a lot of offices these days.

What is wrong with speaking (yes with out typing it) to people. A 10 second conversation would have let everyone know what the story is.

In my office there is a few of these heads who do everything by email, if it wasn't emailed it didn't happen. These people are the most difficult people to deal with generally.

I can't believe that over the course of a month with no toner being replaced the OP didn't even casually say to the other party 'was that toner ordered' ....

It depends on the size of the company. The OP doesn't state how large the office space is so it could very well be the other works in a different section or even a different floor. All they state is the other person arrived at his desk. Current place I work is spread over 6 floors. It would waste so much of my day if I had to walk up down to the different sections to ask questions. When ordering items like toner most companies would ask it be in writing or via email so theres a record in order to stop over ordering.

Monkey Allen

ztoical wrote: »

It depends on the size of the company. The OP doesn't state how large the office space is so it could very well be the other works in a different section or even a different floor. All they state is the other person arrived at his desk. Current place I work is spread over 6 floors. It would waste so much of my day if I had to walk up down to the different sections to ask questions. When ordering items like toner most companies would ask it be in writing or via email so theres a record in order to stop over ordering.

I'm sure they've equipped his desk with a phone. The emailing of ordering toner makes sense. Emailling twice to find out if it has been ordered is stupid and spineless.

thefeatheredcat

If the protocol was to contact Reception regarding toner re-orderings, he was probably irked at having to point it out to you, which sounds like what he did by email. He was probably thinking "there's a procedure in place, go ask them and not be bothering me."

He probably took the box to reception as if they're really paperwork and papertrail happy people, he probably had to sign off on it (being your superior) and was probably contacted by Reception to do so, hence getting an empty box which would have the exact type, model, serial numbers, etc. That doesn't need to be explained to you by a manager and is taken for granted that that is part of the process. It's most likely for him to ensure the task was done, but up to Reception to keep you updated on it, or for you to check in with Reception on the progress.

I wouldn't worry about this or take anything by it as he's probably forgotten about the email that was quickly fired off and the whole situation generally. But at least you've learned rather painlessly what to do next time, and at least you had the sense to check for toner before you ran out! Could have been a lot worse of a situation and a much worse of a response given, think yourself lucky.

LegacyUser

To be honest Op - I've seen worse emails.
I'm not going to say harden up, because I don't like receiving emails like that either, and it doesn't make them right. However all of us have bad days, and some of us are fortunate (?!) enough to be in a position where they can take their ire out on others.
Like I said, it doesn't make it right, but it's not worth getting worked up about either.

MagicMarker

Wow, I can only assume that the people who've already posted in this thread don't work in an office.

There is no way in hell I would be happy if someone sent me that email in work unless it was from a mate who I know was only messin'.

For a superior to send it is unacceptable, it's completely unprofessional.

Monkey Allen

MagicMarker wrote: »

Wow, I can only assume that the people who've already posted in this thread don't work in an office.

There is no way in hell I would be happy if someone sent me that email in work unless it was from a mate who I know was only messin'.

For a superior to send it is unacceptable, it's completely unprofessional.

Chances are most people on this thread work in an office. I do and have done for all my working life. I even remember when there was no email. The 'superior' was a little rude in his email but he had a very valid point.

wylo

His reply was well out of order, but you should be sorting it with reception not him. That said, no need for anyone to be spoken to in a workplace like that. Im not sensitive either, ive received plenty of that crap, have often gone on to be good friends with the same people, but at the end of the day, in general, people dont treat each other like that outside work so nobody should be allowed treat someone like that in work.

Also, I really dont see the point of this thread bar having a moan

mikemac

For this kind of thing you should get up from your desk and talk to people. Hate getting emails from somebody sitting beside me. Talk to me

Fair enough if it's something you need a record of but for a simple question like the OP asked, just ask, don't be clogging up somebody's mailbox

Some offices in Ireland are as quiet as churchs and people would rather email their neighbour then talk to them. Why?

Fair enough it's was a very sharp reply but leave it go. You'll forget this in a week

BostonB

whippet wrote: »

this email is symptomatic of what is wrong in a lot of offices these days.

What is wrong with speaking (yes with out typing it) to people. A 10 second conversation would have let everyone know what the story is.

In my office there is a few of these heads who do everything by email, if it wasn't emailed it didn't happen. These people are the most difficult people to deal with generally. ...

You also find the opposite. People who won't email, generally don't want it recorded. Or they are badly organised and want to ramble on the phone instead, of being clear and concise in an email. Which they have to think about rather then jumping on the phone and babbling on. Or interrupting you for something thats very low priority. Equally if you don't get a response to an email, it makes no sense to send a second email. You follow it up with a phone call, or knock on someones door. If someone doesn't reply, then find someone else who will.

That said I had someone fax me a screengrab the other day.

Chinafoot

What I would have the biggest problem with in this scenario is him ignoring your first email. That is plain rude. He could have very easily sent a quick reply to say "Reception actually deal with that so I left the box with them."

Getting thick with someone, as his lovely use of capitals quite clearly shows, for asking the same question that he previously ignored is pretty ridiculous.

Jaysoose

So the general timeline of this whole scenario is

1. Toner runs low and the OP asks reception if there was any more then the OP didnt think to re-order or contact the person responsible.

2. Boss picks up empty box off desk and nobody thinks to ask is he ordering toner there and then

3. A MONTH gos by without toner or anybody asking boss if he ordered it

4. Email to superior about toner gos out which gets ignored

5 Nobody thinks to ask superior about toner..

6 Second email gos out and Superior who at this stage is obviously frustrated at his staffs lack of common sense states the obvious.

Seriously if i was the superior i would be peeved at the general lack of common sense being shown and why should he be expected to micro manage something like this when people are sitting around finding ways not to sort out the issue and hiding behind emails and 'protocol'.

Distorted

Jaysoose wrote: »

Seriously if i was the superior i would be peeved at the general lack of common sense being shown and why should he be expected to micro manage something like this when people are sitting around finding ways not to sort out the issue and hiding behind emails and 'protocol'.

I was beginning to feel I was living in some kind of parallel universe where bosses are supposed to spend their time running around after new employees, ordering toner for them, sending them placatory emails in case the little souls get upset, and generally putting their needs before actually running the business.

This is the reason companies are reluctant to take on employees with no experience.

BostonB

Or they could put the procedure for ordering new toner on the wall beside the machine. Instead of ignoring it.

Jaysoose

BostonB wrote: »

Or they could put the procedure for ordering new toner on the wall beside the machine. Instead of ignoring it.

Maybe they could also have a training day on this, god knows its very hard to look up a number and make a phonecall to whomever is the facilities manager.

BostonB

I've never worked in a place where managers (facilities or otherwise) ordered toner. But the point is theres no need to look anything up if theres a number/instructions on/near the machine. Thats pretty standard anywhere I've worked. Never mind annoying another manager.

ebixa82

OP <snip>!

Also, I reckon it might be a little awkward if the superior in question happens to use boards which is not beyond the realms of possibility..

Jaysoose

BostonB wrote: »

I've never worked in a place where managers (facilities or otherwise) ordered toner. But the point is theres no need to look anything up if theres a number/instructions on/near the machine. Thats pretty standard anywhere I've worked. Never mind annoying another manager.

Its obvious that this is an easy fix but then some offices just operate less efficiently than others. Bit of a mountain out of a molehill in this case imo.

BostonB

Neither party is right in this scenario. Somethings don't need an email. But theres no reason not to reply to someone.