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Colleague at work got angry because I couldn't help them?
I was at work and a colleague asked me to help them fix an error they had with the machinery. They had really done a number on it because I had never seen it do that before. I told them I truthfully didn't know the answer and that I had to do my own job before I could help them. I gave my sympathy and my apologies and recommended they ask another member of staff. That didn't go down very well with them. They literally thought I was lying about not knowing and they wouldn't let me leave until I had resolved it for them. They got so pissed that I wasn't answering their questions.
How can I handle a situation like this better? How could I have ended this more quickly so I could get back to my work? Did my response really come off as deceitful like I was lying about not knowing on purpose?
4 Answers
- Anonymous2 weeks ago
No knowing is not the same as "resolved it for them"
. It sounds like you did know how to fix it, so you are lying.
Not knowing = not being able to resolve the issue at all.
Sorry, not my department.
- 2 weeks ago
I think your colleague was very rude. Surely there is an expert in machinery in your department who could have helped him. I would have gone to the manager and explained the whole situation.
- Sam SpayedLv 72 weeks ago
A. "I truthfully didn't know the answer"
B. "and that I had to do my own job before I could help them."
A was absolutely fine to say, B not so much.
A sounds like there's nothing you can do to help ("I can't help you"); versus B which sounds like you could help, but helping out a coworker is not a priority ("I have my own job to do before I help you.")
And if A were true, why would you even go there to B? That's what made you sound deceitful. Inconsistent defenses always cause suspicion.
"I don't know the answer. What the heck did you do to it? I've never seen it do *that* before! No, I really can't help; I'm afraid it's just going to get worse if I start dicking around with it. When I get stuck, Terry or Julie usually can get me out of it; let's see if they can help."
