Ask Amy: Working from home reveals unsavory habits
Dear Amy: Working at home during the pandemic has given me a glimpse into how my wife conducts business.
She is often rude to her customers and co-workers, with a particularly annoying habit of loudly talking over them to try and gain the verbal upper hand. She also frequently battles with her boss instead of trying to work to mutually agreeable solutions.
I’ve tried to offer suggestions and techniques from my years of corporate experience but am waved off.
The company she works for is small, poorly run, and the level of professionalism is generally low, which is why I’m sure she wasn’t fired a long time ago. But who knows what the future holds? We need both of our incomes right now.
I’m at a loss about how to handle this when I see and hear these cringe-worthy mistakes.
Should I just keep my mouth shut?
She’s probably a year away from retirement and I doubt she’s going to change, but she’s always frustrated and crabby at the end of the day, and I know a large part of that is how she conducts herself.
Jaw Dropped in Denver
Dear Jaw Dropped: I’m assuming that your wife’s behavior also surfaces during your domestic life. Is she rude to wait staff at restaurants, prickly toward medical personnel, or impatient and imperious when negotiating home repairs with service workers? Does she talk over you in an effort to get the upper hand in a conversation?
Perhaps you assumed that she would behave differently (as most of us do) when at work.
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