Getting tricked into doing someone's job for them.

[flotemysost]

I'm moving house soon, and my current lettings agency has started advertising the flat to new tenants. They called me on Wednesday to say they had someone coming to view it the following evening, if that was OK with me (which it was).

Got another call from the agency the following day, suggesting that "y'know, 'cause of covid and all that", it might be easier if they "stay out of my way", and I show the person round instead (I had assumed the agent would be taking them round while I waited outside). I'm the world's biggest pushover so I just sort of mechanically answered "yeah, of course", but realised before I'd even hung up that this setup was in no way any safer (covid-wise) for me, as it would require me actually being inside the flat with some random (and it's not a big flat).

Safety aside, if they're asking me to deploy my shit hot silver tongued real estate negotiation reflexes, am I going to get a cut of their commission if that person takes the flat? Am I fuck.

Viewing itself was fine, apart from commencing about an hour and a half later than the original scheduled time, and the prospective tenant didn't seem too keen (she had brought her elderly grandma along with her, who agreed to wait outside, but kept hissing discouraging prompts through the door. "But what about rats?! Ask her if she's seen a rat!").

Anyway, the more I think about it the more pissed off I am that I've had to waste a chunk of my evening waiting around to invite a stranger into my flat and getting stressed that they wouldn't be wearing a mask (they were), an exchange which is ultimately of no benefit to me whatsoever, regardless of outcome, all because someone at the agency blatantly decided couldn't be arsed to work on the evening before the Bank Holiday weekend.

This must all sound very petty I know, but my downtime is important at the moment even if I'm doing fuck all with it (and if the agency had organised it properly, i.e. their fucking job, it could have been a quick 10-to-15-minute-r - especially remembering the very stressful amount of pressure they put on me to agree on the spot when I viewed this flat). And someone with bad social anxiety could be pretty freaked out by the prospect of having to talk to a random person at short notice, particularly given the current circumstances. I know it's my fault for saying yes, but as well as being a complete spineless supine pathetic pushover I also wanted to get this sorted as soon as possible to minimise the number of times this has to happen, ironically.

Anyway, anyone else got a tale of being shamelessly inveigled to do someone else's job? (Trying not to make this specifically another "estate agents/landlords are cunts" thread, but private rental chicanery stories always welcome.)

[Huxleys Babkins]

My boss decided not to replace our receptionist when she retired and tried to use me as a secretary for a bit, on top of my normal role. No extra pay or time to complete my normal duties, just pure pisstakery.

Whenever someone tries to take the piss, I just do the task incredibly badly until I'm asked to stop. I made it two weeks of purposefully noting down the odd name, number, time and date incorrectly. Not enough to make me look incompetent, just enough to massively inconvenience him and make him think I wasn't cut out for it. A new receptionist was hired very quickly.

[Icehaven]

A few years ago my boss got suddenly and unexpectedly marched out by security and permanently banned from the premises. We're employed by the local council rather than by the institution we work in, which meant he wasn't fired but he effectively could no longer do his job as he wasn't allowed on site. It all came out of nowhere so I had to try and hold the fort while we worked out how we were going to manage, as it was only him and me in our department anyway so I was now basically solely responsible for the place.

He went off to work in his boss's office while he appealed  (and I never actually found out why he'd been banned, although I'm fairly sure it was nothing illegal, rather a combination of a few things not permitted by our workplace) and that dragged on for 5 months, during which other than a bit of admin and book ordering he couldn't really do much so I was sort of doing both our jobs. I'm not bigging myself up too much here by the way as a few projects didn't happen and some outreach type stuff had to just stop for a while because I couldn't do it all, and I had two officers around as well who were great so I didn't have to literally do everything myself. Anyway after 5 months he found another job, dropped the appeal and left so I was officially put as 'acting manager' with the requisite pay rise, then after another god know how many months the vacancy was advertised properly and I applied and got it (I was also the only candidate).
So it all worked out OK for me in the end, and tbh I didn't really like my boss that much so I didn't feel too bad about the whole thing. I actually much preferred not having him around even when I was doing both our jobs on only my salary, it was worth it. And now I'm drunk on power, DRUNK.

[flotemysost]

Whenever someone tries to take the piss, I just do the task incredibly badly until I'm asked to stop. I made it two weeks of purposefully noting down the odd name, number, time and date incorrectly.

"Anyone call while I was out?"
"Let me see... ah yes, there was a MR. POO POO HEAD who would like an appointment with you at 03:27AM in exactly five years' time, you can reach him on 8008135"

Asking staff to "step up" at short notice/without sufficient support, knowing that they're unlikely to say no simply because it's an opportunity to "step up" - especially in organisations and industries which aren't great at providing those opportunities normally - is pretty commonplace.

I'm sort of in that situation myself at work at the moment - I've covering for someone and although I've had a job title change and a pay rise which I'm obviously not complaining about, I'm not sure what the fuck I'm doing and I'm really floundering - it was sort of sprung on me while working from home (most likely because getting me to take on someone else's role was cheaper/easier than hiring a newbie) and I don't think they even considered the possibility that I might say no.

Which is a quandary enough, but being being asked to do someone else's work when I'm the one paying them (my lettings agency) is just taking the piss.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Whenever someone tries to take the piss, I just do the task incredibly badly until I'm asked to stop. I made it two weeks of purposefully noting down the odd name, number, time and date incorrectly. Not enough to make me look incompetent, just enough to massively inconvenience him and make him think I wasn't cut out for it. A new receptionist was hired very quickly.

Top weaselling, I approve. Up there with intentionally asking far too many questions when someone tries to palm off some pointless busywork.

[Jockice]

I did a paper round in my early teens. Because I was fairly reliable - and because I lived about five doors away from the shop - they started asking me if I could do part of other kids' rounds when they didn't turn up. I didn't mind occasionally, but then suddenly all these extra roads became included in my permanent round to the point I could hardly lift the bag. I wasn't asked or offered any extra money for it. Taught me a very important lesson, if bosses can take advantage of you they will. Thank heavens I don't have one any more. A boss or a paper round.

[Dex Sawash]

At 55 I no longer have grip strength to perform the occasional auto mechanic task in front of me. I do have six foot four jackmormon Shawn in the next bay, he has retained 100% of his mormon niceness and earnestness. "Hey Shawn, see if you can get this starter nut loose" <sits on stool for 20 minutes while task is completed>

[Johnny Yesno]

A few years ago my boss got suddenly and unexpectedly marched out by security and permanently banned from the premises...

...So it all worked out OK for me in the end, and tbh I didn't really like my boss that much so I didn't feel too bad about the whole thing. I actually much preferred not having him around even when I was doing both our jobs on only my salary, it was worth it. And now I'm drunk on power, DRUNK.

Cunning!

[Icehaven]

Cunning!

;)

[Zetetic]

jackmormon

I've learnt a new term, thanks to this.

[checkoutgirl]

Next time they ask you could say no. Or fuck with them and go completely silent whenever they ask you to do their job. Just stop cooperating completely. Go out of your way to make sure there is no smooth handover. Stop answering the phone when they ring you. Just disappear one day and pop the keys in the letterbox as you fuck off. Neglect to pay the last couple of months rent and electricity. Write "Fuck My Balls" in your own faeces on the living room wall.

Stuff like that.

[Aaron500]

I'm intrigued as to why the potential tenant's grandmother thought there might be rats.

[Paul Calf]

I'm moving house soon, and my current lettings agency has started advertising the flat to new tenants. They called me on Wednesday to say they had someone coming to view it the following evening, if that was OK with me (which it was).

Got another call from the agency the following day, suggesting that "y'know, 'cause of covid and all that", it might be easier if they "stay out of my way", and I show the person round instead (I had assumed the agent would be taking them round while I waited outside). I'm the world's biggest pushover so I just sort of mechanically answered "yeah, of course", but realised before I'd even hung up that this setup was in no way any safer (covid-wise) for me, as it would require me actually being inside the flat with some random (and it's not a big flat).

Safety aside, if they're asking me to deploy my shit hot silver tongued real estate negotiation reflexes, am I going to get a cut of their commission if that person takes the flat? Am I fuck.

Viewing itself was fine, apart from commencing about an hour and a half later than the original scheduled time, and the prospective tenant didn't seem too keen (she had brought her elderly grandma along with her, who agreed to wait outside, but kept hissing discouraging prompts through the door. "But what about rats?! Ask her if she's seen a rat!").

Anyway, the more I think about it the more pissed off I am that I've had to waste a chunk of my evening waiting around to invite a stranger into my flat and getting stressed that they wouldn't be wearing a mask (they were), an exchange which is ultimately of no benefit to me whatsoever, regardless of outcome, all because someone at the agency blatantly decided couldn't be arsed to work on the evening before the Bank Holiday weekend.

This must all sound very petty I know, but my downtime is important at the moment even if I'm doing fuck all with it (and if the agency had organised it properly, i.e. their fucking job, it could have been a quick 10-to-15-minute-r - especially remembering the very stressful amount of pressure they put on me to agree on the spot when I viewed this flat). And someone with bad social anxiety could be pretty freaked out by the prospect of having to talk to a random person at short notice, particularly given the current circumstances. I know it's my fault for saying yes, but as well as being a complete spineless supine pathetic pushover I also wanted to get this sorted as soon as possible to minimise the number of times this has to happen, ironically.

Anyway, anyone else got a tale of being shamelessly inveigled to do someone else's job? (Trying not to make this specifically another "estate agents/landlords are cunts" thread, but private rental chicanery stories always welcome.)

A letting agent tried this on with me, often turning up without notice. They stopped doing that when they realised that I was telling the potential tenants what lying bastards they were.

[The Ombudsman]

I'm moving house soon, and my current lettings agency has started advertising the flat to new tenants. They called me on Wednesday to say they had someone coming to view it the following evening, if that was OK with me (which it was)

Same thing happened to me years ago. I told the people I was showing around that the flat was owned by powerful Triads.

[touchingcloth]

Viewing itself was fine, apart from commencing about an hour and a half later than the original scheduled time, and the prospective tenant didn't seem too keen (she had brought her elderly grandma along with her, who agreed to wait outside, but kept hissing discouraging prompts through the door. "But what about rats?! Ask her if she's seen a rat!").

Big laugh at rat gran.

[MoreauVasz]

I want rat gran to stand outside my door while I'm having sex.

"Was that a rrrrrat? Piles of corpssseeeessss. Open bin bagssssss"

[flotemysost]

Next time they ask you could say no. Or fuck with them and go completely silent whenever they ask you to do their job. Just stop cooperating completely. Go out of your way to make sure there is no smooth handover. Stop answering the phone when they ring you. Just disappear one day and pop the keys in the letterbox as you fuck off. Neglect to pay the last couple of months rent and electricity. Write "Fuck My Balls" in your own faeces on the living room wall.

Stuff like that.

Well, the COVID excuse was clearly a ruse for them to fuck off early/have a few beers in the office or whatever on Thursday evening, as they're showing someone round tomorrow. I'd dearly love to sabotage any future viewings, but what with the stress and hassle of having to fling open the windows and saturate everything in Dettol every time after they've gone, I'd rather not drag it out.

Cunts had the cheek to charge me a holding deposit to take it off the market when I viewed it, which I sort of hate myself for complying with (I know it's very common practice in London), so they'll probably do the same to the next hapless twat.

They also asked me today if calling was definitely the best way to reach me, as I "don't often pick up straight away" - well yes, because I'm working, how else do they think I'm paying for this place?

I'm intrigued as to why the potential tenant's grandmother thought there might be rats.

It's above a restaurant and there are big industrial bins outside the front door, also the communal hallway is a bit rank and there's a greasy aroma, so it's not an unreasonable hunch tbf. Though I've never seen a rat in here. Apart from the estate agent ahhhh

[TrenterPercenter]

Story of my life; I am forever doing someone else's job; whether it is a boss that doesn't show up for work for a year or family that rely on me to do most physical and emotional tasks; this is what I do; it is my purpose in life it seems.