Recently, I wrote a post about people sharing things that people outside their industry just can't grasp. Well, our BuzzFeed Community came through with their own examples of common things they have to repeat, emphasize, and stress to clients, customers, and the public at their place of work.
Here's what they said:
1. Dog Trainer:
"We don't train your dog for you. We teach you how to train your dog so it'll respond to you."
2. PR Professional:
"Much of what you read in the press (quotes from experts, news about a company, etc.) has been written by a 20-something at an agency and then scanned by the company rep, and maybe the person the quote is being attributed to. It’s all very orchestrated. We also like to help junior agency staff develop their skills, so we give press release writing and quote drafting to them. It all very rarely comes from the company or expert."
4. Barista:
"Ordering your coffee at the register and then walking over to the hand-off window to stare at the baristas does not get your drink made any faster. Drinks are made in the order they are received, and the five drinks that were ordered before yours still have to be made first. Also, adding modifications to your drink while you’re waiting for it so you don’t have to pay for them slows everything down and is really just not cool."
5. Medical Receptionist:
"We don't care if you're a teacher. You can just tell us you want a later appointment without saying, 'Well I'm a teacher,' because we do not care. Most people coming in have jobs they have to be at, and you're talking to someone that works the same hours as every other doctor's office. Stop acting like your profession is more important than anyone else's."
(Again, this response is someone else — NOT ME! So please don't send me DMs!)
6. Pharmacist:
"Yes, your prescription is going to take 15 minutes. We have 200 prescriptions ahead of yours. Plus, we want to make sure we give you the correct thing. This isn't McDonald's, where they forgot to take the pickles off your sandwich."
7. Aged Care Nurse:
"Yes, your mom might have to wait a few minutes after pressing the call bell overnight. We are not a hospital, and that carer has 31 other residents who are all her responsibility as well. They also have a long list of other duties that have been put on them.
8. Truck drivers:
"Yes, we go that slow. We can't go faster. We have a set speed on the truck. They are governed to not go past 65. Don't cut in front of trucks — we can't stop as fast as you if you don't give us space to stop. It takes half a football field for a truck to stop. Yes, we have to park here; otherwise, you don't get food. I need food, too, but there are no other places to park. No, you can't park in truck spots just because you're on a camping trip with your camper. Just because there are some campers in the truck parking does not mean they're camping. They are transporters who are WORKING."
9. Wine/Beer Retail Worker:
"No, I don’t know that wine/beer made by that boutique winery/brewery you had on vacation 25 years ago overseas."
10. Heating Contractor:
"Fireplaces — just because it’s been like that for 30 years doesn’t make the installation correct. Sweeping your chimney might help, but it doesn’t negate the fact that there is wood all around it, which can dry out over the years and cause a major fire hazard. You have fire in the middle of your living room! People have no problem spending tons of money maintaining their cars or getting a new one when needed. Dealing with fire and being on the roof is not cheap for our insurance — we need to know every current fire code and standard. When it comes to the price of replacing—or even just maintenance—people would rather put their family at risk."
11. Climate Scientist:
"Yes, the cause of climate change at the present is indeed human activity. We are well aware the climate has changed during the history of the Earth. This isn't that. Yes, we doubled checked."
12. Notary:
"Yes, you do need valid, current photo ID in my state. It's a legal document that's verifying who are you and that it's YOU who signed a legal contract."
13. Deli Worker:
"It doesn't take 84 years to get something from the walk-in like people think. We don’t get to decide the prices on products. Most of us will try and hook you up with the cheapest, unless you specify otherwise. But if you're mean, we will give you the most expensive."
14. Personal Trainer:
"No, finding some free workouts created by an Instagram influencer is not the same thing as having a complete program written for your body, specific to your goals, broken down and taught to you for you to execute correctly with troubleshooting and encouragement along the way."
15. Therapist:
"Social workers, counselors, and psychologists can be therapists with either a Masters or a PhD. ONLY psychiatrists can prescribe medication, and most of them (at least in my area) don’t do an hour of talk therapy with their patients."
16. Accountants:
"Accountant here: Not all of us are tax experts. In fact, most of us don't regularly do tax returns other than our own each year."
17. Wedding Photographer:
"Bride says she wants a 'bright, airy' look to her photos. Then, she books her wedding in a dark, windowless barn at 5 p.m. in November. Makes no sense!"
18. Urgent Care Worker:
"We do simple things like ear infections, sprained ankles, COVID-19 testing, etc. If you are having a heart attack, stroke, dropped a running circular saw on your leg, or took a fastball to the face so now your orbital bones are shattered so much that your eyeballs are having trouble staying in your head (all true stories), please for the love of God, go to the ER! You're wasting valuable time and prolonging your suffering going to a doc-in-the-box."
19. Interpreter/Translator:
"Interpreters and translators are not the same thing. Also, sometimes there isn't an exact equivalence for terms between languages."
What about you? Which things do people outside your industry just not get? Let me know in the comments below!
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.