Noisy person in open plan office - how best to tackle

[woodrot]

I am opposed to regional sterotyping. it is a lazy, sloppy heuristic that has no place in the 21st century. Except for Mancunians. they do indeed speak through their nose, live entirely on pie n gravy and are drug fiends to a man.

[nashoi]

How does your HR dept feel about medieval torture techniques? You need a noisemakers fife

 

[Louisa]

Reeko, apology accepted. I'm glad you take an equal opportunities approach to class based stereotypes, and thank you for pointing out other allegedly grating minor celebrity voices. I for one find a certain national weather presenter rather annoying, he's just very monotone, by the by of course.

Does your co-workers boss has his teeth professionally bleached or does he use those tip-ex style paint jobbies from boots? He may well be 'Technical Middle Class' in which case complaining may not help. Studies have shown that those falling into said category tend to have the disposable income to engage in self-gratifying pastimes, but they lack in 'cultural capital' and so may not take too kindly to any complaints you may have, especially accent based ones. Just thought I'd better let you know. Good luck anyway.

Louisa.

[HonaloochieB]

uncleglen Wrote:

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> (The only reason the working class London accent

> ie cockney accent, is irritating is because it has

> been sanitised out of TV except for screeching and

> hysterics in East Enders and gangster thug types

> in Danny Dyer and Vinny Jones films. Everyone has

> been conditioned to think BBC English=good,

> regional accents= dubious characters (when in fact

> the opposite is probably true)

No 'everyone' hasn't. There's no one more everyone than me and I reckon Dannys Baker & Kelly, Sean Lock, Alison Moyet, Jason Statham (when he's not an American), June Brown (more as herself, but but I'll 'low Dot Cotton), Jonathon + Paul Ross, Ray & Jaime Winston, Michael Caine (think Harry Brown), Robert Elms, Suggs and Eliza Doolittle have the most Londonly, smart and if you want 'cool' speaking voices.

Also, cause they make some effort, Evan Davis and John Humphries who frequently employ the word 'gonna' and inform the listener that we/she/he should "get" some weather/sport, oh, that transatlantic crossover, pure NYLON so it is.

And if Sarah Anne Loiuse Montague could be persuaded to chuff a Disque Bleu or two a day and take a little tuition from Jessie Wallace, then I would have no objection.

I'd also probably never leave the house before nine in the morning,

[reeko]

Oh no Louisa

he is clearly common and proud. He is from Liverpool (need I say more), indulges in fake tannery and wears too much after shave. I am not familiar with the different ways to achieve tipex white teeth, but no doubt his method is the most vulgar.

I fear our chat will not go smoothly. Can't think why.

[Louisa]

Yes common and proud, but equally has a decent job and can afford to indulge himself. It's a bit of a catch twenty two really. Despite the comfortable economics of his situation, he clearly has a hard to shift scouse accent judging by your description. This is an awkward situation. I genuinely believed we only had three classes, but according to recent studies we now have seven. I even had to tweak my own class test just so I could get the answer I wanted. This is all getting slightly confusing but, my point is, if he is from a 'Technical Middle Class' background he is basically a working class northerner who has landed on his feet with a decent job. He will therefore not understand or take kindly to accent based mocking or be somewhat sympathetic to the Pauline Fowler wannabe in your office, in which case you may need to alter your argument about her uncanny resemblance to said fictional working class hero.

Louisa.

[Jah Lush]

Louisa Wrote:

I even had to tweak my own class test just so I

> could get the answer I wanted.

Before the tweak you came out middle class didn't you. Odds-on cert.

[Louisa]

Stop swearing Jah Lush :)

Louisa.

[reeko]

Yes, as I said Louisa, common with a chip on his northern shoulder.

[Louisa]

A closet working class northern boy shrouded in southern wealth. A complicated chipped shoulder, one which isn't easy to shift. I somehow suspect you have more than a hint of envy at his position of power, one which could make or break the Pauline Fowler wannabe with the annoying voice. So close but not cigar reeko. It must be frustrating.

Louisa.

[El Pibe]

Of course Pauline Fowler's voice is nothing to do with accent, the east London often sounding cool and can sound damn sexy. It's all about the tone, which is ear piercing and stuck on the aforementioned volume 11.

She was a damn fine filly in her time mind!!

[reeko]

Sorry to disappoint Lou, I think I trump him, as I am 'professional' staff (have letters after my name and everything), and he is mere 'support' staff - should I so choose I could crush them both like bugs.

(BTW I HATE this terminology, was introduced to it by my ex boss who was civil service)

[stacey-lyn]

El Pibe Wrote:

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>

> She was a damn fine filly in her time mind!!

Wendy Richard maybe, but 'Pauline Fowler'? Meh.

[LadyDeliah]

I bought pneumatic drill ear protectors at one office I worked at and just started wearing them while I was trying to concentrate on my work.

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4700554989406352&pid=15.1

Strangely, the very loud annoying person sharing our office stopped being quite so loud and annoying, even when I wasn't wearing the ear protectors, lol.

[KidKruger]

Any approach such as trying to equal the volume levels of 'Pauline' or telling her to put a sock in it will create tension, so fun to do but ultimately not useful.

- Lady D's suggestion is a good one, but has a ?'s outlay if you want the serious ear defenders.

- Speaking with 'Pauline' may work if done in private, but I'd do it from a 'I need to concentrate' / 'My work is suffering' angle, rather than just 'Ooh you're too noisy'. Give 'Pauline' a rationale / impact to obtain most reasonable outcome.

- Speaking to her manager with same approach is the other option, being clear that you need to escalate asap because you're having to finish work in the evenings to catch-up, but thought you'd check if the manager could do anything to support your concerns before you do escalate.

I had this recently while hot-desking at a company, there were a few staff who'd travelled-down from a regional office for the day and were sat on the other 3 (of 4) desks. It was CommunityCentresVille, Tennessee, non-stop chitty-chat about holidays, weather, comparative diets and TV drama. I was trying to concentrate, these guys (2 guys, 1 girl) were taking the mick IMO.

So, I held my work phone to my ear and joined a fake audio conference. I said "excuse me, can you repeat that" a couple of times to my imaginary audio colleagues, when that did not work I said "I'm sorry there's a LOT of background noise here today", then I kept saying "pardon? , pardon ?, can you repeat that last bit" whilst sticking a finger in my other ear and holding a wincing trying-to-concentrate-on-the-audio expression. I did all this speaking EXTREMELY loudly, the chatters could definitely hear me no matter how much they'd have liked to pretened otherwise.

After 2 mins (I know) one of the chatters elbowed another and nodded towards a break-out area all of 40 feet away and they went there to finish their must-have conversation. "Ah, that's better the background noise seems to have calmed-down, FOR NOW".

When they cam back I was off the 'audio' and they were quiet, only making the odd work-related comment.

Let us know how you fix this.

[*Bob*]

Tell 'er to leave it aaht, you gorrinuff on yer plate

[Annette Curtain]

CAUTION:

AUDIBLE WORKING CLASS CONVERSATION ZONE

http://www.lasafety.co.uk/images/P/ear%20protection%20big.jpg

[reeko]

Tee hee hee.

She is being mysteriously quieter today.

I wonder has someone else 'ad a word.

[stacey-lyn]

or maybe, just maybe she's a forumite. Have you ever seen Louisa and 'Pauline' at the same place at the same time?

Just throwin' it out there . . . :)

[Louisa]

I have had a polite word with Pauline and threatened to tell the Scouser boss about her diabolically loud voice. I hope it helps, if not, I'm sending in *Bob*.

Louisa.

[*Bob*]

I can try.. but will my high-pitched, thick West Country accent exude the necessary authority?

[reeko]

She ramped up again this pm, but has now thankfully gone for the day.

Her boss is off on his hols, topping up the perma tan

The show-down will have to wait.

[woodrot]

*Bob* Wrote:

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> I can try.. but will my high-pitched, thick West

> Country accent exude the necessary authority?

you are Julie Burchill AICM ?5

[stacey-lyn]

I'll see your Julie Burchill and raise you a Toby (gag) Young. If that objectionable prize pillock can get his eton mess of a school up and running he can sort out 'The Pauline'.

[reeko]

I would take La Pauline over Toby 'Gag' Young any day. No one deserves to be subjected to him, except perhaps Julie Birchill.