You Want it When??!!??

What is it with sales scum asking for things a couple hours before they need it?? I forget deadlines more than most people, but when it’s crunch time, I always tell the person I’m dumping on that I dropped the ball and need their help. Does anybody really believe that a customer needs something in 2 hours, when all of our other projects take 6 – 18 months…? Do sales dweebs really think engineers believe that the customer is demanding an answer in 2 hours???

If you’re in sales, we don’t. Not for a minute. We believe you forgot, dropped that ball, didn’t write yourself a note, drank too much on the golf course, whatever. I’ll bet this is 90% of the reason for the hostilities between most sales departments and engineering departments.

So, at about 4:00, I get an e-mail from this “dweeb”, needing an answer by 5:00. OK, look like about 6 hours of work (which, in a technical position means 2 days. I am always interrupted by questions on “can we do this…”, “What happens if we…?”, which can almost fill an 8 hour day researching and discussing). I whipped something out just now, 6 hours of work in less than 2 hours. What a dumb a$$. I’ve gone back and looked at it… Jeesh, type-o’s, things not aligned right, what a freak’n mess. Shouldn’t have done it…

We technical folks also seem to me a bit anal about our work.

I hate being that rushed.

Any body else?