Ever had a moment at work where the boss’s instructions seemed more like a recipe for disaster than success?

There’s always that moment when you have to decide whether to fight or just follow directions.

Let’s hear a tale from the world of flooring installation that proves sometimes, even the boss can’t quite get it right.

Check out the story below!

“I want it like this, I’m the boss, you do it how I say.” Sure.

Context: I work in flooring installation, commercial mostly, usually carpet or vinyl tiles, have been doing this for 10 years now.

I got a work order to do a head office for a large developer, it was carpet tile but with a pattern/lines/border.

I start installing and just as I get the first tiles out after laying the glue, the “big boss” comes out.

He says I’m doing it wrong.

Geez, tell him how you really feel why dontcha.

I was absolutely stunned, I looked at him, looked back at the tiles I had just put down, looked at him again and asked, “What?”

“Those numbers on the back of the tile are the sequence order, you need to follow the numbers.” He replied.

What he is talking about are God knows what, part #s, serial #s, lot #s?

They have nothing to do with installation so if I actually followed whatever he was saying it would look like a mess not the intended pattern.

This is just wrong.

I tried explaining this to him but he wouldn’t have it, he got frustrated and called the head office, who in turn called me and said to just do it how he wants it.

So I did.

As I’m finishing up he comes back, takes one look at it and says “I don’t like it.”

I smiled and said “I don’t care, that’s how you wanted it.” Packed my stuff up and left, he didn’t say another word to me.

Serves him right.

Few days later I hear that he called the head office asking for someone else to come redo it the way I had originally intended to install it.

So the office sent me again and I got paid to remove the work that I just got paid to install so I can get paid to install it again.

Needless to say that he didn’t come out to make small talk the second time.

Just another day in the life of a flooring installer, where sometimes even the most perplexing instructions from the top can turn into unexpected (and paid) opportunities to get it right.

What’s Reddit’s take on bosses who think they know better? Let’s hear it.

This person thinks know-it-alls get what they deserve (as they should).

This commenter doesn’t thinks getting questioned by a superior is quite amusing.

This person thinks execs really know how to flush money down the toilet.

Looks like even the boss had to admit there’s more to flooring than meets the eye.

There was satisfaction in the end!

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.