Imagine working for a company where you repair products for customers. What would you do if the boss told you that you were not allowed to talk to the customers? Would you comply, point out how ridiculous the rule is, or make sure to get this new rule in writing?

In this story, one person is in this situation, and they comply almost too well. They also got the rule in writing.

Keep reading to see how the story plays out.

Under supervised

Back when I was working in an FAA facility doing repair and overhaul we had a boss who wanted to control everything.

This boss came to us from the production side and did not understand why we were reactive in our work versus scheduled like production.

Repair and Overhaul is just that, we repair or overhaul parts that come back from the field, so cannot schedule it more than the customer lets us know it is broken and we say send it in type thing.

Not the point, not the compliance, but giving you a little of how the mindset is.

Now we get to the heart of the story.

Anyway, about a month after said boss comes in, we have a customer representative who is talking to engineering regarding the product I was working on.

The customer had a question regarding a specific failure we continued to see, and wanted to talk to the technician (me) about it.

So engineer brings customer to me, and I answer customer rep’s question.

Should be easy, right? Wrong!

The boss made a rule very clear to everyone.

Boss says I did not have the authority to answer the question and that customer should have been brought to him or Quality Assurance (QA).

At the next morning stand up, boss reiterates to entire group that no one is to talk to anyone not a part of our company without either boss or QA there for conversation.

I asked for this in writing, and got an email within minutes after the stand up.

Then there was an audit.

Fast forward about a month, I am not talking to anyone without boss or QA and we have an ISO 9001 audit.

The audit is scheduled, and somehow when the auditor is on the repair floor no one is around but me, so naturally I get audited.

Should be easy, right?

He complied with his boss’s rule.

Auditor asks me what I am doing.

I reply I am not allowed to talk with personnel who do not belong to my company without my boss or QA present.

Auditor asks me if I know who they are (I do, they introduced themselves as they came up to me.)

I let them know I have been given instructions and cannot talk to them.

He was ready with evidence.

They ask me if I can show them the instructions.

I had sent the email to the printer as soon as I knew I was going to be audited, so asked auditor to please wait one minute and went and got the email.

Auditor thanks me, and leaves.

Now, there’s a new rule.

Next morning at stand up, boss comes in with regional management.

Boss apologizes to us technicians and lets us know we are allowed to talk to people from outside the company without boss or QA.

I raise my hand, boss says email has already been sent.

Found out from boss’ aide, boss was put on PIP (personnel improvement program) for this.

This is a good example of why it’s always a good idea to get everything in writing.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

A Quality manager weighs in.

One person points out how control freaks cause their own demise.

This person reacts to one particular part of the story.

Another person had the same favorite part of the story.

Always get it in writing!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a boss who insisted only certain people handle urgent issues, but didn’t realize the person handling the urgent issue inbox wasn’t one of those people.