There's some tension (I think? I'll clarify a bit below.) with my job.

Basic summary of what I do: I'm a third party contractor selling prepaid cell phones in Wal-Mart locations. I talk to the customers, talk up my phones and do activations, upgrades and basic maintenance that doesn't involve taking the phone apart.

The big complication, for me and for them, involves the actual, at the register, sale. I can't make the actual sale. I don't have access to registers and my company prohibits me from doing so on pain of termination. Main logic behind it is sound: They want me to be able to solely focus on selling and working on my phones without me essentially becoming a new Wally World hire Wally World doesn't have to pay for. That the "in theory" part.

In practice, it means I have to completely rely on Wal-Mart associates or even my (friendly) competition to get sales. Cue a busy Friday or Saturday with a chronically understaffed Wal-Mart electronics and a competitor who's having a good day...

Enter the two different ideas I have to hold in tension. One, I'm not a Wal-Mart associate. I'm not in the chain of command and have no power to compel them to do anything. I don't have a desire to anyway because a) I like them. and b) I need a working relationship with them anyway to get stuff done.

Which leads to Two, It's in my best interests (and aids the Wally World workers) to help keep the line moving. I can help out with small tasks, answer questions and fetch certain items if things get backed up. When it comes to sales, getting large items, unlocking others and so on, I relay the customers wants and needs to the Wally World people who put it in their checklist.

This is where the tension (?) comes in. One of the workers seems to think I'm being too imperious, too domineering when it comes to acting as "traffic control." I don't believe I am, but I'm fully aware that how you think you come across and how you actually do can be very different things. Also, it comes in the form of quiet passive aggressive sniping that she's done with two other people. And I mean quiet in the low volume sense. You can barely hear her sometimes and this woman hates stopping to repeat.

So, I don't even know if she was complaining about me specifically or just work in general. I wouldn't care if her thin skin didn't have the potential to cost me sales and make my job harder. I hope I'm wrong. I want to be wrong. I like this person and she's generally a pleasure to work with.

I have no desire or inclination to antagonize anyone, but I will not walk on eggshells because someone had a stressful day.

I guess that's why I'm venting a bit.