Quick Questions?

mrblaine

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Quail Valley, CA
Why do folks ask if they can ask a quick question? What does the length of time it takes to ask a question have to do with anything? I get it at least daily.

Can I ask you a quick question?
You just did.
Can I ask another quick question?
You just did.
Okay, can I ask two quick questions?
Sure. What is the second one?

Are they asking because they think if they ask a slow question they won't get an answer? Why is it so frequent and why do folks do it?

Just ask the fucking question.
 
The plea occasionally comes from a pain in the ass office worker who is clueless and wants help desperately. He does not have a quick question. He usually requires a quick answer that is not easily given. He gives the appearance of knowing what he is talking about but needs a tutorial on how to load a stapler. This guy (sorry men: this stupid question normally does not come from a woman) is not long for the company if he asks this kind of shit all the time. The worst offenders will use "air quotes" when asking a "quick question."
 
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Oh cool, a thread to post quick questions that aren't worth starting a new thread or searching for! Great idea thanks mrblaine!

Can I use my factory power steering pump with hydro assist if I get an accumulator too?
 
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Like many phrases with "quick" in it, I see a "quick question" as a colloquialism, similar to a "quick minute", that's really more of an exploratory question seeking to get an understanding rather than an actual short or concise answer in response. I find "quick questions" usually come when the person asking the question understands that the answer to that question is unlikely to be a simple yes-no response (even though it is often asked in such a manner).

I get a lot of "quick questions" at work, despite most of them requiring a few hours worth of work to fully answer. I almost universally provide a "quick answer", which helps frame the complete answer (if there is one) a bit better for them.

For example, a recent question that was asked to me earlier in the week:
Project Manager: "Quick question... Do we need a stormwater permit at our new XXXX location?"
Me: "Depends - what is this location going to be used for?"
PM: "Probably a XXXXXX to start, but maybe some XXXXX storage in future"
Me: "Okay, I'll need to know X, Y, and Z - once you have that, why don't you set up a short 1/2 hour Teams call to discuss"
PM: "Sounds great, thanks!"

But then again, maybe I'm the weirdo 🤷‍♂️
 
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I think they are actually looking for a quick and simple answer to there question, something that is not too involved, or difficult for them to do.

Like what is the best suspension for my TJ ? but on a budget :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
I think they are actually looking for a quick and simple answer to there question, something that is not too involved, or difficult for them to do.

Like what is the best suspension for my TJ ? but on a budget :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
Then they should ask if they can ask a question that has a quick answer, not a quick question.
 
Why do folks ask if they can ask a quick question? What does the length of time it takes to ask a question have to do with anything? I get it at least daily.

Can I ask you a quick question?
You just did.
Can I ask another quick question?
You just did.
Okay, can I ask two quick questions?
Sure. What is the second one?

Are they asking because they think if they ask a slow question they won't get an answer? Why is it so frequent and why do folks do it?

Just ask the fucking question.
I think people get into a habit of asking that way as if not to bother the other person. It is like “ good morning, how are you doing?” Or “can you hold” sometimes I will give a response like “ ok but I woke up with this pain here” my last response from on of our managers on that one was “it’s always something with you “ I replied “you asked”. Sometimes I will tell the person “no” on the hold question just to see the reaction. Half the time they have no idea what to do. I guess this is a way to put a little humor in my day.
 
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I think people get into a habit of asking that way as if not to bother the other person.
I do this sometimes and I'm sure I've done it on the phone with Blaine. It's just a canned preface with a meaning of "I know your busy, I need a little help, and I'll try make it quick." That being said on the many phone calls I've had with Blaine he never rushes understanding and often will explain stuff 3 different ways until I get the ahah moment. If I ever make anything cool or with a decent degree of craftsmanship on my jeep I owe the credit to your help Blaine! And the help is definitely of the teach a man to fish variety vs a quick answer.