The only thing more frustrating than a billowy hotel shower curtain is an off-center image in a deck, or a document in size 13 font, or someone using that instead of who. We all have at least a few paper-cut-level pet peeves that consistently grind our gears at work.

Or put another way: We all are particularly mindful about certain small stuff—ideally because sweating the details reflects our emphasis on quality work.

Which means figuring out someone’s pet peeve is a workplace superpower.

• Paying attention to someone else’s eye for detail builds relationship buy-in. You’re showing that you value their processes and respect their thoughtfulness.
• Plus, by being mindful about what they care about, you can reduce friction and finish projects faster.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re sussing out the deets:

You’ll know it when you see it. People usually aren’t subtle about their pet peeves, so unmuted comments like “who in god’s name used dashes instead of bullets?” will help clarify things quickly.

• But when in doubt, ask. This is especially helpful when you’re starting a new project together or want to get on the same page with the whole group.
• And don’t forget that details take many forms. It’s not just about grammar rules and neat & tidy pitch decks—it could be frequency of project updates or preferring Slack over email.

Don’t hesitate to toot your own horn. If you’re intentionally doing something their way, you should get points for that.

• For example, if a coworker is super intentional about typing in client email addresses via order of seniority, show you’ve noticed that by slotting them into the correct cc rank (and then Slack them a screenshot of the address bar to collect your brownie points).

Eccentricities aren’t an excuse for being hard to work with. There’s a fine line between being a great teammate and pandering to someone’s neuroses.

• If a teammate’s pet peeve starts to feel less about quality work and more about being persnickety, a larger conversation may be needed.

Understanding your coworkers on a granular level helps you become a trusted teammate, but having to remember everyone’s pet peeves all the time can get exhausting. Do what you can, and then take a breather by thinking big-picture for a bit.—CS

What’s better than that one crispy fry at the bottom of the container? The 150 Interview Questions toolkit in Morning Brew Learning’s All Access membership.

This customizable toolkit helps you ask the right questions in your interviews to hire the best candidates. Case closed. Get your copy in All Access here.

We’ve all regretted shelling out for bad seafood and white wine, but at least you haven’t lost $11 million on shrimp alone. Last week, Red Lobster reported that its “Ultimate Endless Shrimp” deal was actually a pretty bad idea—because it was too popular.

• The company’s goal was to increase foot traffic in the quieter fall and winter months by offering its endless shrimp deal every day, not just on Mondays.
• While there was a small bump in customers last quarter, it turns out that mainly people just ordered more and more shrimp at a really good price.

In an ideal world, a “loss leader” like unlimited shrimp brings in more customers, which means way more food & bev orders and more revenue. But as Red Lobster learned, it’s a tricky line to navigate.

Here are some dos and don’ts when it comes to using loss leaders as a way to boost your business outcomes.

Don’t: Make it the only appealing thing at your store

Do: Make your product unique

• For example, Costco loses money on its rotisserie chickens and $1.50 hot dogs, but the low prices help to get people in the door. Once they do, there’s enough discounted bulk apple juice and salad mixes to make up for the loss.

Don’t: Make it a free-for-all

Do: Set guardrails, typically via pricing or quantity

• For example: Domino’s recent program offering “emergency free pizza” for people paying student loans capped out at $1m in pizza, meaning the team knew exactly how much they would lose through the campaign.

Don’t: Skimp on quality just because you’re losing money

Do: Make the free thing as good as the other things

• When Kaila’s college bar offered 50¢ beers as a Tuesday night special a decade ago, the crowds poured in. But then everyone realized the deal was for Schlitz, and things went south. Hopefully Snake and Jake’s Lounge is at least offering PBR these days.

Loss leaders can increase customers, boost brand loyalty, and ultimately increase revenue if you do them right. But if you misjudge, you may end up footing the bill for millions of dollars of shrimp.

Everyone hates when family members ask probing questions during the holidays. (Why else would we take those long walks in the cold?) But now, you can tell your nosy relatives you’re working on a new project and actually mean it.

Based on overwhelming interest last time around, we’re partnering with Apps Without Code founder Tara Reed again to offer her FREE “How to build your own app” workshop. No coding, no problem.

The free workshop runs next Tuesday, December 12. Register here.

It’s that time of year again, when “let’s circle back after the holidays” gets thrown around more often than your dad mentioning his high school football stats.

Which brings us to the out of office auto-reply email—it’s an opportunity to show off your wit while also saying, “No really, I won’t answer this until 2024.”

But if you’re experiencing email writer’s block, we’ve got the solution: Mad Libs for professionals.

We’ll provide you with two short and sweet OOO auto-reply templates, and you fill in the blanks.

Vanilla response:

As it is _____ [date], I am away from email until _____ [date]. I will _____ [adverb] respond to your _____ [adjective] message within _____ [number] hours/days.

Spicy response:

As it is already ____ [# hours since the holiday party], I am away from email until ____ [date when everything stops tasting like eggnog]. I will _____ [sarcastic adverb] respond to your _____ [adjective that shames the sender for emailing this late in the season] message within _____ [fake number] weeks.

Got an answer that’s better than chucking your Macbook into the sea and starting fresh in January? Send us your draft and we may showcase it in next week’s edition.