Whether or not she intended it, she's just said exactly the right thing. Gene is hardly what anyone could call an empathic sort of bloke but humanising Duncan and drawing comparisons is something he can't ignore. He does get pissed off when he gets shaving rash.

'Yeah, yeah, alrigh'.'

So he cracks on and makes sure it's done properly - it's not a complicated job, when alls said and done. He just has the patience of a two year old. But when he applies himself, it doesn't take long.