Shortly after enjoying the discussion of my manners, I received a phone call. I checked the caller ID; I must admit that I’m rude enough not to answer the phone based on who or where the caller is. For example, the only calls we get from Boise, ID, are from the recorded sons of Ronald Reagan. The call I got this morning was coming from Clover, South Carolina. Since I’m in North Carolina, it’s very possible that a call from South Carolina is a legitimate business or personal call. Who knows? Maybe a neighbor got stranded in Clover and is calling for help. (Not a bad image though…stranded in clover).
This morning’s caller asked for Frank Ay-tair. I’m fair. I know our name is notoriously unpronounceable, so I just say “I’m sorry he’s at work, may I help you?” (See how polite I am?) The caller asks “Are you Mrs. Ay-tair?” Silly me, I admit I am, knowing that this is someone who doesn’t know us in the least, or they would 1) be able to pronounce our name, and 2) not call Chip “Frank.”
After ascertaining that she had a potential victim on the phone, the caller mumbled some identification, and asked “How are you?” “I’m fine,” I replied. “How are you?” This is an indication of my dishonesty; why would I ask how someone I don’t know is when I don’t care? Already I’m feeling guilty.
Once establishing that we were both fine (thank God!), the caller continued awkwardly reading from her script, which was going to beseech me for a donation. I don’t donate over the telephone. Sometimes I explain to callers that if they’d like to send me information in the mail or direct me to their website, I’d consider their pleas. I didn’t do that today.
This morning, maybe because I had just been ruminating about how being so polite hasn’t gotten me anywhere except frustrated or insulted, this caller had irritated me. Big time. I was super-annoyed that part of the script was to ask me how I am. Not only do I not care how the caller is, she and her organization don’t care how I am. The only aspect of my health that interests them is financial.
Article comments
1 - Lynn Voedisch
Where did my comment go?
2 - Miss Bob Etier
You must have said something awful...you DO know personal attacks are not allowed, don't you? ;-)
3 - Lynn Voedisch
It's just like Facebook, I swear. I wrote a long thing about how I'm not polite to telephone wheedlers. I hang up on 'em and I'm not a bit guilty. So my politeness has its limits. I went on a bit, being funny (in my own mind). I looked at it in preview and then hit Post Comment. I thought it posted.
I came back and nuttin' there. I think everyone and everything is against me today. I'm taking a cat and going to bed.
4 - Miss Bob Etier
I think the cat cure is a good one--I've got four AND a dog in my bed! I think the gremlins were out to get you today. Tomorrow will be better.
5 - Yellow Pixie
Don't feel guilty. Well, try not to. Telemarketers will go on forever with their scripts and instructions only for money. I know this sounds bad, but they're probably used to all kinds of reactions already. Anyway, hope your next day is better! ;]
6 - Jordan Richardson
Telemarketers will go on forever with their scripts and instructions only for money.
You mean there aren't any passionate telemarketers doing it just for the love of it?
Christ, next you'll be telling us that fast food workers do it "only for the money." And here I was thinking those burger flippers really loved the scorn and abuse and low wages and lack of benefits!
I do feel a little bad hanging up on telemarketers because I realize that they're just doing a job in the end. One of my teenage cousins is a telemarkter because it's one of the few jobs she can get. The amount of abuse she puts up with on a daily basis is shocking and she's actually grown to appreciate the hang-ups. It's better than being called all sorts of names or cursed out relentlessly.
7 - Joanne Huspek
Ms. Bob, I think you're being too hard on yourself. It's easy to become majorly peeved at telemarketers. I mean, here you are, on a nice clip trying to accomplish something and some jerk calls you from across the country (or world) trying to line up suckers to donate to the police guild. The cops have more money than anyone, except maybe firefighters, so I don't venture down that road.
However, since coming up with my strategy for asking THEM questions, life has been considerable better and my mood has improved. I really want to know if Deepak - I mean, Steve - is making a decent living and how many kids he has. I want his address and need to know his current time and what he had for dinner.
This is the ultimate in politeness.
8 - Miss Bob Etier
Joanne, that's hilarious. Chip does something like that; he either cross-examines the caller (including where he's calling from; if it's a survey, who is sponsoring it) or says "hold on" and puts the phone in another room and walks away from it. I'll bet there are a lot of articles about handling telemarketing frustration.