Hello?
It happened again today. I picked up my ringing phone and wandered into the middle of someone's completely clueless life. I hate when this happens and it's been happening a lot lately. This is the transcript from one of these travesties of communication:
[Ring, Ring]
Me: "Hello?"
Caller: "Hello?"
Me: "Hel-loooo?"
Caller: "Hello?"
When did we, as a culture, forget how to conduct a phone call? Are we this socially retarded from lack of basic human contact in our electronic lives that we can only parrot the simple phrases that we hear within a five-second period?
[Ring, Ring]
Me: "Hello?"
Caller: "Hello?"
Me: "Rutabaga?"
Caller: "Rutabaga?"
[Click]
That's me hanging up.
Your responsibility as the caller is to identify yourself to the business or residence you have called, and state your purpose for calling or ask for the person with whom you wish to communicate.
Your responsibility as the caller is not to be a complete moron and repeat the word someone has just said to you. That's not communication, that's mimicry. Babies, simians using sign language, and the mentally impaired are capable of that basic function. The bar for socially functioning adults is little higher. Let's all take a deep breath and try it again...
It happened again today. I picked up my ringing phone and wandered into the middle of someone's completely clueless life. I hate when this happens and it's been happening a lot lately. This is the transcript from one of these travesties of communication:
[Ring, Ring]
Me: "Hello?"
Caller: "Hello?"
Me: "Hel-loooo?"
Caller: "Hello?"
When did we, as a culture, forget how to conduct a phone call? Are we this socially retarded from lack of basic human contact in our electronic lives that we can only parrot the simple phrases that we hear within a five-second period?
[Ring, Ring]
Me: "Hello?"
Caller: "Hello?"
Me: "Rutabaga?"
Caller: "Rutabaga?"
[Click]
That's me hanging up.
Your responsibility as the caller is to identify yourself to the business or residence you have called, and state your purpose for calling or ask for the person with whom you wish to communicate.
Your responsibility as the caller is not to be a complete moron and repeat the word someone has just said to you. That's not communication, that's mimicry. Babies, simians using sign language, and the mentally impaired are capable of that basic function. The bar for socially functioning adults is little higher. Let's all take a deep breath and try it again...
posted by Shawn Passwaters at
8:00 PM
3 Comments:
Ha! As a receptionist I get that constantly. I hate it and if you don't continue saying hello with them they cock an attitude like they can't believe you won't once again acknowledge them. Even worse than that is when people call and you answer and then they say "uuuuuhhh...., who am I calling for, hold on, I have it right here somewhere. What company is this? Oh right, okay is (insert a name they will inevitably pronounce wrong)available?" Insead of taking the short time it took you to read that times it by twenty and that is how long it would take the person to get those words out.
1. when you call someone, state your business directly after they say hello the first time.
2. Know who you are calling before you call.
3. know before you call whether or not in the event that the person you are calling is not available, you would like to leave a message.
I forgot you were a receptionist. You have to tolerate idiots, professionally. Poor you! :D I thought you were a massage therapist? What happened with that?
I am both! I have clients on the side and hopefully will eventually have enough to do massage therapy full time (or marry someone who will allow me to volunteer massage at senior homes).I really feel that God is calling me for the latter...J/K. But for now I am a receptionist and I do the accounting at an Architecture firm.
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