Yesterday I received a call on my cell/work phone from a company who provides a service for commercial buildings. I told the lady I was not interested because I did not own a commercial building. I then was very surprised when she said, “I will take you off of my list. Thank you for not being mean to me.” After hanging up I realized how rude people (myself included) can be to phone solicitors and customer service representatives.
Later that day I reminded myself of her comment as I was calming myself down at 5:00 waiting for repair- person in the 12:00 – 4:00 window. The customer service person said I was left a message that they would be late, and I had to catch myself before being rude while telling him that I did not get a phone call.
The ultimate goal should be to state your problem without making the person on the other end of the phone feel worthless. Something my husband says to phone representatives right away is, “I want you to know I am very angry about this situation. I know it is not your fault, but unfortunately you are going to have to hear about it.”
Next time you get someone on the phone who is not responding as you need him/her, remember you don’t know his circumstances. He may be new at his job, have a dying mother, a newborn baby who has kept him up for weeks, or is a phone solicitor because he is a college graduate who has been out of work for a while. Try to keep you cool and show some respect.
Phone Solicitors Have Feelings Too
