Dec. 03, 2006 ~ Trucks and such
More truck shopping yesterday. Those guys were so PUSHY. Really, really pushy. I don't like to make snap decisions about important purchases or financial matters, and considering the price of new vehicles these days, this qualifies as an important purchase. So I wanted to give it some thought, see if we could actually afford it, crunch some numbers, maybe even talk with our accountant. These salesmen were begging to the point of being annoying. As in, "Please, please, PLEASE buy my truck today. Please!" One guy was standing so close to me that I couldn't close my truck door to actually leave. And yet, this is the truck that we probably want. Just not that day. I even told them that. I do realize that they are commission salesmen, and they do have their quotas to meet, but still. I was glad to get out of there!
On a different subject, I have been having a work-related problem, recently. It's not major, not horribly annoying, but it is troublesome. If it's true that we teach people how to treat us, then I have not been doing a very good job of that. Last week someone called me about a work question at home, at 8:05 in the morning, on my day off. She couldn't have known this, but I'd been up sick the night before, and had only recently fallen asleep, so I was definitely not pleased to hear from her. Her question, while important, should have been asked during business hours. And certainly not so early in the morning, on a holiday. This was a member of our church, chair of an important committee. This question did not come up suddenly, and had she given it some thought, she did not need to call. She panicked, I suppose, and needed reassurance. We've all had those panicky moments, and I've certainly had my share. So I forgave her.
Which is probably why she called again yesterday, on my day off, with a question that should have been asked last week, during business hours. It was an important question, but I am paid to work 40 hours a week, and am right there to answer the phone for all those important questions during those paid hours.
I was out being terrorized by truck salesmen when she called, so she left a rather desperate-sounding message. So desperate that I immediately called her back, per her request. Her reply was terse and to the point. She was at dinner at a restaurant right then, and had no time to talk. She'd found another employee to solve her problem. Her attitude seemed to be that I was rude for disturbing her dinner. And I apologized.
It wasn't until later that I realized my mistake.
We have a lovely invention called an answering machine, and a delightful service called "Caller ID," both of which we have. So I shall make use of them, and screen my calls, and not return work-related calls unless they are of an emergency nature. Meaning a critical illness, death, fire, or break-in at my place of employment. Eventually, people should get the message. If they don't, and persist in calling, why, I might have to consider being rude! Imagine!
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