Why Do Businesses Have to Call Us?
Read more articles on Let Me Share With You.December 21, 2006
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
December 21, 2006
Posted by Karen Amato Schwartz
299 Views
Has anyone else noticed what seems like a glut of phone calls from various organizations with whom they do business?
At a recent social event, I was speaking with a woman who told me that she had booked a party at an elegant restaurant for her dad’s 70th birthday. She stressed that it was a surprise party, but somehow that relevant bit of information never made it onto the fact sheet. Well, it just so happened that her dad was in from out of town and staying at her house. On the day of his birthday, someone from the restaurant called and her dad answered the phone. Whether he even asked for the woman who had arranged for the party, I don’t know, but the caller launched into his spiel about needing to confirm the arrangements for the party taking place that night, clearly ruining the surprise to the very person who was guest of honor! Now, it seems to me that when someone is planning on spending a good deal of money at an event they clearly want kept secret, it should go without saying that the facility getting paid the money would respect her wishes, or at least speak only to her.
They don’t care.
Today I received a phone call from Cingular, my cell provider. It just so happens that I had called for information about adding my daughter to my family plan several weeks ago. Of course, it was my daughter who answered the phone, and although they requested my husband, after being told he was unavailable, had to add that it was Cingular, with a “courtesy call”. Now you can imagine how happy my kid is, fully expecting to receive a cell phone, although that decision is still up in the air. I am really ticked off about it, even more because in the 8 months of having that service, this is the first time they’ve ever been concerned about “courtesy”.
They don’t care.
And, have you noticed that every medical and veterinarian facility now feels the need to confirm appointments up to 48 hours in advance? One day, I can understand-but two? Can’t a lot happen within a window of that time? Most folks who cancel long-standing appointments have to do so because a last minute emergency cropped up; they obviously won’t know about it 48 hours ahead of time! Perhaps these places have found that peoples’ lives are now so complex, giving only 24 hours’ reminder notice just isn’t enough…
Well, I shouldn’t complain because we all have a job to do. But it sure makes a case for caller ID and some kind of answering system!
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