Remove me from your mailing lists....please.
For the past several weeks I've been working to get off mailing lists (in between work, committee work, volunteer work, and bike rides to air out my mind).
When I started this, I hoped I wouldn't get too
too many people too mad. I'd not done this before and didn't know what I was getting into.
Well, guess what? The 'removal people' are very nice! They are kind, and mostly do not want to know 'why.'
To keep me company while I'm on hold, I put on my Sonos music or my Sonos NPR station. At least I could sing along with Billy Joel, or Bette Midler, or the British Invasion Radio, or the Eagles, while on hold.
While I've been on hold ('because we are working with other customers') I wonder if these are call centers. Maybe this is kind of like 'piece' work. Can these kind folks do their jobs anywhere? Does the phone ring everywhere? Do they have phone lines tied into the main phone line? Is somebody standing over them...making sure they say the right things?
Then it hit me...these folks answer the phone nicely because they are paid to be nice! Lots of the folks have sweet southern accents, men and women. And most of them smile. I can hear it in their voices.
Then, I thought, why not keep them on their toes by being nice back? I would ask where they were located. All around the USA.
If they asked me (and most of them do ask) is there anything more I can do for you, ma'am? Well, yes, there is. Would you cook dinner for me? Or, would you allow me to take you out for lunch? This kind of shocked them, and made them laugh, and me as well. I would hate to be the one who didn't appreciate their nice-ness.
And guess what else I found out during those hours on the phone? One call to one person...and they often can remove a name from all kinds of mailings/solicitations! Argh! If I had known this before, I could have save a ton of time.
Hopefully you won't need to be exposed to this chore. But if you are...be nice back, offer the folks some kind words, and maybe, just the offer to take them to lunch will make them smile. You can tell if they are smiling because everybody's tone changes, when they are smiling.
Live richly, marilyn
When I started this, I hoped I wouldn't get tootoo many people too mad. I'd not done this before and didn't know what I was getting into.
Well, guess what? The 'removal people' are very nice! They are kind, and mostly do not want to know 'why.'
To keep me company while I'm on hold, I put on my Sonos music or my Sonos NPR station. At least I could sing along with Billy Joel, or Bette Midler, or the British Invasion Radio, or the Eagles, while on hold.
While I've been on hold ('because we are working with other customers') I wonder if these are call centers. Maybe this is kind of like 'piece' work. Can these kind folks do their jobs anywhere? Does the phone ring everywhere? Do they have phone lines tied into the main phone line? Is somebody standing over them...making sure they say the right things?
Then it hit me...these folks answer the phone nicely because they are paid to be nice! Lots of the folks have sweet southern accents, men and women. And most of them smile. I can hear it in their voices.
Then, I thought, why not keep them on their toes by being nice back? I would ask where they were located. All around the USA.
If they asked me (and most of them do ask) is there anything more I can do for you, ma'am? Well, yes, there is. Would you cook dinner for me? Or, would you allow me to take you out for lunch? This kind of shocked them, and made them laugh, and me as well. I would hate to be the one who didn't appreciate their nice-ness.
And guess what else I found out during those hours on the phone? One call to one person...and they often can remove a name from all kinds of mailings/solicitations! Argh! If I had known this before, I could have save a ton of time.
Hopefully you won't need to be exposed to this chore. But if you are...be nice back, offer the folks some kind words, and maybe, just the offer to take them to lunch will make them smile. You can tell if they are smiling because everybody's tone changes, when they are smiling.
Live richly, marilyn
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