Voicemail

While living in Chicago, my mother, aka, Queen Irene, aka, Amon conducted, (I substituted the word “conducted” for “did“), business the Old School way. If she had a bill to pay, down to the Money Order place she would go to personally deliver the check. If she had a problem, I would ask, “Amon, why don’t you call those people?” So one day she heeded my advice and called a company:

Place: Hello, this is (the company)…

Amon: May I…

Place: (Interrupting Amon) Please choose the department you wish to speak to…

Amon: I…

Place: …Press 1 for an agent.; Press 2 for the Customer Service Department; Press 3 for the candlestick maker; Press 4 for the garbage man; Press 5 for the dice you rolled …

Amon: But I don’t know…

Place: Press 8 to repeat the departments

Amon: “VICKIIIIIIIIII!!!!”

While taking the phone, I remember feeling so badly that she encountered that mess. She was in her 80s. I don’t know how elderly folks make it without help. Upon leaving her that visit, I told her she would have to take her time and be really patient with her phone calls. At 85 she moved to Bama to be close to me. She could use her personal checks down here, but she still walked her bills and I manned her calls.

What us gon’ do? We can’t escape it And now we got OUTSOURCING. I’ll just say this about outsourcing, *#x*#!!x… I’m 10 years younger than Amon was, but I’m already exasperated after most of my service calls. I do remember what I told Amon, and I try my best to be patient, and I must say, some companies have really worked with their agents to be able to better communicate. I don’t mind calling grocery stores, and after I spoke with the exuberantly courteous Zappos shoe clerk , I asked for a job!

Joy Juice

We have voice mail. We also have the fortune of having the “stuff” we have to call about. The phone clerks are only doing their job, and we have to remember we’re retired. We got time and we are too blessed to be What?!!!

“Love has the final word.” – Ricki Byars

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