By Rosie Preston
There’s a list and I’m checking daily as I decide which items to keep and which to delete on my cell phone and e-mail. I need to determine if they are good or bad messages.
I’m very overwhelmed by life this year especially with the constant ringing of my phone all day long with marketing calls and texts where I find myself hitting “Delete,” “Delete,” Delete.”
It’s taking up time during which I could be doing something useful. Take my advice – wait until the evening news is on and use that down time to delete the hundreds of messages you’ve received during the day. I made the mistake several weeks ago of signing up to make money by taking surveys. I should have known better, but like my friends and I like to say, “It was a windy day!”
My response to most of the callers would sound something like this:
“No, I don’t want to push the buttons,” or, “I’d rather not stay on hold for an hour listening to how busy your representatives are, because I’m busy, too.”
In my experience, the holiday season starts when you begin receiving calls from your “friendly” marketing personnel After listening to their sales pitch, many of the answers I give are similar.
“I don’t want to be on hold for your next representative.”
“I’ve already sent that purchase back and no I do not have the receipt.”
“I’m much like Dolly Parton, because she does not take phone calls. She chooses who she will talk to on her own time.”
“I do not believe what you are telling me. I will have to hear, see, or use [insert product] before I will give your company a review. And I don’t give reviews anymore.”
“You’re talking very fast and did not even ask me if I was busy or had a couple of minutes to spare.”
“I’d like to speak to your supervisor. Oh, you are the supervisor? I guess I’m toast!”
“No, I am NOT feeling okay. I have a headache. What time will you be eating dinner with your family this evening and what is your home phone number so I can call you?”
Truthfully friends, my first job was a telemarketer at Sears Roebuck and Company. There were around a dozen ladies sitting in one room whose job was to call customers who had placed orders in the past.
Our message was as follows: “Hello, I’m Rosie, and I’m calling from Sears Home Shopping Service. Would you like to order anything for your kitchen, living room or bathroom?”
Following the customer’s response, I usually had to repeat myself: “Your KITCHEN, your LIVING ROOM, or your BATHROOM?”
During those days in the early 1970s, many people we called did place an order. And to that I say, “One out of 20 ain’t bad!”
Keep Smiling, Rosie
Contact Rosie Preston at rosie.preston@yahoo.com.