Hanging On or Hanging Up
Written by Jen Thursday, 31 March 2011 01:53
Blog
Popular thinking has it that we're less civil, less polite than in days gone by. I beg to differ. I think at times our politeness approaches complete insanity. Take the typical business phone recording...
Today I heard that oft-used message when I called the appliance delivery service: "Your call is very important to us."
No, it's not.
Well, maybe it's partially true, ‘cause if I don't get my washing machine, someone isn't going to get paid. However, my call is clearly not as important as something else, or someone else's call.
I can see a situation requiring a short wait. But 30 minutes? Luckily, as I worked my way through the daily household chores, I had the opportunity to hear this suave-sounding gentleman (backed by a sour soundtrack) go on about the great appliance store I am supporting. After six or seven rounds of this, I had my doubts.
As I scrubbed the bathtub, I daydreamed about what it was like when a real person answered and asked if I could wait just a moment. I could even hear the 1960's lounge music while on hold. Ahhhh. Those were the days.
Gone, gone like the wind.
Moving on to my scheduled workday, I answered emails and drafted a few notes, still listening to the smooth talker tout the benefits of his company's speedy delivery service. Seriously?
Honestly, why this façade of care? Why put your clients through a lengthy wait that just ignites the temper? Just say what you need to say and be done with it! My friend's voicemail message makes sense: "We can't answer your call now because we're either not here or too busy doing something else. We'll try to call you back, though, if you leave a message." Refreshing!
So, the appliance delivery service should really say something like, "We're trying to stuff one more dishwasher onto the truck right now and it's a lot cheaper to use this recording than pay for a real person to answer the phone. Please leave a message and when we have a free hand and an available body with a voice, we'll get back to you. In the meantime, go ahead and paint your house. You'll still be on hold when it dries."
As for the hold music, it's a tough choice between 1960's lounge music and a commercial for the folks who don't much care about your call anyway. After 30 minutes, neither is polite. The craziest thing is the fact that I actually waited that long before hanging up.
