Sometimes I wonder if anyone is ever actually paying attention. Before I pick up the phone, I think about who I am calling. I generally consider the person, what we’ll talk about, or the voice mail message I’ll leave.
Apparently, I’m unusual. In a tiny town like this one, over time you run across a number of the same people repeatedly. Pretty much anyone who lives here will tell you that if you live in a little town long enough, eventually you’ll encounter people you don’t like. Or really despise in some cases.
Fortunately, no matter how small the town, if you are paying attention, it’s easy to avoid the people you don’t want to deal with. For example, there’s a store south of town owned by people I detest. So I don’t go there. Even though I’m a gardener and buy a lot of plants, I avoid a particular greenhouse for much the same reason. A company is only as good as the person running it, and I’m entitled to my opinion and purchasing choices.
The thing that’s weird to me is that sometimes this approach doesn’t work in reverse. Over the last year or so, I’ve had three calls from people who clearly did NOT remember who I am. I mean how dumb could these people possibly be?
I have an uncommon last name and an unusual company name. If the caller tried to rip me off in the past or slandered my name, can he or she really think I’ve forgotten that? Here’s a news flash for those folks: I’m not the right person for the job and I’m certainly not going to give money to you for your favorite charity. (Arrrgh!)