I'm really getting the hang of this answering the phone malarky. When I first started working for The Big Red L Company I wasn't so confident. In fact, I'll be straight with you; I was terrified. People kept calling up and asking me questions! About stuff I didn't know! More than once someone called up and I made up an answer, just to get them off the phone.
"How much do you charge for driving lessons in Gillingham?"
Gillingham. Gillingham! Gillingham...? I'd run it through my head so many times that it would begin to become a nonsense word, like gravy does if you say it too often (go on, say it. And again. Gravygravygravy!).
Gillingham.
Gillingham.
Then suddenly I'd remember Gillingham, and the only reason I've ever been there:
"Ice skating!"
There would be a pause on the other end as the other person wondered if they had incorrectly dialled and accidently reached Captain Non Sequitur. I would take advantage of their baffled silence to pull myself together.
"Sorry, yes, driving lessons in Gillingham...."
There would be another pause as I would desperately try to remember how to work the bookings database, before giving in and making the answer up.
"Driving lessons in Gillingham currently cost 10 bananas an hour."
Invariably the person on the other end would hang up, and I would be left feeling somewhat inadequate.
But now! Now I can chat and chat to people, and sometimes I put the phone down and wish I could make the person I just talked to about shoes my new best friend. A few times I've felt like calling someone back up and asking what they're up to tonight, but I think that might be a bit weird. So I do the next best thing and get the people I like on the phone the best deal I can.
You're still saying gravygravygravy to yourself, aren't you?
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2 comments:
You're lucky- I'm a teacher now, I have to make everything up.
'Is this grammatically correct or should the adverb go first with a preposition in brackets?'
'Sure kid, whatever makes you happy.'
Your kids don't say that, do they Si? I bet they're just passing around notes stating that they fancy you. And that's just the lads.
And Amanda. I think you should try to mention a vegetable in every phone conversation you have. Just a little game. Come back to me with the ones you managed to get in there.
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