Hold the line please

I wanted to enquire about a product advertised in a newspaper and telephoned the number given. After a while, I was asked to hold the line and eventually told that I was being connected to an operator and would I have my credit card handy?

“But,” I said, “I only want—” Too late. Ah! Then another operator asked me to quote the reference number in the advertisement, which I did. Then she said, “What is the initial of your first name?”

“Look,” I replied, “I want to know if…” I was cut off by: “Could you repeat the initial?”

I realised nobody was there. I was talking to a machine. It wasn’t interested in my needs. It just wanted to know my name and credit card number. I hung up.

Things haven’t changed. Many years ago, I wanted to buy some family insurance and answered a press advertisement. The insurance salesman arrived one evening without an appointment and asked if he could come in. Well, it wasn’t convenient but, yes.

He opened his case, took out a small tape recorder, pressed a switch and it started talking. “Stop!” I called, startling him, “just a moment”. I left the room and returned a minute later placing my object on the table.

“What are you doing?” he asked completely nonplussed. “You can start now,” I said, “and your machine can talk to my machine.” I pressed the switch on my recorder. I walked out of the room and called back, “Let me know, when they’ve finished.”

I never bought any insurance from him.
Copyright © 2005 L A Rogers

Article Source: http://www.articledestination.com

Dr Len Rogers is Professor of international business at International School of Management (Paris, New York, Tokyo, Barcelona) and director of Computer Resources International SA Luxembourg. His address is len.rogers@pandora.be and his website www.lenrogers.com/ (currently being reconstructed and updated).

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