Wednesday, May 23, 2007

A Want of Civility

I have a new job.

Actually I've had the job for about a month; I just haven't had the time or the wherewithal to write about it.

I'm doing telephone fundraising for an arts program (I'll refrain from naming names, as a girl needs a little mystery in her life.) Basically I call up people who've partaken of The-Arts-Program-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named and ask them for money to fund said Program. It's a good job, and I generally enjoy getting to talk to people about art. And the vast majority of the people I call, even if they don't give money, are pleasant to speak to and accommodating.

The thing that has surprised me about this position is not that people are sometimes mean to me on the phone. I've done telemarketing before, and I know how these things go. What surprises me is the absolute rage some of them exhibit when I have the unmitigated gall to call them on the telephone. Remember, these are people who have partaken of unnamed arts program and have freely given us their phone number. We aren't cold-calling. Moreover, forgive me, but it seems that people who engage in the arts should be a little more… civilized.

I'll give you an example:

Me: Hello, may I speak to Mrs. Smith?

Mrs. Smith: Yeah that's me, who is this?

Me: Mrs. Smith, my name is Emma, and I'm calling from (blank). How are you today?

Mrs. Smith: What do you want?

Me: Umm, well I'm calling today on behalf of (blank). I was wondering how you enjoyed (blank)?

Mrs. Smith: (yelling) I work nights, and I was asleep when you called. It's a SUNDAY and I don’t receive telemarketers on Sunday, I don't know who you think you are, but this is the third time I've talked to you people, and I want to be taken off your list, and if you call me again I'm going to contact the state attorney general and have your butts dragged into court. *Click*

Oh course this is exaggerated a bit- most of the angry calls I get only use one of these reasons for being enraged (for the record all of the things said above have been said to me in one form or another.)

I understand why people don't want telemarketers calling them. I'm annoyed when I'm interrupted during dinner to answer a call about my long-distance service, etc., etc. I know you’re tired and you've worked a long day and don't want to be bothered. And there are persistent telemarketers who don't listen and who don't take you off their call list. But I am not one of them. And though I am a stranger who you will never speak to again, I am a human being. I'm a college student currently working almost 60 hours a week to pay my rent and save money for the coming semester. I may be annoying but I still deserve your respect. All you have to say to me is “Sorry, not interested, can you please take me off your call list? Thank you!” That's all you have to say. So let's all just calm down and remember that we are all just people trying to make our way in the world.

I'll tell you what my mother once said to me as a child, when I was having problems with my bratty little brother:

“I know he's annoying. You don't have to like him. But you have to be civil to him. Can you be civil?”

Posted by ejohnson at 11:59 AM

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