Manning the Phones
I’m a temp worker, and often, part of my job is manning the phones and preventing time-wasting calls from getting through to my boss. These calls can be from agencies trying to place staff or people trying to sell services we don’t want.
They try pretty hard to get through, and I often hear “Hey it’s Mark—can I just have a quick word with Tony? He’s expecting my call.”
You know, something like that. Funnily, most people call the boss Anthony, and he’s very specific about not being bothered in meetings. This or some other telltale thing shows that the caller is lying. Not only do they not care about disturbing my very busy manager, they’re trying to pull a fast one on me.
So I get them every time. I tend to say “Are you happy to hold?’ then check back five minutes later with “I’m sorry, Tony is still all tied up. Are you happy to continue to hold?’ My record is half an hour.