Host:?Hello, this is Rick Johns, back again on the Morning Show. Today we’re taking calls from our listeners about telephone pet peeves. Are you?fed up with?people calling you in the middle of dinner to sell you vacuum cleaners and vacation packages? Do you hate being put on hold for what feels like hours while you listen to the same boring music over and over again? These are just a few of my pet peeves when it comes to using the telephone, and today we’re opening the phone lines to hear about yours. Our first caller is Isabel. Hi Isabel. What is your pet peeve when it comes to the telephone?
Isabel:?Hi Rick. I have to say that what I really hate is people calling during dinner time to do surveys or some kind of market research. They usually have a million questions to ask, and I’m busy! Can’t they see it’s dinner time? I really don’t mind answering two or three questions, but I don’t want to spend a half an hour on the phone with some stranger when I’m trying to cook.
Host:?I’m with you on that one, Isabel. And you’re right – they always seem to call at the most inconvenient time, don’t they?
Isabel:?Yes.
Host:?So Isabel, do you have any suggestions for our listeners on how to handle these unwanted calls from telemarketers?
Isabel:?Well, I usually just tell them politely that they’ve?caught me at a bad time?and I’m not interested in participating in the survey. You know, even though these calls bother me, I don’t want to be rude to the people making them because I know they’re just doing their job.
Host:?Well that sounds like?a good approach. Thanks for your call, Isabel. Next we have Sam on the line. Hi Sam. What’s your pet peeve relating to the telephone?
Sam:?Hi Rick. You know, the other day, I received three?phone calls in a row?and each time the caller hung up as soon as I answered. I was really annoyed! I don’t know if someone was?fooling around?or calling the wrong number by mistake. But if it’s a wrong number, the person should’ve at least apologized and not just hung up. That, to me, is rude!
Host:?Yes, I agree, Sam. And I also think the caller should confirm the number so that he or she doesn’t call the same number three times by mistake.
Sam:?Exactly!
Host:?Well, thanks for your call, Sam. Next, we have Maritza on the line. Hi Maritza. How are you today?
Maritza:?I’m good, thanks.
Host:?So tell us what really annoys you when you’re on the phone?
Maritza:?You know, Rick, what I really hate these days is all the automated telephone lines. The other day I was trying to get through to the customer service department of a large company and all I kept getting was?“For this department, press one; for that department, press two.”?It’s so frustrating. Call me old-fashioned, but I just want to speak to a real, live human being when I call a company! I’m tired of all these recorded voices with complicated menu options.
Host:?Yeah, that’s frustrating. Maritza, do you know that sometimes pressing “0” will get you through to a live person?
Maritza:?Yes, I know. Sometimes that works, but often it doesn’t. I just wish companies would realize that most customers just want to talk to a real person who can help them with whatever they’re calling about.
Host:?Thanks for sharing your pet peeve with us, Maritza and thanks to all of our callers. I’m afraid we’ve run out of time. Until next time, this is Rick Johns on the Morning Show.