Sandy Knauer, click
here to update your pages on AuthorsDen.
Blogs by Sandy Knauer
For a good time, call Bill Chambers 3/16/2004 9:05:33 AM
Sick of those annoying phone calls? Try calling them back. Every day around the same time, my phone rings and there's no one on the other end - just that hollow sound of the computer wasting my time so the annoying person on the other end doesn't have to waste his. Nothing angers me more than a person/business who believes his time is more valuable than mine. After so many days, I waited to see who would finally pick up on the other end. It was Bill Chambers, announcing in a perky, patronizing voice how sorry he was to 'miss me' (I was there - he wasn't) and telling me how much he would love to help me out of this credit card debt. He left a number and instructed me to have my credit card information and balances handy when I called him back (again, protecting HIS valuable time).
I called the number and selected the 'remove my number' option. Two times I called and chose that option. So when Bill left his perky message on my answering machine again the other day it really hit a raw nerve.
I called again and selected a different option. A woman answered and I asked for Bill Chambers. "Bill doesn't work in this office," she explained.
"Then why did he call me and leave this number?" I asked.
"That was a courtesy call," she responded.
"Courtesy?? Does he think it's courteous to annoy people?" I asked. "Do YOU think that's courteous?"
"Ma'am," she huffed, "Do you have over $6,000 in credit card debt? Is there something I can help you with?"
"Apparently I must have at least $6,000 in credit card debt," I explained back. "Otherwise, why would Bill have called me?"
"These calls are random," she admitted. "We have no way of knowing your credit situation. Now, is there something I can help you with?"
"Yes, you can stop calling me," I suggested.
"Give me your number and I'll be happy to remove your name," she said.
"No. I've given you my number twice and you courteously ignored me. I'm asking you to remove all numbers from your list because no one wants your calls," I answered defiantly.
"You are very immature, ma'am," she said courteously.
"So you think it's courteous AND mature to make prank phone calls?" I asked her. "You call my house and there's no one on the other end of the line. You insult me by assuming that I'm in debt when I'm not, and by insinuating that were I in debt I wouldn't have the sense to seek you out? That's mature and curteous?"
She courteously hung up on me.
I've decided that Bill Chambers either has a very warped sense of humor, or a serious misunderstanding of courtesy. To satisfy whichever it happens to be, I call Bill's office a couple of times an hour now - once with a courteous announcement about the weather and once with a random story about my imaginary credit card debt.
Bill has a lot of people working for him, and I think there may be a few I haven't spoken with yet. If you and your friends would like to help me contact all of them, the number is (866) 353-6994 - option 2.
P.S. It's very interesting to hear them explain how their business is non-profit. Just keep in mind that they get very annoyed when you ask them to spell words (especially San Francisco)
