Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Fifty Nifty Posts on My Blog...Otherwise Known As "Phone Shy"

YAY. POST NUMBER FIFTY.

Ahem.

Aaaaanyway, today was my first day as an intern somewhere! It wasn't much like I imagined, though I didn't know what to imagine, so I guess that's not saying a lot. I had to update the links on their website so my limited knowledge of html came in useful, though. And I got to put together media kits, which are basically these manila envelopes with a copy of a newly published book in each and a letter to each person getting an envelope to please write a review of the book. That part was pretty cool.

By far the worst part of the whole thing was answering the phone. I am incredibly phone shy. (Curiousjew, if you've noticed I never called you back :) It's nothing against you and I shall eventually, I'm just really awkward on the phone, heh). Luckily, I didn't have to do too much phone answering because someone else was in charge of that, but if she was on a different line or had stepped out, I had to do it. Let's just say, some women get very touchy about the fact that you don't know they're so-and-so's wife. I'm sorry! It's my first day working there! So I don't know your husband is such-and-such. Big deal. I mean, really. Get. A. Grip. And what was even worse was when someone's husband called and I completely went blank. This was the scenario:
Phone: Ring ring, ring ring (it's a really odd ring)
Me: Please, please, someone else pick up (wishful thinking, if it rings at my desk that means the lady who usually answers the phone is either not there or busy and no one else is going to be picking up that phone)
Phone: Ring ring, RING RING.
Me: *Swallows and picks up phone* H-Hi, this is [insert first part of the name of the publishing house] *awkward pause* Um, Publishing House. *Thinks: darn, I knew I forgot part of the name somewhere*
Touchy Husband: Hi, can I speak to Gwiffle? [this is my code name, just nod, smile, and play along]
Me: Um, sure. Just, um, hold on. Wait, who is this?
Touchy Husband: This is her husband. Who's this?
Me: Um, um, I'm Erachet. I-I work at the, er, front desk.
Nice Person I Work For: Do you want me to take that?
Me: Uh...*puts T.H. on hold* It's Gwiffle's husband.
NPIWF: Oh, just tell him she's out and she'll call him back.
Me: Er, okay. *Completely forgetting how to use a phone, I proceed to press hold in order to get him back. It, of course, does not work. Then I accidentally made a conference call, I think, but I quickly hung up and just hoped T.H. had somehow gotten off the line*

Well, yes, that was a disaster. Luckily, that was pretty much the only one. Oh, then we had someone call who only spoke Spanish. That was fun.

Let's just say, I'm absolutely rubbish at answering the phone.

But to end this post on a happier note: FIFTY POSTS. HURRAH. Or, or, HUZZAH, even.

1 comment:

Scraps said...

Huzzah for your fiftieth post! I wish you luck with the phones. I worked in an office where I had to answer the phones (among many other duties) for many summers, and I never liked it, though I eventually did get better at it. And now I answer phones (again, among many other duties) all day...yippee. But then, I was never actually phone-shy, I just hated answering the phone at work. I still stare at it hoping that my boss will answer it before I have to.

Now I have secret, hidden text like on SerandEz!