Thursday, October 31, 2013

Learning To Love Your Cold-Caller

To many people, cold-callers are a maddening nuisance and they slam the phone down when they hear from them. Or they unleash their frustrations in their own lives in a burst of anger just before cutting off the call.

But cold-callers are human and have feelings just as you and I do.

While there are some dishonest cold-callers, most cold-callers become cold-callers because they need the income to support their families and they join reputable firms.

Today Pamela called representing a construction contractor and I greeted her warmly and as I at times do, I asked her about herself.

This lovely lady is a young mother with a two year old, a one year old and a baby scheduled to be born at about Valentine's Day, 2014. At that time Pamela will turn 33 years of age. Today being Halloween she intends to celebrate with her two year old and perhaps some other small children as well.

When I explained I wasn't a prospective customer for her contractor's services, she assured me she would remove my name from their call list.

But there was such a warmth to this young lady, as busy as I was, I told her I was glad she called and I wished her a wonderful day.

So often it is easy to treat people as empty abstractions as we dehumanize them, when in fact just like us, each person has a life, has stories from that life to share, and has feelings and a desire for respect.

If I could have hugged Pamela, I would have. That is not to say all cold-callers deserve hugs but it is to say we must seek our oneness with all humanity, as every major religion teaches and as our hearts tell us is so.

Dick

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