2006.02.07 How Are You
I talk to a person at work several times a day, by phone, for business reasons. I get called because they have a question, which I am able to answer. They are in a learning phase, so it's perfectly acceptable to get these questions and phone calls. The part that is weird/annoying to me is that each time I get called, I get asked "How are you?" Do you think it's changed? Does it really matter? Tell me what you're calling for, and let's get this show on the road.
The majority of people I work with VERY rarely call me for anything but items that are work-related. It's a very good posibility that if I'm getting a phone call, it's work related. I feel little to no obligation to chew the fat with you before you tell me why you're calling. You're probably going to be on my better side if you just call, tell me why you're calling, let me solve/fix your problem, then hang up. In the course of the conversation about work-related stuff I'm sure we'll cover the truly necessary topics.
Tag(s): soap_box