This one bugs the crap out of me, there’s nothing I can do to change it, there are even some possibly valid reasons for people to do this, but it happens ALL THE FREAKIN’ TIME and it bugs the living bugfuck out of me. And that’s a lot of bugs!
So I’m at the counter, doesn’t matter what store/restaurant/whatever. The person and I are engaged in a conversation/transaction.
The phone rings.
ALWAYS, I get put on “hold” while the other person answers the phone. ALWAYS.
… I’m trying to rent a car, needing to get to my destination… I have to wait whenever the fuckin’ phone rings.
… I merely want a seat in a restaurant… I have to wait because the phone rings.
Etc, etc, etc.
I have, maybe, had two examples where the person I’m dealing with had the attitude “well, they’ll call back. Let me finish what I started, then I’ll catch the phone.” No, it’s always “RING!.. Excuse me while I take this… ‘No, Henry isn’t working here today’… Now where were we, oh yeah… RING… Excuse me while I take this… 'Yes, we’re open ‘til 7pm’… Sorry about that, phone just doesn’t stop ringing, now let’s get this done… RING…” repeat ad nauseum
To me, this says “The living person in front of me is NEVER as important as the random person on the other end of the phone line.”
And, yeah, I know: I’m not going to change anything about this, and there are times when there are perfectly valid reasons to ignore the person in front of you for the random stranger on the phone… but EVERY FUCKIN’ TIME???
Thank you. This rant is brought to you by Phone Haters International.