Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Phone Compulsion

I have recently discovered that I have a compulsion for answering the phone.  When I am at the office and the phone rings I always have the feeling that I have to grab it on the first ring.  It drives me to distraction when it rings consecutively.  This normally wouldn't be a problem, but there is a lady there who answers the phone.  I have tried answering it, but she gets antsy when I do...unless I tell her I am going to.  And so instead of getting into an answering war, I just leave it alone.  So I was sitting at my desk yesterday and the phone keeps ringing and she keeps answering and I am having to literally sit on my hands.  I began to wonder why I have this reaction...I don't get like this when I am at someone else's house, so why am I like this here.  Then it hit me...indoctrination.  Several years ago I worked at Pizza Hut, and during that time is when I formed the compulsion.  See, if we didn't answer the phone on the first ring, we were in some mighty big trouble...in fact there was so much pressure for prompt answering that they had employees diving for phones.  It was so bad that too this day if I am feeling hectic and rushed and I answer the phone I will still say, "thank you for calling the McMinnville Pizza Hut.  This is Anne, how may I help you?"  Crazy I know, but I have done it everywhere I have worked...Applebee's, lifeway, the church, even my own cell phone.  I never knew the full effect that place had on me...I hope one day to recover.

1 comment:

myra said...

This is funny! We actually ate at Pizza Hut last night, we took advantage of kids eat free Tues.