Avid Inkling

The people at the Alumni Directory sent me little postcards, so I called the 800 number they gave me and talked to rather perky people.

I tried to explain that after May all the information they would have on me would be wrong, and I wasn’t sure what the new information would be just yet (ok, so I lied a little). I told them to just “keep that information, my parents live there” and if someone really wanted to get in touch with me they could call them.

Then came my favorite question: would you like to reserve your copy of the limited deluxe edition for just two simple payments of $39.95?

Um, not particularly. Yeah, so my information is in there, I know where I am, if I want to find someone, I’ll use facebook, or google, or my network of friends (or call someone who made the two easy payments of $39.95).

The one good thing was the person on the other end of the line spoke english, and not some odd-accented out-sourced-to-India version of the language. I was glad that at least one or two obnoxious 800 numbers were still U.S. run –that or they trained the out-sourced-Indians really really well.

I also liked there was NO hold music, the phone rang maybe twice and a perky voice rambled off the necessary greetings, and quickly and efficiently got my information. There was no holding, no transferring, no real problem.

I guess if people are on hold over something as trivial as a Alumni Directory they’d hang up if it was too much of a hassle. I could see being on hold for computer warranty issues, or if money was on the line, but an alumni directory? Meh, no real loss to you. So kudos to them for efficiency.