I Don’t Know….I Don’t Know

“I don’t know.” “I don’t know.” “I don’t know.” “I don’t know.” “I don’t know.” There are five “I don’t knows”, for each one of the five agreements that are asked of the caller. It is amazing how much one person does not know. I receive calls every day from people who don’t know, calling for other people who don’t know. They do not know when the unit is needed. They do not know what size is needed. They do not know if the location is convenient for them or not. All they are doing is asking the question of how much it costs. Then they also know that the number was given by another person, I feel like asking, “What do you know?” These calls are very difficult and frustrating but we get through them.

The other day my director came to me and asked me to call some agencies to gather information and then I became the person with the “I don’t know” answer. I had to laugh to myself, as I was becoming the customer that we talk to everyday. The person who answered was asking me question after question and I still said, “I don’t know.” I had to use the cop out that I was calling for my boss and I don’t have the information. I know that the receptionist probably wanted to say what I was thinking, “Why don’t you have the person that DOES know call?” I apologize to these people that I did not know but I asked them to please take the information that I did know and to follow up on it. Most of them agreed and took the information and ended the conversation.

It is true that you must treat people the way that you would like to be treated. One day the shoe may be on the other foot.