I admit this with a touch of embarrassment. I hate making phone calls. I will put it off until the last possible minute 9 times out of 10. Okay, if I'm being totally honest, it's 9.9 times out of 10, even when I really want to talk to the person that I'm calling. I don't know why. I do know that the phone calls are why I wasn't enamored with being a key spouse. Nothing worse than calling someone you don't know and having an awkward, stilted, and uncomfortable conversation with them.
Ironically, the last few jobs I've had involve me being on the phone most all the time, which could also be why I have such a dial phobia these days. BUT - for business purposes, if I ever said I would call you? I called you. Personally speaking, my track record is less than perfect, but I do tell people that don't know me well yet about my phone issues. And I'm great about emailing and facebooking and I'm getting better with texting, even if it still takes me for-evah to text.
And as hypocritical as this is, my biggest pet peeve is someone not communicating with me like they say they will. (Pot and kettle issues anyone?!!?? ) I do, however give big leeway. If you say, 'I'll try to call you next week' then it doesn't bother me in the slightest if you don't call. If it's for something specific like setting up plans or whatever, then I do get irritated if you don't call and I'm stuck in plan limbo waiting on you. Apparently not enough to call you myself most of the time, but it is what it is. I'm working on it.
Now, if I'm paying you money for something? If you say you are going to call me and don't? I'm irritated. If you say you are going to call me more than once and don't more than once? I'm pissy.
Case in point: Friday morning, I called our insurance company about my car. They gave me the name and number of the guaranteed repair shop. I wrote all the information down, left to go to the Y and right after I walked back into the house, the repair shop was calling and wanting me to bring it in for an estimate. Impressive. So I did.
They wanted me to bring the car in on Monday to be fixed. So we did. My contact there told me that he'd call me and let me know the progress and if they found additional damage to the car other than what was visible to the naked eye. I assumed he'd call Monday, but he didn't specify so by Tuesday afternoon, I was getting a little concerned. The repair estimate said 2-3 days and since the shop got my car when they opened on Monday, I should be able to pick it up on Wednesday and that's with the worst case scenario. At least according to the estimate paperwork and my three conversations with the repair shop guy.
No call on Tuesday. In fairness, I didn't call him either. R and I decided not to rent a car for a variety of reasons, and R's been a really good sport about sharing his vehicle with me, even though it's interfering with his schedule a bit. Thursday and Friday are crazy busy for me this week and having to share a car just isn't going to work. So if my car isn't going to be ready, I need to know so I can make arrangements.
I call first thing this morning. He's not in yet. An hour later, he calls me back and leaves me a voice mail, but I'm working out so I don't get the message until almost an hour after he calls. I call him back immediately, but he's not there but he should be back in 15 minutes. I give him 30 and then call back. This time he's there and he's all, yeah, I was gonna call you today....
Uh huh.
So what I find out is that even though there wasn't the damage behind the bumper that he expected, the car is JUST NOW going in to be painted. I'm suddenly pretty certain that I'm not going to be happy with the repair job on the car but I'm trying to think positively. He says that he'll call me around lunch time and let me know for sure when the car will be ready. No indication of whether that's today, tomorrow, next week, or never. It's about 10:45 at this point. I wait until 2:30 to call him. No answer.
Really? REALLY!?!?!?!
I call back 15 minutes later and talked to the other guy and explain that I was supposed to have been called around lunchtime to let me know about my car. Other guy tells me that the painting is finished, but its drying and I can probably pick it up around 5.
Umm, probably? And don't you guys close at 5?
Also, I have basketball practice at 5, which I tell the other guy and ask him if there's any chance the car could be ready by 4:15-4:30ish. He tells me to call back at 4 and check.
Fair enough, and also? Thank you for not saying you'll call me because we both know it ain't true.
A few minutes later and I'm emailing R for the millionth time today keeping him updated on my last car conversation when the phone rings. Surprise, surprise. It's MY car shop guy. He's all, "Yeah, other guy said you called and want to pick up the car early."
Le sigh.
Dude. You've had my car for 3 days. If you couldn't fix it in 3 days, then don't tell me that you'll have it done in 2-3 days worst case scenario, then tell me it was far from worst case scenario - but my car is not done yet. It's false hope, which really pisses me off. It's also unprofessional.
I explain why I need to be somewhere at 5 and he's all, well...I'll call you by 4. When would you need to come and get the car to get to basketball practice?
I can make to practice in 15ish minutes from the shop.
'Okay' he says. 'I'll call you by 4 and let you know if you can have it today. If not, you can pick it up first thing tomorrow.'
uh huh.
It's 4:03. Guess who has two thumbs and a phone that has not rung?
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