I had quite an experience this last week. We get telephone calls from a neighborhood but nationally operated drug store reminding us about need to order or pickup prescriptions. Lyn and I both have a few of these.
When you answer one of these calls, you do not begin speaking to a live human being. It is always the same voice and around our house, he is known as Callaway Vincent Sagen.
On this occasion, he asked if he was speaking to me and told me if he was that I should press the number 1. I followed his instructions. He then issued me a second instruction. I complied quickly. I was pleased that things were going so smoothly.
At this point, he asked for my birthdate. I was instructed to answer with two-digit month and day numbers. I answered,” o eight, o five”.
Callaway responded that he didn’t understand me and asked me to repeat my birthday using two numbers for both month and day. I answered exactly as I had before. He didn’t like that again and began issuing more complicated instructions.
I took that opportunity to thank him for the calls and explained that I would personally visit the drug store and inquire about his call. I’m guessing that I didn’t make that visit quickly enough because I received a second call from Mr. Sagen that turned out with the same result before my visit.
I explained to the young female pharmacist at the counter about receiving a couple of phone calls from their special employee. We laughed as I explained my difficulties. She checked my records and discovered that I did have a prescription that could be refilled. Lyn had also asked me to check on a refill for her also. I was soon told that both prescriptions would be available for pickup in about 30 minutes.
I scampered out of the store and completed a couple of other errands. When I returned, about 45 minutes later, my prescription was ready, but Lyn’s would be ready in less than 15 minutes. I stayed in the store and waited.
As I was walking around, I heard our good friend, Callaway announce over their public address system that the pharmacy had a telephone call holding on line one. He successfully repeated that several times. After a few minutes, the pharmacist called me back to the counter and explained that our insurance company wouldn’t accept and pay for her prescription for another month or so.
As I was driving home, I started thinking about Calloway again and was trying to figure out why he couldn’t understand me when I was answering his question about my birthday. I figured it out. I should have said “zero eight zero five” when asked for my birthday.
Well, the following day, Callaway phoned me again. When he gave me my instruction to use two numbers for both the month and day of my birthday, I answered, “zero eight, zero five”. He once again said he didn’t understand my response and ask for it again. Same results! I quickly disconnected.
The very next evening, after I had considered my conversations with Calloway many times, it came into my thoughts that he was asking me to peck those numbers onto the telephone keyboard and not say them out loud to him.
I’m planning a very heartfelt apology for him the very next time he telephones me.
When you answer one of these calls, you do not begin speaking to a live human being. It is always the same voice and around our house, he is known as Callaway Vincent Sagen.
On this occasion, he asked if he was speaking to me and told me if he was that I should press the number 1. I followed his instructions. He then issued me a second instruction. I complied quickly. I was pleased that things were going so smoothly.
At this point, he asked for my birthdate. I was instructed to answer with two-digit month and day numbers. I answered,” o eight, o five”.
Callaway responded that he didn’t understand me and asked me to repeat my birthday using two numbers for both month and day. I answered exactly as I had before. He didn’t like that again and began issuing more complicated instructions.
I took that opportunity to thank him for the calls and explained that I would personally visit the drug store and inquire about his call. I’m guessing that I didn’t make that visit quickly enough because I received a second call from Mr. Sagen that turned out with the same result before my visit.
I explained to the young female pharmacist at the counter about receiving a couple of phone calls from their special employee. We laughed as I explained my difficulties. She checked my records and discovered that I did have a prescription that could be refilled. Lyn had also asked me to check on a refill for her also. I was soon told that both prescriptions would be available for pickup in about 30 minutes.
I scampered out of the store and completed a couple of other errands. When I returned, about 45 minutes later, my prescription was ready, but Lyn’s would be ready in less than 15 minutes. I stayed in the store and waited.
As I was walking around, I heard our good friend, Callaway announce over their public address system that the pharmacy had a telephone call holding on line one. He successfully repeated that several times. After a few minutes, the pharmacist called me back to the counter and explained that our insurance company wouldn’t accept and pay for her prescription for another month or so.
As I was driving home, I started thinking about Calloway again and was trying to figure out why he couldn’t understand me when I was answering his question about my birthday. I figured it out. I should have said “zero eight zero five” when asked for my birthday.
Well, the following day, Callaway phoned me again. When he gave me my instruction to use two numbers for both the month and day of my birthday, I answered, “zero eight, zero five”. He once again said he didn’t understand my response and ask for it again. Same results! I quickly disconnected.
The very next evening, after I had considered my conversations with Calloway many times, it came into my thoughts that he was asking me to peck those numbers onto the telephone keyboard and not say them out loud to him.
I’m planning a very heartfelt apology for him the very next time he telephones me.
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