Remember a few years back when the idea people came up with the Do Not Call Registry?
Remember the power and comfort in knowing that, once you said, “Please put me on your Do Not Call List,” they were never, ever supposed to call you again?
Remember the peace and quiet?
And then it turned out that it didn’t apply to Clean Water Action or the Police Officers fund or Hillary or Barack.
Not that I’ve got anything against of those folk, but I’ve gotta say — a dinnertime call from any of them annoys me as much as one from the Home Shopping Network would.
I shouldn’t complain.
Our primary is long over, and I know it’s ya’ll in Indiana and North Carolina who have had to turn your ringers off recently.
But honestly, these calls do not inspire love and loyalty in me.
I understand the need to raise consciousness and money, and I know that marketing is a tricky balancing act — saturate but don’t irritate.
Which is, apparently, easier said than done.
Last night I got a call at 8:05 from a city council campaign office.
8:05.
Hello?? Bathtime? Bedtime? Book time?
“Can our candidate count on your support?” the woman on the other end of the line asked me.
“No,” I said. “Nobody who calls me at 8:05 in the evening can count on my support.”
Which, granted, is a little sour. But can’t they reach out without reaching in?
The theory is that actual voice contact with a voter is much better and it’s really hard to find voice contact.
Yes, I am running for office.
Yes, I refuse to call people after 6 p.m. because I want people to have dinner and go to sleep without me annoying them, but I think the county office calls people between 5 and 8 because that’s when most people are home.
But, all that said, I tend to call people in the afternoon and people are never home. So… I will probably lose.
I actually thought about you, Carrie, as I was writing this. I thought, “I’ll bet Carrie Jones doesn’t call folks over the dinner hour.” Seriously. And I was right. So, here’s what I think:
1. Maybe I’m an odd ball but I want to know that the person I’m voting for is smart, compassionate, thoughtful, open-minded, dedicated and serious about what I’m serious about. Period. I’d like to see that demonstrated — through everything from speeches to good works. THAT matters more to me than actual voice contact. Really. (Although offering to hold town meetings and conference calls is a great idea. And I don’t mind it if you want to go down to the Piggly Wiggly and kiss babies, either…)
2. YOU, Ms. Jones, are going to win because of all your incredibly good qualities and that fact that you’re sure to make the world a better place. Which, it turns out, has nothin’ to do with calling people up to check in on their hamburger helper…
LOL love your answer!I hope i can remember it the next time I get an annoying call past dinner time!
Normally, I just answer quickly and sharply but I honestly felt as if they should know what I really thought. Which was: this is turning me off instead of on. Y’know?
Heh. I wish I had the stones to say something like that, and I may just do so next time I get such a call.
Calls
Elaine M.
It’s great having caller ID. I ignore tons of incoming calls. I’ve even gotten telemarketing calls around 8:00 AM. I hate when “those out there who like to telephone people at home at odd hours” call me on weekend evenings.