Message #53146

[geminigirl]

I have to screen most of my two bosses' calls.  Any call that comes in via switchboard asking for them gets put through to me and I have to decide whether to pass it on.  When I started here I had two lists of potential callers - one very short - that they would take calls from and the other long, that they wouldn't!  

I simply ask them "May I ask who's calling" and then "May I know what the call is regarding".  Quite often, all I will get is, "it's a business call" or "personal" etc.  To which I say that if I don't know what it's about, I can't put it through as the boss won't accept it.  Sometimes, at that point, they will simply say they will call again and hang up (or just hang up on me with nothing said).  If they wait for a response from me it will be, "well, you'll just get me again and I will have to ask the same questions".

Others will launch into a long explanation of who they are and what they want and, bottom line is, they are trying to sell advertising in a roundabout way (except they don't call it advertising).  They then cannot accept that the company is not interested in this amazing opportunity and can I really make that decision?  Well, yes, I can as I have been instructed to.  I can recognise these calls and rather than listening to a load of guff I will ask straight out if they are after a financial contribution and if they say yes, I tell 'em no.  They get quite upset at that point  ;-)

I have to say that my bosses are quite happy to be rude on those calls - but of course I'm not as it's unprofessional.

Also, if they don't recognise the numbers coming through on their direct lines they'll ask me to take it.  Can get a bit tedious at times!!