Barbee
Member
I'm so tired of my boss getting those cold calls, wherein I ask "who's calling," the party tells me and I don't recognize the name, so I ask "will he know what it's in reference to?" and I get either it's personal or they lie and say yes.
Any suggestions as to how I can answer these idiots without bothering him with this crap?
:)
AJsGal
Member
Ask them for their number and tell them the boss is in a meeting and will call him/her back. They most likely will just hang up if it's not a legitimate personal call.
rigo parc
Member
Tell them he's dead. If they get upset, you'll know it's a legitimate call.
NYC_Lover
Member
Ask for the subject matter as a refresh for his memory.
Say he's in a meeting and offer your assistance instead.
Secretaries prefer to be called administrative or executive assistants these days. Unless she's Secretary of State, Labor, Defense,... ;)
Barbee
Member
Thanks all!
As to what secretaries prefer, that's if it's non-legal. I'm a Legal Secretary, reporting to the Chairman of the Department.
Also, I could care less what title I possess, just pay me. :)
Miss Understood
Member
When I worked briefly as a secretary, a woman called, identified herself as my boss's wife and asked to speak to him.
I said that I needed to verify the call and if she could identify what part of her husband's penis had the birthmark on it.
Bitch hung up on me.
ShaynaMadel
Member
I'm an attorney in a small office and I often am the one to pick up the phone. I've known the colleague I work for and his wife for over 20 years, so I know the names of most people who call him here at the office. If it's not a name I recognize, I don't ask the caller if my colleague knows what it will be about, I ask what it is regarding. Sometimes they say that it is personal or that he will know. I tell them he is in with a client or otherwise unavailable. Do they really think that the person screening the call will take the word of a faceless stranger? Really? Not here. And what really gets me going is when they find out that I am an attorney and if they've been a little nasty or aggressive, they apologize for not knowing I'm an attorney, as if it's somehow ok to treat staff like crap.
But I really do like rigo parc's approach.
Barbee
Member
rigo parc's is great!
Oh, I know - but I give it right back to them. These callers who get nasty - client or otherwise - seem to forget that I'm the gatekeeper and you won't get through if you're nasty to me.
I once worked for an attorney whose adversary got very nasty with me and he refused to talk to him until he apologized to me.
flocat
Member
What gets me is when I'm taking a message and ask the caller for his/her number, and they say, "Oh, he has it." So now I have to spend time looking it up, because they couldn't be bothered to tell me! Now that everyone has a cell phone, I can usually get a number by saying, "At what number can he reach you?"
It is amazing that so many people don't realize that the secretary is the gatekeeper. On the other hand, there are the wonderful people who do remember, and give boxes of chocolates and gift baskets of food!
Barbee
Member
AMEN to that Flo!
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