Thursday, July 29, 2010

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Hold Music Straight Throwing Me Off


















For those of you who don't already know...I work for a ticket company during the day to bring in the extra dough when I'm not busy writing gems for WMD. Dealing with these other sales dudes requires me to stay on my toes. When you're about to make a call...a delivery must be in place with prices prepared to be taken seriously. If there's any sense of hesitation, you're walking away shorthanded like Milton passing along his slice of the birthday cake.

Today I just figured out a tactic other businesses are using before I'm able to pester them with my usual questions and favors...Hold Music...How easy is it for them to just pick up the phone and throw it on hold knowing its just another broker trying to get at their tickets for a good price. I gotta say hold music is sort of a secret weapon...An X-Factor if you will...Sets the tone for the entire conversation.
 
Sometimes I'll just get a string of commercials from the agency I'm on hold with. That's just like running the offense and never getting a shot up - I've already won with my patience on D and ready to attack on the other end. It's not uncommon to hear some generic 80's pop instrumentals but that's also playing it safe. Sometimes you'll even get the light-hearted Jimmy Buffett or Jack Johnson...still not phased.
 
One specific call to a Nevada broker around 2:30 PM today was certainly out of the ordinary. I was preparing to make a rather large Arizona Cardinals order when I was first forced into the directory. A minute later I was in the hold cycle and they hit me with the Michael Buble...Fucking Michael Buble...Not fair man. Usually I'd just change the song if it were on the radio or something (yeah, whatever) but you're waiting for someone to pick up the phone, so what else to do but listen...intently...
 
It only took about 15 seconds for me to leave the office and find myself on the dance floor with the prettiest dame at the jazz club. There I was swinginin' and swayin' just running the joint...until my cubicle flashed right back in front of me along with a thanks for holding how may I help you? Delivery: out the window. Prices: out the window. Entire reason for calling: out the window. I did manage to pull it together and get my order through. When my manager asks why I settled on the price I guess I'll just have to come out with the truth. They had Michael Buble as the hold music and I froze...God damnit.

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