Phone Anxiety

Today at the store I got a call from a customer, just for privacy sake I’ll call her by a made up name - Linda. Let me correct something, I got multiple calls from Linda. Sounds like a story brewing here…

Linda is an older lady with a few medical problems. She has to live with someone, to help take care of her, so she’s living with her Dad. Her Dad is also having medical problems, dealing with cancer. Not a real good situation.

Linda doesn’t drive the car too much on her own; she relies on others to take her places. So she doesn’t get out much. Which leads to the phone calls. She calls a lot of people during the day, including our store. She calls just to say “hi” and to see if the book she ordered last night is in yet. I’ve thought about explaining to her that we are not the ACME store from the Warner Bros. cartoons, where Bugs will order something and get it 10 seconds from a delivery boy on a scooter. But instead, I just say, “No it’s not in yet, we’ll call you when it comes in.” And then she’s happy.

I’m trying to do the right thing, being nice to her, etc. But I’m starting to get phone anxiety. I don’t know if this is an official term or if I coined it, but I’ve got it. Every time the phone rings, I think it’s going to be her. In all reality, it’s starting to drive me nuts. A restraining order has crossed my mind, but then when I really think about it, I know that’s not the right thing to do.

So when the phone rings, I just pause, take a deep breath, and pick it up. Maybe someday I’ll get over my phone anxiety, and without the help of any medication…

~Shane