What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all About???

Ask and ye shall receive...a good cell phone plan!?!

Real quick, as I'm trying to make a 10:00 bedtime (thus furthering my endeavor to become a grandma by the time I'm 28 ): tonight I witnessed a truly amazing human interaction.

The interaction occurred over cell phone and consisted of Suraj ("concerned boyfriend," as he put it) and a Sprint PCS operator. The subject: a ridiculously complicated and seemingly illogical phone bill (exacerbated by a confusion over what happened to my plan once I got off of the "vacation plan" while i was in Europe - I thought i continued my old one, while my bill reflected not only a more expensive plan, but i was being charged in advance for the January1-30 period!).

Anyway, the point isn't to bore you with the details of my cell phone plan. The point is that Suraj basically told the person on the phone about the confusion, was assertive and confident, constantly clarified what was going on and made sure the Sprint employee knew what he wanted, and in the end he GOT what he wanted!

I think when I talk on the phone, even to complete strangers or people who don't have my best interests at heart, I still feel this absolutely crazy desire to please them or be "nice." Why is this? I've seen over and over again how far being assertive can get you - my mom constantly got upgrades on things growing up, and when I answered the phones at the Ops and Maintenance at the hospital I observed how the annoying, pestering people often got their ways over the passive, "nice" ones.

I must keep this in mind in the future! | posted by Cheryl, 1/10/2006 09:17:00 PM