Convert

I have always been a staunch opponent to the automated telephone system. I would much rather talk to a real person than navigate my way through a telephonic maze to find the specific department I need. I never understood the people who prefer button pushing to question asking. It is infinitely easier for me to say, “Uh, I don’t really know who I need to talk to, but I’m trying to find the [insert the reason for my call here]” than it is to decipher where my request fits into their automated options.

That is, it was easier…until now. Now that I work in the quietest office on the planet, I am a convert. I called the pharmacy last week to check on my prescription. I cleared my throat to prepare it for clear whispering (which is required when you try to handle any personal matter while on the phone in the quietest office on the planet). I planned my conversation – how to ask for prescription information without revealing too much personal info to the guy in the next cubicle (who is bound to listen as my whispering shatters the silence).

I dial and wait, my hand cupped around the receiver to try to muffle the conversation I’m about to have. The friendly, automated voice answers and directs me to press 2, “If you are a patient.” I press 2 and ready myself to quietly ask if my drugs are ready.

The automated lady asks for my phone number. I punch it in. She tells me that my prescription is ready, and offers to tell me the cost if I press 2. I do.

In minutes and without silence-shattering conversation, I hang up.

So, I am a convert. But it makes me wonder…has working in this silent environment made me shy away from all conversation? Maybe the real world has changed me more than I thought.