Thursday, April 24, 2008

Paging Mr Jenstong

I just got a call from a telemarketer, actually he wasn't so much a telemarketer as he was a representative of a free, online IT "magazine" that goes directly into my junk mail every day conducting a survey on IT usage at our office. He may well have the world's most pointless job. There are many jobs that are not very essential, but this may be the alpha. Think about it.
Guy who knock large rocks off train tracks so the train won't derail
Guy who tightens bolts on signs
Paperweight
Fecal analyst
Cat Whisperer
Mongolian Naked Fighter
None of these jobs can be as unimportant as this caller's job. The survey starts poorly:
Guy: So, your name is Brian Jenstong?
Brian: Uh, Jensen
Guy: And you're located in Plymouth, Maine
Brian: Minnesota, not Maine.
Guy: Um hmm, and your company's name is (something unintelligible, followed by strange farting and chewing noises)
Brian: Close enough.
OK, it's taken me about 15 seconds to realize I am dealing with somebody that, at best, is someone I wouldn't trust to feed my pets correctly. He has a weird, effeminate accent and it also sounds like he has a piece of construction paper in his mouth. I want this survey to end now. It does not end.
Guy: What would you say is your favorite part about our magazine?
Brian (thinking quickly): Um, the swimsuit edition?
No pause or laughter or anything. Sharp as a balloon, this one.
Guy: And what would you say XYZ magazine needs to improve on?
Brian: I think it's phone surveys should be longer.
Again, nothing. After 7 minutes (I watched my clock) of asking me whether I use 80 zillion various IT devices, none of which I have ever heard of, he asks me how much the company spends on technology a year. He starts with "Over 5 million" and I keep rejecting him until he gets down to "Less than 10,000." I am not paying attention so I say no to that answer too. He is perplexed.
Guy: Um, that's the last choice.
Brian: We spend less than that.
Guy: You spend less than "Less than 10,000?"
Brian: Oh yeah!
Guy: Uhhhhhh....
Brian: Way less.
After a moment of unconfortable silence and then another moment of shifting the construction paper around, he accepted my answer and promised me a free something for my cooperation (I forget what the free thing was). Then he said "That's it for what time I need from us today," and hung up. What?? I just hope my free thing is something awesome, like surround sound speakers or something. It probably won't be though. Stupid magazine!

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