In answering the phone at the library reference desk, I’ve noticed a couple funny trends – funny to me, anyway:
- When I answer the phone, I state that it’s the library reference desk, followed by “this is Josh.” This almost invariably triggers the response of “Hi Josh, this is John / Jane Doe” – the folks on the other end of the line almost always give me their full name. It doesn’t seem to matter if their question has anything to do with the circulation of library materials; if it did, having their name might be helpful, but otherwise, it makes no difference whatsoever.
- After giving me their full name, there’s usually a pause, followed by “I have a question.” Well, yes, I would hope so – you called the reference desk, and we typically deal in giving answers.
I also get “I need some help” quite a bit. Either one seems weird, though. It’s the reference desk, of course you’re calling us looking for an answer or some other form of help.
What I find a little maddening about this is that even though I’ve noticed these pecularities, I’ve caught myself using the same “oral models”, if you will. I called some place – I don’t remember where, a support line or something similar – and gave my name, followed by “I’ve got a question.” I only realized I’d done it after I’d hung up, at which point I felt like slapping my forehead.
Do any of you folks say similar things when making a call? Have you noticed any other near-pointless expressions that people seem to habitually use?
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