My First Management Decision

Talking to a fellow senior manager (oh lah-de-dah) the other day, she asked me if I'd made any 'power' decisions yet (she, like me, has no trouble taking the mick).

I replied yes (rather earnestly).

With raised eyebrows (and a certain amount of discomfort as I answered without humour), she asked me what.

I replied......"I will write a new policy on, and enforce the new company rule, that NO SOUTH AFRICANS SHOULD BE IN CHARGE OF ANSWERING PHONES!"

After laughing, she asked me why.

I replied, "...because they make hello sound like fuck off...."

C'mon....get off your politically correct high horse people. South Africans, whether trying or not, lack diplomacy. It must be a combination of things like intonation in speech coupled with accent, but they really annoy me, (well...on the phone anyway).

And as for answering the company phone? Well, if I were ringing a housing organisation, needing help on a housing or benefits issue, would I want to speak to someone who, by misfortune, sounds like someone who wouldn't piss on me if I were on fire??????