Photo by Amanda Graham
A phone call from a prospective client for Design Resumes went like this: I gave a sentence or two of small talk and then responded to his question of rates. To answer his question, I said I needed to know more about him since we offer multiple packages.
Tell me about yourself
I asked him to tell me about his present position and his goals. Usually that’s a good technique that usually works very well.
His answer startled me! He said, “You haven’t answered my question and if this is indicative of your work, then I can’t work with you” … and then hung up after less than 3 minutes on the line.
I live in the Midwest, this was a local call. I know other résumé writers have had clients that started out difficult but in 25 years, I have never had it happen to me. I usually end my rate quote with “does this fit your budget?”
Though sometimes I have to work harder to get someone to trust me, the most common comment when I have finished a project is, “I am so glad I came, I feel so relieved.”
I don’t even have a clue as to what field my caller was in because he never told me anything nor did he ask any question other than rate. Résumés are not a one size fits all kind of purchase.
My prices range from entry-level rates to executive rates with multiple rates in the middle to meet every level of a person’s career. I usually listen to the person’s story to determine whether there are additional issues affecting his career, such as: was he recently laid off or is he a manager in a field that doesn’t pay well? A manager of a major manufacturing plant has different résumé needs than someone in retail management.
I want to be fair. But this caller never gave me a chance. He challenged my abilities and hung up.I debated for a bit after the call and decided to check reverse call and see if I could figure who called. Then I called back. I got voice mail and just left a message that said, “Hi, this is Julie. Someone called from this number and if you still need help, I would be happy to help you.” I didn’t and don’t expect I will hear back but you never know.
Don’t burn bridges
But it seems like people experience rudeness from veritable strangers frequently. I was recently “talking” to Kim Woodbridge, my WordPress expert and she had just had a commenter on her blog that was very rude and she was finding ways to respond to him. Blog writers open themselves up to responses that may surprise them.
As we communicate more and more with strangers, either over the phone or by e-mail or in blogs or blog comments or by the host of social media tools that seem to be growing every day, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, do we need to be even more vigilant that we are not offending others?
When I teach classes on résumés and other career management tools, we discuss how you need to always be careful not to burn bridges. As I am teaching networking, I remind people that they need to nurture their network and keep doors open.
I was surprised by my caller’s response and a little hurt, but had he called back, I would have still given him the same level of customer service and assistance that my Design Resumes clients have learned to depend upon.
How about you? Are you rude ever? Are you rude back? Or do you remain ever vigilant to make sure than you don’t offend others. Let’s talk!
