The sceptic in me immediately looks for the catch and jumps in with, "Thank you, you've phoned me before - is this the one where it would cost £35pm after the first 6 months?" Oh NOOO, she cries, not at all: listen... But leaving aside my curious scepticism, [and does any Brit not find it wierd/wrong that Krispy Kremes donut café in the USA not only has such strange spelling of Crispy, Cream, and doughnut, but also gives away a free doughnut simply on request?], what's really wrong here?Last time she (or one of several poor telesales ladies with similar accents and phone deals) phoned, I'd learned from experience - it's lovely to be polite to the poor people, but I haven't time to waste. "Thank you," I said, as soon as she'd told me of a free mobile with x, y & z, "I'm not interested in a new mobile phone at this time, goodbye." And as I was putting the phone down, a thin wailing voice came back: "But whyyyy?"
Eh? I now have to justify not buying something? I have to justify not wanting to have the latest in mobile phone technology? What, have I committed a crime against the economy? Headline: Woman arrested on charges of anti-consumerism. The court heard recordings of calls from telesales rep X to... It is an etirely perverted attitude to things, which requires justification for not consuming, updating, etc.
Instead of using what things we have to serve others to God's glory, we use others to get what things we want to our own glory. Now that needs justification.
5 comments:
Do a Roger Carswell. Tell the telesales person *you* have a marvellous offer for *them*...
She's trying to overcome your objection...be STRONG! ;-)
Yes, as I typed, Roger's advice popped into my head and I wondered who'd be the first to give it to me! I confess I completely forgot about it. Next time...
I tend to tell such salesmen and women that I don't need yet another device to enslave me. Afterall, they usually end up being a timesink. They usually are puzzled by the choice of words. This allows a Romans 6.16 based approach.
Stateside, it's Krispy Kreme Donut shop, not café. :)
There's a very sharp Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin's Mum and Dad are looking through their post. They see how half of it (magazines, advertising etc.) is trying to make them discontent to make them buy all the things that the other half (catalogues, more magazines etc.) is trying to sell them. Mum comments that if they didn't buy all these things, the economy would collapse - it's their patriotic duty to buy into mindless consumerism. Dad bins all the things with a wicked grin, "I guess I'll just have to be some kind of terrorist, then", while Calvin runs in from watching tv to say "I've just seen adverts for things I've never heard of before, but really really need!"
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