About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 12
Our library has a public cell phone number that patrons can use if they’d prefer to text in a query. The phone is in our office, and we all take turns checking it.
Me: “I’ve been getting a few texts recently confirming some appointments for a guy named Michael. I think he might be giving out our number by mistake.”
Manager: “Once maybe, but you said you got a few?”
Me: “Yeah, one for an eye exam, two restaurants, and a confirmation text for a ticket purchase to a football game.”
Manager: “Yeah, that’s weird. Sounds intentional.”
A couple of days later, we get a call on the public cell phone.
Patron: “Hey, I’ve been using your number for my appointments. Can I double-check if they changed my dinner on Thursday from six to seven as I requested in the app?”
Me: “You’re Michael?”
Patron: “Yeah.”
Me: “You’ve been using our number for all of your online appointments and reservations.”
Patron: “Yeah.”
Me: “Can I ask why?”
Patron: “Yeah, I need you to manage those for me. It gives me anxiety.”
Me: “No, we’re a library, not your secretary. We can’t manage your appointments for you.”
Patron: “But these are giving me anxiety! All you gotta do is just accept the invites that come to your number under my name and update my calendar for me. It’s so simple.”
Me: “If it’s so simple, why can’t you do that?”
Patron: “I get so much extra mail and calls when I give my number out.”
Me: “And why would we want our number to get that kind of unwanted exposure?”
Patron: “You’re a library! You guys need all the exposure!”
Me: “Sorry, but no.”
Patron: “So uncool, guys.”
The patron hangs up, but literally the next day, we receive a text confirming a dinner reservation at a fancy restaurant three months from now.
Me: “Are you serious? He’s done it again.”
Manager: “What came through?”
Me: “A dinner reservation for eight people at [Restaurant].”
Manager: “That place? That place is notoriously difficult to get into. I’m surprised they got a reservation for eight people.”
Me: “It’s three months out.”
Manager: “That explains it.”
Me: “What should we do?”
Manager: “Put it in our calendar, wait until the day before, and cancel the reservation.”
We applied that strategy to every appointment that Michael sent us. After the restaurant reservation, the texts mysteriously stopped coming in.
Related:
About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 11
About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 10
About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 9
About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 8
About To Be Dis-Appointed, Part 7