He Doesn’t Take Calls

Sometimes one just has to blog, particularly when something just phases or amazes you enough to put fingers to keys. I’ve just telephoned one of my former clients, to be told by reception that “he doesn’t take calls”. Now, I’ll call his mobile and reach him there, so no drama.  So here’s the rub.

Reception didn’t even know who I was. They didn’t even bother to ask, and just offered to give me my client’s email address. I could have been anyone, from the hard-nosed pushy salesperson to the boss of one of the divisions who just happened not to have this guy’s internal or direct number. OK, so most people we’d like to speak to already have our contact details, but not always. You could be turning away someone important, or making it difficult for them to get hold of you.

So why my horror, disgust and shock? It’s because this person was the HR Director, running a (supposedly) people-centric function, that’s also gaining a worrying reputation for being difficult to engage and offering limited #value. Now HR Directors can’t take many and all of the calls. But if they (and, by association, their function) want to be seen as approachable, they should at least find out what someone wants before they shut them down or close them off. Wait before they build a protective wall, or dig a moat around them. And don’t give reception the message that they don’t take any calls. It makes them seem aloof and arrogant. Maybe they are, but they sure as hell don’t want that reputation to stick. Rant finished. I’m over it now!