Monday, August 07, 2006

Helping the Helpline Operator

From time to time, the infamous "we always do that" or "we have always done that way" excuse comes up: nothing new here. When hearing such a sentence over the phone, delivering a correct answer might be challenging though. No body language will help you to get through the wall of resistance to change that has just materialized in front of you (well, at the other side of the line).

What could possibly be a straight to the point reply, one that will not hurt the feelings of the other person (a sheer risk when questioning traditions), but will still make the need for change a clear necessity and trigger the reflection required to change one's mind? I propose the following punch lines:
  • I did not know it could even work that way!
  • You have been lucky so far!
  • Call Guinness!
What would you like to add?