Who?

Oh, I hate it when I get a message on my voicemail and the person only identifies themselves by their first name and just assumes a) that you know who they are and b) where they work. It’s even more annoying – more from the memory point of view – when you recognise the voice, so you know you’ve dealt with them before.

I often grumble about my memory, but honestly it’s not that bad, but trying to remember the name of every person you deal with from external organisations isn’t easy. Or rather it isn’t easy when you only deal with them on an infrequent basis. We have our favourite harbingers of doom of course, who we deal with so frequently that you can almost tell by the ringing of the phone who it is (note: these are office phones, not mobiles, so they just ring. Or bleep, or gurgle, or whatever); certainly you recognise the number when you look at the phone itself.

It’s the phone conversation equivalent of talking to someone you recognise in the street and can’t remember for the life of you why you recognise them and they evidently know each and every detail of your personal and career history.

Stick to the protocols, people: full name and place of work. Then you can get on with the chatty pleasantries while I try to remember other stuff such as my name.

Who?

Oh, I hate it when I get a message on my voicemail and the person only identifies themselves by their first name and just assumes a) that you know who they are and b) where they work. It’s even more annoying – more from the memory point of view – when you recognise the voice, so you know you’ve dealt with them before.

I often grumble about my memory, but honestly it’s not that bad, but trying to remember the name of every person you deal with from external organisations isn’t easy. Or rather it isn’t easy when you only deal with them on an infrequent basis. We have our favourite harbingers of doom of course, who we deal with so frequently that you can almost tell by the ringing of the phone who it is (note: these are office phones, not mobiles, so they just ring. Or bleep, or gurgle, or whatever); certainly you recognise the number when you look at the phone itself.

It’s the phone conversation equivalent of talking to someone you recognise in the street and can’t remember for the life of you why you recognise them and they evidently know each and every detail of your personal and career history.

Stick to the protocols, people: full name and place of work. Then you can get on with the chatty pleasantries while I try to remember other stuff such as my name.

Shome mishtake shorely...

Now look here you Germans, those Scottish laddies from BrewDog of Fraserburgh have reclaimed their title. Last year they courted controversy with their 32% Tactical Nuclear Penguin; German brewers Schorschbrau responded with Schorschbock at 40%.

Well Otto, it was a good try, but not good enough. Witness Sink the Bismarck at a mighty 41%


Quite normal, thanks

What better to wash down those deep fried battered Mars Bars?

Shome mishtake shorely...

Now look here you Germans, those Scottish laddies from BrewDog of Fraserburgh have reclaimed their title. Last year they courted controversy with their 32% Tactical Nuclear Penguin; German brewers Schorschbrau responded with Schorschbock at 40%.

Well Otto, it was a good try, but not good enough. Witness Sink the Bismarck at a mighty 41%


Quite normal, thanks

What better to wash down those deep fried battered Mars Bars?