(no subject)

If someone's outgoing message states "I will get back to you very soon", what length of time might "very soon" mean? Might the statement "I will get back to you very soon" just be a lie? But what purpose would that lie serve? How long after the expiration of whatever period of time implied by "very soon" without hearing back from someone should you start to assume that they are blowing you off? (Assuming that you checked with the receptionist that they are not in fact on vacation.)

How many times does one need to leave a voice mail to convey the message "I am seriously trying to get in touch with you and will not just disappear without us doing the business we need to do"?

Is there some intermediate thing that can be said in a voice mail message that is somewhere between "please call me back" and "do I need to have my lawyer send you a letter explaining why you need to talk to me"?

Are there people who both never pick up the phone when it rings and never return voice mail messages? Is there a way to deal with such people that is cheaper than having your lawyer send them a letter?

(no subject)

Finally got person on the phone. This was about the 12th time I had dialed her number, so I really, really, really wasn't at all expecting that she would actually answer the phone, thus I was mentally rehearsing yet another voice mail message and found myself all tongue-tied actually talking to a person. Especially since I wasn't sure how much of my previous voice mails she had listened to, so wasn't sure what to repeat and what she had already heard a couple of times before.

Doesn't help that I was up at 4:15 this morning to drive Cousin to the airport. Under-slept, I am not coping well today with things I don't cope well with.

What will have to count as progress: Being told "we don't handle that in our office any more, you will have to work directly with Company X and Company Y. I'll call them on Monday or Tuesday to find out what you need to do." Progress-ish? I think the universe is giving me a nibble of success as a reward for taking a bit of time off from obsessing with stuff and taking Sophia to the pool instead.