Yesterday Mr. BIL got a phone call from a woman who is vaguely involved in a case he’s working on. As part of the case she needs to come to our office and have a document signed and notarized. When the call came in Mr. BIL was actually at my desk so I put her on hold and told him who was calling. He got a panicked look in his eyes and said, “I’ve been told that woman likes to talk – tell her I’m not available but will call her back tomorrow!”
I picked up the phone and passed along the message, to which she responded, “Okay, let me just tell you what’s going on…”
And proceeded to talk my ear off for almost ten minutes. I was finally able to cut in and make the actual appointment.
“Is there covered parking?” she asked.
“No, but we have visitor parking.”
“Is it very far to walk?” she asked.
“No – it’s right there. It’s our parking lot.”
“How much does the parking cost?” she asked.
*sigh* “Nothing – it’s OUR parking lot. On our property. We don’t charge people to park.”
“Oh wonderful! Now, do I need to bring anything with me? Driver’s license? Passport? Birth Certificate?”
“No, just yourself.”
“Now, how do I get there – I’m new to Charlotte and don’t know the area well.”
*sigh* “Where are you coming from?”
“I’m not sure where I’ll be.”
“Then may I suggest you visit to Google Maps online and look up directions once you figure out where you will be coming from? It’s very reliable.”
“That is SO nice of you to suggest. I was going to use MapQuest, but you feel Google Maps is better?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Great – okay, well I’ll see you Friday then!” After a few more pleasantries she finally hung up.
A 60-second call took over 13 minutes. When I hung up Mr. BIL started cracking up at his desk.
Turns out, the law firm who represents her has put a 15 minute time limit on all phone calls she makes to the office. Her attorney literally has a timer on his desk and sets it to 15 minutes when she calls. She knows this, and is given 5, 10 and 14 minute warnings about her time being up. And apparently her accountant has requested she communicate only via email. No phone calls. She’s THAT MUCH of a chatterbox. You know it’s bad when your attorney, who gets paid for all client-related phone calls, puts a 15-minute cap on your calls!!!
I’ve told Mr. BIL that I DO NOT want to be her notary witness tomorrow. He just laughed, saying, “If *I* have to be there, *you* have to be there.”