The foreign exchanges outlined in "Musical Chairs" brought to mind the following: Some years ago in New York City it appeared that every executive wanted a British secretary. Their diction was impeccable and it became a status symbol to have such a voice answer the phone. One day a caller asked to speak to Mr. Executive and was told in a trained voice "I'm sorry he is not in - he has gone to the United Kingdom." There was a pause on the caller end who said "I'm sorry - is it too late to send flowers?" Then there was that madcap fellow in the New York office who when there was a lull in the action would dial up (yes, the phones had dials) Air France to hear that lovely voice saying "Aire Franze,, Suzie speaking". He fell in love every day but ended up marrying an Irish lass. During the 1950s we shipped considerable grain to Germany under an early A.I.D. arrangement. The volume was such that we hired a German - Heinrich von ___ - who had connections in Washington,, D.C. to make the way smooth. One day my friend Jack came back to the office after a three martini lunch and passed the new hire in the hallway. I was told that my friend stopped, clicked his heels and gave a "sig heil" salute to our grain ennabler. This was definitely bad form and poor Jack was on the next train to Baltimore in exile. It was early in the post WWII period and wounds were still raw. But any salesman worth his salt knows NOT to return to the office after three martinis. (And this was well before the MAD MEN era.)
tjs
Next - Driver Education
No comments:
Post a Comment