Posts Tagged ‘Dentist’
In the dentist’s chair
So I am to have a sinus graft – you don’t want to know what this involves but it appears to be the dental equivalent of getting in a builder to deal with a major case of subsidence: It will take months, involves major works and will cost a fortune.
It is a cue for the dentist to try and take his patient’s mind of the issue at hand: “And what do you do?” he asked brightly.
“I show people how to cut their household bills by somewhere around 25%,” I told him through gritted teeth ( what’s left of them).
“Really,” he said.
Gotcha!
And the next minute he was giving me his home number and saying he’d warn his wife I’d be calling.
You see, it pays to have your response so ingrained that it just comes spouting out at the least provocation.
But actually it was what happened after I left the surgery that was more interesting: No sooner had I started the car than my mobile rang: It was a young man wanting to know if I would like to to renew my subscription to First News. This is an excellent newspaper intended for children and mine really do read it so I was quite happy to say “yes, please.”
And then I went on: “By the way may I compliment you on your telephone manner. You’re really good – did anyone tell you that?”
“No!”
“What don’t they appreciate you at First News? I’d have thought they ought to give you a pay rise they way you do your job.”
Chance, he told me, would be a fine thing.
“Really,” I was warming to my theme now. I pulled up on the grass verge. “Tell me, would you be interested in looking at ways to earn an extra income alongside what you do already?”
And the best bit is that since then, we have had to have another conversation because I didn’t have my bank details with me in the car and he needed them for the direct debit – and when he did call for them he had had a first look at the website (or as much of it as he could in the office which he claims runs something like Windows 98 and doesn’t provide speakers).
But what he did see excited him: “I’m off to Uni in a few weeks. Could I do this there? Would it help pay my living expenses?”
“Interesting you should mention that. When you look at that website on a decent computer, you’ll see a video. It’s presented by a guy who joined this business when he was a student. Now, at just over 30, he lives a semi-retired lifestyle – although, I suppose that he could be completely retired if he wanted to. Certainly he seems to go on a lot of very expensive holidays and he doesn’t have any other occupation.”
“Right,” said my young friend.
The words “done deal” came to mind.
We shall see.