I don't mind that one of my duties at work is to answer the phone. It's not exactly tough, brain intensive, or physically demanding. However - I suck at voices. As in, matching a phone voice to a name for someone I have never actually met is not a workable deal for me. So everyone gets a polite "may I ask who's calling?" before I pass the call on. For most callers, this is not a problem.

But then there are the jokers. The ones who want to play a game of twenty questions. Because it is fairly unfathomable to them that I don't know who I'm speaking with. Guys, I've had to bluff my way though phone conversations with friends I've known for ten years when the connection is spotty or the voice just isn't popping out in my memory. Do you seriously think that your generically male middle aged voice is going to act as a serious identifier when I've been at this place for only two weeks? Sheesh.

But on the up side, they are charming (if grump inducing) and I think they all really do mean well. But I'm still tempted to ask them why they feel I'm getting paid to play guessing games. Maybe it's some off kind of hazing. Or... maybe I'll start memorizing the voices. Odder things have happened.