Pro tip: the 'manager' on the phone is sometimes just another cashier

Last week at the hardware store, a customer was yelling at me about a return policy, demanding to speak to a manager. I handed him the cordless phone, walked to the back, and answered it myself in a slightly deeper voice. He calmed down instantly and agreed to the original terms. Has anyone else had to pull a fast one like this to end a pointless fight?

2 comments

2 Comments

susan4888d ago

Honestly that's kind of genius. The magic of a slightly deeper voice and a fake title to make the exact same person seem more reasonable. Bet he felt real important getting to talk to the "manager" in the back.

clairefisher8d ago

Read a study where they recorded the same person giving advice in two different tones. Listeners rated the deeper, more confident voice as way more trustworthy even though the words were identical. It's wild how much we judge on sound alone.