Five Things I’m Sick Of | Do They Resonate With You?
1. Exclamation points!!
2. Mugs, traveling or otherwise as giveaways. Conferences, companies: Please save your $ and save the earth. You’re only advertising on the Goodwill shelf anyway.
3. SEO companies contacting spamming me on my website to tell me how they could help me – especially since they haven’t read my site. Be smart enough to comment about the site and what I do. That wouldn’t be as obnoxious and would cause me to pause and read about you vs. immediate deletion.
4. People answering their cell phones when they’re having lunch or a biz meeting with me. Folks – next time we can just talk on the phone instead of getting together to meet since the phone seems to be your preferred mode of communication. Or if you’d feel more comfortable we can still meet and I’ll be like the delightfully quirky Fitch on Detroit 1-8-7 and call you from across the table to tell you things about how I feel.
If my ire isn’t enough to change your behavior consider this extremely powerful example of why the constant tuned-to-technology behavior of “not stopping to enjoy the present moment behavior” needs to stop. Thanks to @Pamslim for tweeting this.
5. People who mumble. This is beyond Jerry Seinfeld’s low-talkers, these people aren’t enunciating their words. What’s that about? Do they not want to be heard? Are they afraid of their own opinions? Do they have a form of lock-jaw?
Thanks for listening. What pet peeves or things you’re sick of would you like to add?
Cherry Woodburn
All this hype around QR codes being the second coming of marketing. Do people really need … or want to look at websites while they’re mobile? And how much data gathered through if enough? It’s fine if you’re actually going to do something with it to make my life as your customer better and more efficient.
Love it Clay, especially since it was said with force-berg. Cherry
I really can’t stand the subscription cards that fall out of magazines – esp when I am already a subscriber! Most have postage paid already on them, so I often save them up and drop them in a mailbox. Sorry US Postal service.
Oh Ernie, I forgot about those irritating subscription cards. I was at B&N yesterday reading People magazine and those suckers drop out all the time, which is both annoying and announces my addiction.
Glad you apologized to the US Postal Service AND what a great idea! Oh darn, there’s an exclamation point.
Thanks Ernie. My hubby, may he never read this!!!(those are for Cherry) has mistaken the bathroom for a library, and the floor is polka-dotted with those annoying subscription postcards. Shall I send them to you?
Thank you Anne. I’m belly-laughing. Cherry
This cracks me up!!!!!
Those are great things. I would add:
1. Get my email and believe that means they can automatically add me to their newsletters and
2. Spam my Twitter stream and DM to get my attention
Now, about those exclamation points. I have to agree, they have no place in polite society. Yet, I also have to admit, I have a habit…. I’ve spent the last twenty years trying NOT to use exclamation points in my writing and I just can. not. stop. This is the confession of an exclamation user…
If you know me IRL, you just accept that it’s in keeping with my personality. I’m very passionate about what I do and that enthusiasm comes through. But I hate it when I use it in my emails or posts. I never do it in formal business writing, of course. I don’t use more than one at a time for any one sentence. I don’t dot it with a little heart. And, I try hard to strip them out entirely. Really. It is just amazing to me how that little punctuation mark seems to be tied to my personality and it just shows up in my less formal communication. Sigh. The challenge continues.
Brenda, yes, yes, yes. I too tend toward exclamation points and am even sick of me using them. What’s the symbol we could use to replace them?
PS – now that I have your email, I’ll be sending you a newsletter.
(Should I be sick of emoticons too? Hmmm…)
LOL ROFLMAO!!!
Wow. This is cathartic.
I haven’t had the SEOs contacting me – but I do resonate with the others! (though I do have to admit, I am guilty of the exclamation points… I think it is because I’m snarky and I want people to know it is a smartypants reply… so I have now admitted my problem and will try to recover from it
Shelly, admitting is the 1st step in recovery. Thanks for stopping by. (!)
I’m tired of everything that you stated plus:
I’m tired of politicians calling my phone and leaving 5-minute messages on my answering machine. I’m on the state and federal DO NOT CALL list. What is it that our government doesn’t understand about DO NOT CALL?
I’m tired of receiving piles of full color glossy political ad’s in my snail mailbox. I literally have a shopping bag full of them from this midterm election. The money used to produce those high cost ads could be used to help the unemployed and under privileged in our communities.
I’m tired of the endless TV commercials. Every time you turn on the TV it’s nothing but commercials. Thank goodness for TiVo.
I’m sure I could go on and on, but I’ll stop now.
Thanks for letting me vent. I needed this. :-{D
Glad I could help Skip. Now I want have to listen to you vent/rant in person.
So…you “want” to hear me rant and rave? LOL
Oh darn, of all the typos to make.
People who call me and a) as friends, assume I recognize their voices, b.)as business callers don’t start my staying their name and their organization,and c.) cold callers who start out by saying, “And how are you today?” Answer, “I was fine until you called!” Fun post, Cherry!
Thanks Dawn. I’ve had friends laugh at me for always identifying myself but I don’t like it when I can’t figure out who it is that’s chattering away with me.
Since moving to North Carolina, I spend enough time on the road back and forth to PA, so I feel qualified to comment (adversely, I might add) on drivers who insist on hanging in the left (passing) lane traveling at speeds less than the posted limit. I suppose, since they are unable to read the speed limit sign, it is also impossible for them to read the signs that say “Slow traffic keep right” !!! (sorry about the exclamation marks) Thanks for listening …..
This video? omg….I have no words. So powerful. Thank you for sharing this with us, Cherry. Long, but soooo worth it.
We have to stop. We have to STOP.
Why do we keep going even when we shouldn’t/can’t???
Dear Cherry,
Pet peeves? How long have you got? (I really want to put an exclamation point here but will resist in deference to your first peeve)
As a woman of a certain age, I hate the constant mail I get from insurance companies urging me to look after my near and dear when I fall off my twig.
I hate it when people “talk over” each other. It grates on my ears and reminds me that throwing words at each other does not a conversation make.
Like you, I become really annoyed with people who talk loudly on their cell phones in public places. What they are having for dinner, or with whom, is of no interest to me.
Telemarketing. Period.
There are probably a lot more but I’m in danger of revealing my inner grumpy old woman and that would REALLY be annoying….to everyone.
Thanks for a fun post, Cherry (exclamation point).
Dear semi-grumpy Gwyn,
The other day I was putting gas in my car and there was a woman at the next tank putting gas in hers. She was also on a cell phone and having a loud argument with someone. Thankfully there was not cursing or real ugliness but I was learning way more than I wanted to know. So although it didn’t disturb me in the same way it does in a restaurant, I still just wanted it to stop. Felt like I was in the middle of a reality drama.
Thanks for stopping in. Cherry
I also loath people who post links to their product or service to my social media sites or website, offering no comment at all…just a link.
That is annoying Cindy and, to me. makes little sense. Why would you pay any attention to it under those circumstances? Thanks for stopping by, Cherry
I am so with you on #3. Unless it’s your kids school or something that really might be urgent, don’t answer it. Voicemail exists for a reason.
My family has a rule. Call once and leave a voicemail. If it’s urgent, call twice and I will answer on the second ring.
There are few things that really CAN’T wait for a hour.
So true Eyvonne. I’ve been pushed for things from clients because they need it NOW, only to have them sit on it for one reason or another. Cherry