Nerd Heaven

The following comes to you through Pastor Heath Curtis and was posted at a blog he participates in at Four and Twenty+ Blackbirds. I thought this was something that all church workers and members should see. Original post here.

A new low…

Or maybe it’s not new, just new to me.

So I get a call at home asking for “Rev. Curtis.”

“This is he.”

“Hello, sir, we’re looking to get in contact with a member of your parish.”

Maybe a long lost relative? Somebody looking for an old baptismal record? Uh, no. A business matter. Oh, well then, what exactly?

Several prodding questions later and, golly, how truth will out: a bill collector from Chrysler Financial, PO Box 9801921, Louisville, KY 40290 (although I would guess they were actually calling from Chicago judging by the accents of the two guys I talked to, an’dat.).

I spent a very cathartic 10 minutes explaining to the supervisor at this call center that trying to track people down through houses of worship was a bad business practice as from this moment on I would make it a small mission of my life to tell everyone I know about this utterly sleazy move from Chrysler. [NB: Don't get me wrong - people should pay their debts. But tracking down debtors for creditors is not part of the Church's job description - has society fallen so far that this is not evident to everyone? Really?]

So, word to the wise -

* inquire diligently if you get a call from someone asking to “get in touch” with a parishioner.
* rethink posting birthday or anniversary lists on your congregation’s website – even in pdf format through posting the bulletin.
* ditto with officers, etc.

By the bye, the name he asked for was not a name I knew – but it all seemed so fishy right off the bat that I wanted to stay on the line and figure this out.

The best part: even as I was berating the supervisor about trying to track down people through my parish he asks, “So do you know Mr. Smith?”

You stay classy, Chrysler: I notice it’s really been working out for you lately.

+HRC

Please feel free to link to and replicate this post, especially if you are visiting from outside the Lutheran blogosphere: seems like something all churches should know about.

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