I had a call late this afternoon from the airconditioner people from whom we are planning to buy a new unit for the purpose of keeping our bedroom cool on account of the old one having died last summer. He’d apparently been trying to call me all day and hadn’t been able to get through on my mobile (and for some reason Adam hadn’t given him our home number.)

When I told him I had just discovered that my phone’s software had crashed and that was why I was unknowingly offline he responded by saying “That’s ok, I have a wife like that too, forgets to turn her phone on, never checks her messages.”

I said that it was actually the first time my phone had done it to me and that his “joke” made me seriously want to reconsider buying an airconditioner from him.

“I was just messing around!”

Well, it’s not funny.

“My wife says if you’re not telling me off, she will when I get off the phone”

Dude, you seriously nearly lost a sale here.

“I’m sorry”

Thank you. Shall we continue?

And we went on to arrange for a visit to get a quote.

We finished the conversation with him apologising once more and me saying “That’s ok, consider it a learning experience – no more stupid wife jokes!”

I wonder what his wife did say to him after we hung up.

My next call was from my fruit and veg delivery people – they call and take my order over the phone around lunch every Monday – I said “Sorry, just discovered my phone’s software had crashed.” “Oh, how annoying!” she replied. Yes. That would be the correct answer.