It was late on a Saturday, and I was sitting in my comfy couch in the living room watching Sidi, the Interviewer, my recently found Nigerian comic interviewer on Youtube. Then my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I would not generally pick unknown numbers. So, I ignored the call. The phone rang multiple times after that, and it was the same unknown number. Well, I convinced myself that whoever was calling must have a serious reason to call. Probably a family member or friend. In my mind, fraudsters would not call persistently. So, I answered the call.
Johnson’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
“Good evening, sir.” A voice I did not recognize said.
“Good evening”
“How are you sir?”
“I am doing well.”
“Thank God. How is madam?”
“She is good, thank you.”
“How are the children?”
“They are all good. Thank you”
“How is work sir?”
“Work is good. Thanks”
“Hope the weather is not that bad.”
“Not at all”
“My wife and children send their greetings.”
“I send my greetings to them too.”
“Sir, somebody gave me your number.”
“How can I help?”
“I want to come to Canada with my family to live and I want you to tell me everything about immigration to Canada.”
“Right now?”
“If you don’t mind sir.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have the time now.”
“I know it is late but will call you back tomorrow after church service sir.”
“I will not be available either then.”
“Sir, did I offend you?”
“Absolutely not. You may however try this next time: ensure your phone shows your name, introduce yourself, spend less time on greetings, don’t ask personal questions if you don’t know the situation of the individual, ask if it was a good time to speak or you needed to schedule a time to talk, state how much time you require, avoid calling professionals late at night, on weekends or holidays except there is an emergency or they are clear that they are available, ask if consultation fees apply and avoid unnecessary familiarity. We will call you back on Monday to schedule a consultation.”
“Thank you, sir. Please greet your family for me!.”
NB: Johnson Babalola is a Canadian immigration lawyer, writer, storyteller, and story-based management trainer. Follow him on IG @jbdlaw; FB: https://www.facebook.com/jbdlaw and www.johnsonbabalola.com
