The radio DJ turned lazily towards her guest, she hated this bit of the show – an interview with a local celebrity / businessman or the like it was ten minutes of loosely scripted self promotion for the individual as far as she was concerned it was a complete waste of time when she would rather be playing music.
He sat there motionless, neither nervous nor bored, simply motionless he was as uninspired by the prospect of being interviewed as she was of interviewing him. He heard the countdown, saw the red light, she began, “our guest today is a successful local business man fresh from winning our local business of the year award at last night’s event at the town hall” she paused and continued- trying to stifle the yawn she felt coming on – “ his company specialises in on line door sales”
He adjusted his dark glasses which he wore to hide the blood shot eyes of the over indulgences of the previous evening, and so it began question – answer – question – answer less then stimulating for either party or the audience. In an attempt to liven the interview the DJ trained tack “are you as passionate about the doors you sell as that guy who made the press a few months ago for his strange fascination with a door handle?”
Silence, hand over the microphone she prompted him for a comment, slowly he raised his head and he spoke “that man whom you and so many like you have ridiculed is one of the best and most dedicated salesman I have ever known.”
“So you know him” she retorted
He chose his words carefully “In the fenestration industry there are those of us who care, really care about the products, the people and most of all – the customer. The man to whom you refer arrived at our offices – a broken man – referred by the MD of Solidor another one of us who cares, really cares and it was he who saw in our Salesman friend – a man of true courage and perception, a man who deserved another chance””
The DJ again prompted him to continue – it was unnecessary he was a man who was proud of his achievements, proud of his industry and proud that he cared so much for his customers well being.
He continued “Yes he was a door salesman, but not our kind of door salesman, our company is an on line reseller, we source the best products and sell them through web sites where everything as far as possible is automated to take the strain away from ourselves and the customers. He, he was hands on he knew the product and needed to talk to people to pass on his passion, we remoulded him taught him the digital way, we helped resurrect the man from the shell he had become, he did the rest himself he listened he learnt our ways and it all works”
“You mean he works for you now”? She asked.
“You may call your job work, work suggests hardship, that’s not our way – we consider we are there to serve our customers the best way we can we find no hardship in getting up and going to the office in the morning.”
“But what of his obsession with door handles” she started but before she could say more he motioned to her to stop, slowly he took off his dark glasses and looked her straight in the eye.
“Are you not passionate about the music you play”? He asked. Without giving her the opportunity to reply he continued “do you understand passion? We do, we care passionately and now the man whom you have all being ridiculing for months is back among kindred spirits doing the job he loves and doing it passionately he no longer has to worry about things that are “a little under six feet, slim, graceful with curves that looked as if they were engineered to be held” he has the whole of the Solidor Italia Collection to sell”
At a signal from the sidelines the now very sheepish looking DJ wound up the interview – “that was very informative” she said “and please tell us again the name of the company which has resurrected one man’s ambitions and which cares so deeply about the welfare of its customers”
“Thank you” he said “The name of the company is Timber Composite Doors”
and they all lived happily after – except for the DJ who no longer found her music quite so engrossing and started to have strange thoughts about whether there was something missing from her life something else whereby she could experience true passion.