Audra Lowe: Welcome back everybody. It;s time for our hot topics. We’ve got Jenn Falik here. It’s Better’s savvy shopper and a good friend of mine.

I’m glad you stuck around with us here today. Do you text a lot Jenn?

Jenn Falik: I’m the worst texter. It just takes so long.

Audra Lowe: I’m with you.

Jenn Falik: By the time I get the text to somebody, I’ve already arrived at the destination we’re supposed them at. So typically, I avoid texting.

Audra Lowe: Well, here’s the question though. Are people afraid to pick up the phone these days? Is our communication skill going straight to you knowing what because of texting?

Just in the month of June this year, 135 billion were sent, billion with a ‘B’ text were sent and a lot of people are now saying, “You know what, I’m changing my cell plan because it’s not that I’m sending a ton of text out but people are sending me text, you get charged either way.

Jenn Falik: When you think about that, it’s sort of rude.

Audra Lowe: It is.

Jenn Falik: Why do I have to pay when you send me a text I didn’t ask for?

Audra Lowe: We could go on and on about this particular topic forever but I’m going to leave that part alone.

I don’t like texting either that much. And you always feel like you’re like this old fatty daddy when you say that especially the younger kids.

Jenn Falik: Yeah.

Audra Lowe: But by the time I sit there and text you and answered back, I could have picked up the phone and given you the answer and here’s what I hate. It is okay I think to text things like what time does your train get in? Yes or no answers, quick responses but when people send you texts like how’s everything going? I haven’t heard from you in a while. What’s new?

Jenn Falik: It makes me crazy.

Audra Lowe: That drives me up the wall.

Jenn Falik: They don’t deserve a response. At that point, wait until we talk.

Audra Lowe: Exactly.

Jenn Falik: Don’t leave an open ended question. Are you meeting me? Are you running late? What’s the address? That’s totally text appropriate.

Audra Lowe: Right.

Jenn Falik: But, larger life questions, a phone call is ideal; but I also don’t mind the email, just because then you can reply at your own leisure. I’m a big call screener.

Audra Lowe: Me too.

Jenn Falik: Just because you know those people that you’re going to pick up and it’s going to be a long conversation regardless of whether or not you’re in the mood for it, that’s what you’re in for. So, let’s say you can wait until you’re ready for it.

Audra Lowe: What’s sad is it’s the same thing with email now. There are some people that will send me an email and I love you so much, my friend. But, you just don’t even open it up because you know it’s going to be a Novella. It’s a long, long email that’s going to require a long response.

So, I think that when people send you an email obviously that’s going to be, “Hey, I’m going to open it and respond at my own convenience, right?

Jenn Falik: Exactly.

Audra Lowe: If it’s that urgent, pick up the phone and call.

Jenn Falik: Agreed. If he wants an immediate response, call. If you can wait a couple of days, you don’t mind leaving it out there in cyber space for a while. But then, fine, an email is totally fine. I’m into that. The text message, yes or no answer, address or time that’s what I like to keep it to them

Audra Lowe: Exactly. We need some text message and it could classes because I really think that people are just afraid to pick up the phone or maybe they just don’t have great communication skills and just decide, “Let me send a text. Put it out there.” because you notice, when you respond back, a lot of people don’t respond back. Today they don’t want to send that same long text that they just require you to send them back.

Jenn Falik: Exactly. Agreed. I know, double send.

Audra Lowe: One other thing in terms of a persistent people, people that don’t just give up. Did you hear about this woman?

It was in the news a few days ago but a South Korean woman finally passed a written exam for her driver’s license. She took the test 950 times. This is a written test.

Jenn Falik: Well, she must be really bad because I’m not a great driver and I passed my driving test the first time around.

Audra Lowe: This was the written or the actual driving test?

Jenn Falik: Both.

Audra Lowe: Both?

Jenn Falik: Yeah. And I’m a terrible driver so she must be really bad.

Audra Lowe: Yeah. I mean 950 times. Apparently, I remembered hearing something like she took the test every single day for a couple of years. I mean, she just had to keep going back in there every single day. After a while, you think that you’re…

Jenn Falik: I appreciated her persistence.

Audra Lowe: Right.

Jenn Falik: And I give her credit for that but I don’t want her on the road.

Audra Lowe: $2500 in fees that she paid and now, she’s on her way to being out there on the road.

Jenn Falik: That’s so scary.

Audra Lowe: So, good luck with that one.

Jenn Falik: With air bags and all.

Audra Lowe: Thank you so much Jenn.

Jenn Falik: Thank you.

Audra Lowe: Good to see you again. And stay with us. We’ll have more Better after this.