# "Just a little white lie?"



## default (Apr 3, 2004)

Good Morning all. I'm so greatful for the new day. No work, relax and enjoy tonights Bible study. 

But yesterday? Was very difficult. I am an office manager for a small (40 employees) company that builds circuit boards. I do it all, from answering the operator calls to payroll to closing the financial month and year. 

My bosses and the sales team have decided that there are times they don't want to deal with customers. Mostly because they are still working on the projects they believe the customers are inquiring about. But what they've learned is if they don't pick up their extention the customer will hit zero, and get me. When I go to page so and so I am told to tell the customer they are in a meeting, etc. I've told them I couldn't lie. Well, yesterday a customer called and I paged for &quot;Peter&quot;. Kal answered the page informing me that Peter was out of the office for about a half hour. So, after telling the customer and forwarding him to Peters phone to leave a message, Peter answered! Caught! doesn't look good! What's worse, I'm the one they think lied! When I confronted Kal he told me... &quot;haven't you ever told a little white lie? And quite frankly, I don't give a ......&quot; 

When we are faced with situations like this what are we, as Christians, to do? I realize we are to be submissive to our employers, but if it goes against God's Word... after all, we all know God hates liers!

And, when we are in the midst of such trials, how do we find peace? I was SO angry yesterday it hurt! (Be angry and sin not.)

Thank you for any advice you can share as we sojourn in this world, yet not of it!

[Edited on 4-3-2004 by Loriann]


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## Scott Bushey (Apr 3, 2004)

Lori,
I would just tell the customers that the person they are trying to reach are at present, indesposed; can I take a message please?


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## default (Apr 3, 2004)

Scott, sometimes the person is standing right there and could easily take the call. Wouldn't that be lieing as well? 

Am I really taking this too far and making a mountain out of a mole hill?


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## Scott Bushey (Apr 3, 2004)

If the person is standing there and is flagging you that they don't want the call, I don't believe it would be a lie to state, &quot;John Smith cannot take your call at present, may I have your number so he may call you back at his earliest convienance?&quot;


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## Gregg (Apr 3, 2004)

I would just forward their call to the persons voice mail or answering machine. It is not really your job to tell the customer if they are in the office or out. Sometimes it is not convienent to take a phone call (even if you're in). Forwarding the call to voice mail solves this problem without having to lie.


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## default (Apr 3, 2004)

Gregg, The problem arises when the customer can not reach the person and does not wish to leave a message via answering machine, or voice mail. Therefore they press zero to get to the &quot;operator&quot;, me. That's when I have to tell them something when the person does not wish to talk with them.


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## alwaysreforming (Apr 3, 2004)

Lori,
When they hit zero and get you, can't you just say something like, &quot;Yes, Sir; George is not picking up his extension; may I take a message to give to him?&quot;

I wouldn't make too much out of the situation. The facts are thus: at certain times, it is inconvenient and unfruitful to take a call from a particular customer, and whether the verbiage that the customer gets is &quot;that person is indisposed&quot; or &quot;in a meeting&quot; or &quot;can't take your call,&quot; etc, its really all the same thing. If someone's not going to take a call, what can you do? Not much other than give the customer one of the above verbiages. I wouldn't worry too much about it.
It can really cause problems when you start to think too hard about it...&quot;well is it really a &quot;meeting&quot; or are just two of them talking informally, etc. Life's too short. As far as it depends upon you, live at peace will all men!


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## pastorway (Apr 4, 2004)

Don't lie. Be creative. And don't let this get you down!

Think of a few responses that are true that you can tell the customer.

When I was working representing a group of major clients, there were times I was just too busy to take the call. I even thought about it and decided that my voice mail message should say something along the lines that I could not take the call at the moment, so please leave a message. If I was busy I really could not take the call. And if I was gone away from my desk I surely could not take the call!

Maybe this would work for you:

&quot;Mr A is not available to take your call at the moment, may I take a message.&quot;

If Mr. A does not want to take the call he has made himself unavailable. If he is busy with something else, he is unavailable. Unavailable does not mean he is not there, it just means he cannot talk on the phone right now. 

Is he physically able to talk on the phone? Doesn't matter. If he does not want to talk on the phone he has made himself unavailable to his customer!

Phillip

[Edited on 4-4-04 by pastorway]


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## Gregg (Apr 4, 2004)

is available to bounce 24/7 and never takes a vacation.


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## mjbee (Apr 4, 2004)

Lori, just my :wr50:
This falls under the category of unequal yoking. You're being told to lie. You don't want to lie. This always happens when a Christian is yoked with an unbeliever in an employment situation. Have you considered becoming self-employed? You can do a lot of things to earn a living. Check out Proverbs 31:10-31 and see if anything hits you. You apparently have a computer. Is there something there that you could do without violating your conscience? 
In His Love,
Bee


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## pastorway (Apr 5, 2004)

It is not against the Scripture to be employed by a lost person or to have a lost person as your manager or boss.

[b:c4620e8a4a]Ephesians 6[/b:c4620e8a4a]
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7with goodwill doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men, 8knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. 9And you, masters, do the same things to them, giving up threatening, knowing that your own Master also is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. 

[b:c4620e8a4a]1 Peter 2[/b:c4620e8a4a]
18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22&quot;Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth&quot;; 23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

[b:c4620e8a4a]Colossians 3[/b:c4620e8a4a]
22Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. 23And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. 25But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality.

Of course, even while under the authority of a lost person we are still to obey God rather than men, and we must do so with a willingness to count the cost for our obedience.

[b:c4620e8a4a]Acts 4[/b:c4620e8a4a]
15But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16saying, &quot;What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.&quot; 18So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered and said to them, &quot;Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.&quot; 21So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.

[b:c4620e8a4a]Acts 5[/b:c4620e8a4a]
26Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28saying, &quot;Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!&quot; 
29But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: &quot;We ought to obey God rather than men. 


Not every person can be self employed and not everyone can find a Christian boss or company to work for. In fact, in my work experience the &quot;Christian&quot; managers and bosses I have had have all been far worse than any lost person for whom I have worked! I prefer to work for lost people!

Phillip


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## Mary (Apr 5, 2004)

Pastorway,

You are always so sensible! I really wish you were closer - I'd have to attend your church! But Texas is a leetle far from Michigan...

Loriann,

I am in much the same situation. It can be very frustrating. As a matter of fact, thanks to this thread, I feel better about the &quot;little white lie&quot; thing than I ever have. When the sort of thing you described happens to me (or when I say, &quot;Sure, he's at his desk.&quot; and then he says he won't take the call) I go back to the person on the phone and just sort of shrug (verbally). &quot;I'm sorry, I've been so busy, I must have missed him leaving/coming back.&quot; Listen, if you do as much around the office as I do, noone will fault you for it. Everyone in corporate America today knows that &quot;Girl Fridays&quot; are juggling 27 balls a minute, and that we stay super busy. We are way past the Jennifer Marlowes, sitting at a desk and filing their nails while they wait for the phone to ring and saying that if it gets much busier, we will have to have a raise. 

Mary


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## Gregg (Apr 5, 2004)

> [i:c5fc512665]Originally posted by Mary[/i:c5fc512665]
> Pastorway,
> 
> You are always so sensible! I really wish you were closer - I'd have to attend your church! But Texas is a leetle far from Michigan...
> ...


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