LOVE the phone.

Answering the phone at work is such a pain.
1. I usually have people hanging over me, waiting to be helped. As I've made clear, a phone to my ear does not make them wait to talk to me.
2. If I have to ring people up, I need to stop doing that to answer the phone. That's not really fair to people who have been patiently waiting in line.
3. We are not allowed to keep people on hold for more than 60 seconds. If it's a phone "shop," (a secret shop is when we get tested and rated for our customer service) we get points taken off for this VERY! SERIOUS! INFRACTION!
4. Nine times out of ten, the book isn't even located on my floor, which means I have to transfer the person anyway.

Now, a normal phone exchange is really quite simple. I answer, you ask for book. I say okay and look it up. It's really a back-and-forth thing, very easy.

Ring ring.
"[Company], Kate speaking, how can I help you?"
"I'm looking for a book."
"Okay, I can look it up for you."
Silence.
I wait, thinking that she's looking for the exact title.
Silence.
Is this like a game? Whoever speaks first loses?
Okay, I lose.
"Hello?" I say, because I begin to think we've been disconnected.
"Yeah."
"Uh...Could I have the title?"
"Well I was waiting for you to ask me for it!"
Hmm. "I can look it up" wasn't enough of an indicator? I have to then PROMPT her to give me the name?
This is FUN. Let's play this game more often.
Or not.