Free Shipping and Hamburgers

At work, we used to have this archaic phone system where we (the analyst pool) would answer the main phone after 5pm when our receptionist left. There was this loud night bell that would blare into the office signaling a phone call coming in on the main line. The analysts would put on our professional phone voices and take turns answering the phone each night.

I was working late one night when I answered the phone. I politely asked who was calling and how could I help them. They wanted to talk to my boss Greg, but unfortunately they were on a crackling speaker phone all I could hear was they were "Free Shipping and Hamburgers." Embarrassed that I had heard incorrectly, I asked again who was calling and once again I heard, "Free Shipping and Hamburgers." I didn't want to ask a third time nor did I want to verbally confirm whether they were "Free Shipping and Hamburgers" so I transferred over to Greg and sheepishly had to tell him that "Free Shipping and Hamburgers" was on the phone for him. Naturally he was exasperated since he didn't know a "Free Shipping and Hamburgers," but he agreed to take the call.

Turns out it was three guys on the phone and they were saying all three of their last names in quick succession and they somehow forgot to enunciate into the crackling speaker phone. Their names were something like Friedberg, Shipman and Baumburger. Now that we have direct dial and an technologically advanced voice mail system, I no longer experience mild panic attacks associated with answer the night bell phone.