Buck was regretting his appeal for assistance with callers. Ray had found Seth Benson and Cole Leon through his friend Doug Snyder, who helped recovering drug addicts turn their lives around, and Buck just hoped they could be trusted with money. His own recovery had taught him to be wary of tempting addicts with money that wasn’t theirs. However, he had proven to Ray and his full-time employer that he could handle it. Don’t be so damned judgmental, he berated himself. Give these guys a fair chance.
It was taking Jeff’s detective friend forever to come back with answers, but Buck realized this probably wasn’t a priority. He needed to focus his attention on training Cole and Seth. He hated that Ray was allowing Susannah to help. He couldn’t let her corrupt them by insisting they push would-be donors for larger amounts.
Susannah smiled brightly as she instructed their newest employees. “It’s imperative we treat our donors as family so they’ll feel good contributing again. Double-check the amount they want to contribute, but don’t be afraid to ask if they can’t give just a little more, to help us do God’s work. After you write out the receipt, move onto the next call as quickly as possible.”
Damn it, Susannah! I knew you should never be involved in training these guys. Buck figured he would have to quietly tell them not to be aggressive and ignore what Susannah said.
“How many calls are we talking about?” Seth asked, tattoo sleeves of symbols and colors covering his arms.
She answered before Buck could even open his mouth. “Two hundred calls at least. That’s the current number, correct?”
Buck turned toward Susannah, his quizzical face questioning her statement. “No, that number is too high. For the live broadcast, the numbers are closer to one fifty. With the pre-recorded broadcasts, numbers tend to be lower.”
Susannah shrugged Buck off. “That will change when we launch the live Sunday service next week. It’s only a matter of time before we get three hundred calls per broadcast. And they’ll keep climbing. Soon we’ll have a whole team in place, answering phones to meet the demand!”
Buck was thoroughly annoyed with her but tried hard to stem his increasing irritation. “While considering the future is nice, we need to focus on the present. It’s important that all the calls get answered with courtesy and in a professional manner. We don’t pressure individuals into giving—”
“Of course, we don’t want to pressure anyone,” Susannah interrupted Buck, emphasizing the word pressure. She honed her gaze on Seth. “But if they are willing to increase their donation, that’s wonderful. Remember, it’s all for the great cause of doing God’s work!”
Cole frowned. “You’re each saying different things. Are we, or are we not, to pressure people for additional money?”
Buck made his point quicker. “Accept their contribution, thank them for their generosity, and move to the next call. We want this to be meaningful, so they’ll give again.”
Susannah’s nostrils flared, and Buck recognized that if her eyes had been daggers, they would have cut right into him. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking for a little bit more!” she snarled.
Buck observed the tense expressions on Cole and Seth’s wide-eyed faces and tried to smooth things over. “When you’re comfortable in the job, you’ll get a sense of who you might be able to ask for larger donations. But for now, let’s concentrate on answering the phones well.” Buck sensed from Susannah’s narrowing eyes that she wasn’t happy. This conversation would get back to Ray, and Buck had to be strong.
She looked over at Cole and Seth. “As soon as you are comfortable, however, getting donations above the amount pledged will be a priority.”
Buck fought the urge to sigh or roll his eyes. You won’t quit, will you?
As he expected, Buck heard from Ray that Susannah had voiced her irritation about his training methods.
“Susannah’s concerned you’re not training Seth and Cole to be assertive enough. My lovely fiancée can be quite forceful in her opinions, but I want to hear your side.” They were alone in Ray’s office.
Buck straightened up to his full height, knowing he would need to state his case decisively. “Let me finish this, Ray. I’ve worked on the phones since the beginning. With all due respect, Susannah has done it a few times, but it’s about more than getting donations. Building relationships is what makes for repeat donors.”
Ray sided with him, but Buck was reminded of the disagreement every time he encountered Susannah’s stinging gaze in the ensuing weeks. Still, somebody had to start telling this woman no.
Cole and Seth both proved to be exceptionally fast studies, and Buck grew confident in their work and trustworthiness. All he needed to worry about was Susannah.