c) "Thank you for calling Jones & Co, this is John Smith speaking, how
> may I direct your call?"
>> d) "Thank you for calling Jones & Co, this is John Smith speaking, how
> may I give you the best customer service ever today?"
> D is somewhat condescending.
Bingo! You've put your finger on it. It seems to imply a low opinion of the hearer's intelligence: "We think we can bamboozle you with empty exaggeration."
C is what most companies will require as it gets the customer to get on
> with the business of the call and not waste time. My wife works in a
> call center and getting to the point seems to be an issue with many > folks these days.
Interesting. I guess I'm too old or too shy ... What do callers normally do if you just answer "Good morning, Jones & Co."?
I normally answer my phone "This is M... C..., how can I help you?" and telemarketers utterly clam up when they hear it, as if I had been casting spells on them in the Unknown Tongue.