As a kid, I always used to be scared of approaching strangers to ask questions, making phone calls to people I didn’t know, or even talking to new people. Until about three years ago, I probably wouldn’t have even been able to ask a pedestrian in New York for directions. I’m not sure what always scared me about talking to someone over the phone who I didn’t know, but I definitely did not expect a phone call with Apple Support to change my entire day.
On Election Day, I scheduled a call with Apple Support in order to fix some kinks on my MacBook Pro. My previous experiences with calling people for help has never really ended well; CollegeBoard messed up sending my AP score reports and the lady on the other line was extremely hostile, and the Red Cross was inefficient in telling me how to get a refund. I was already prepared for the worst, until a charming voice spoke up on the other end: “Hi! This is Kaitlyn. Your MacBook Pro has been running slow right?” Her welcoming voice was somewhat reassuring and I told her what the problem was. Kaitlyn soon asked for my name in order to make the conversation easier.
Kaitlyn: “Wait so it’s Sam.. riddhi..?” (My full name is Samriddhi.)
Me: “You can just call me Simmi.”
Kaitlyn: “Oh thank goodness that’s so much easier haha! I didn’t want to butcher it completely!”
Me: “No haha you’re totally fine!”
And just like that, I knew this phone call was going to be like none other. She was honestly the friendliest person I had ever talked to, especially just for tech support! I learned that she is a senior in college in Colorado, studying psychology and communications. We had a whole conversation about the election itself, what we were studying in school, and our plans for that week. She even gave me work and life advice! Kaitlyn and I basically became friends all because my laptop had been running slow. She stayed to talk to me for a whole 40 minutes while we resolved my tech issues and was patient the entire time.
Honestly, when did Apple Support become life support? Ending that phone call almost felt like I was saying “good-bye” to a friend who I wouldn’t see for a long time. I even texted my best friend “I’m writing my next Odyssey article about her.” I was so close to asking how I could talk to Kaitlyn again, but I did the next best thing. I left a very friendly review on Apple’s website, even though it said that they would never be able to email me back.
This phone call with Kaitlyn was a lot more than just a conversation. It reaffirmed the importance and value of basic human interaction. We all become wrapped up in our old friend groups, which is completely natural. We prefer to text our friends on elevators instead of talking to the other people in there for the short 10 second ride. A friendly conversation with a total stranger is emotionally rewarding, and I definitely encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone every once in a while to talk to someone new. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a friend.
