Valley Girl.
Posted on 06/17/2009 5:12:13 PM PDT by Dallas59
If you want to score a meeting with Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), know this: His scheduler/office manager, Elizabeth Becton, is to be addressed by her full name — not Liz or any other variant.
An executive assistant at McBee Strategic recently learned this the hard way. A few weeks ago, the assistant e-mailed Becton seeking a meeting with McDermott and a client, JPMorgan Chase. Days later, the assistant checked back in and unfortunately began the e-mail with “Hi Liz.”
Becton curtly replied, “Who is Liz?”
When the assistant wrote back with an apology, Becton turned up the heat. “I do not go by Liz. Where did you get your information?” she asked.
The back-and-forth went on for 19 e-mails, with the assistant apologizing six times if she had “offended” Becton, while Becton lectured about name-calling.
Becton told the assistant that if someone said using “Liz” was acceptable, then “they are not your friend”, and “If I wanted you to call me by any other name, I would have offered that to you.” Plus, it’s “rude when people don’t even ask permission and take all sorts of liberties with your name,” she said, adding: “Please do not ever call me by a nickname again.”
But the tirade didn’t end there. Becton continued her riff — responding that the assistant “got played” by someone who was trying to “tick” Becton off. Becton’s final, searing missive stated: “In the future, you should be VERY careful about such things. People like to brag about their connections in D.C. It’s a pastime for some. It’s also dangerous to eavesdrop, as you have just found out. Quit apologizing and never call me anything but Elizabeth again. Also, make sure you correct anyone who attempts to call me by any other name but Elizabeth. Are we clear on this? Like I said, it’s a hot button for me. And please don’t call the office and not leave a message. My colleague told me you called while I was away. ... I do sometimes leave my desk.”
McDermott spokesman Mike DeCesare told us Tuesday, “An apology is being issued as we speak,” adding, “This isn’t reflective of the way we do business in this office.”
Maybe he's providing Bossy Bessy, the Becton Cow, with some Job Therapy?
Cheers!
Hey there, sweet t**s, so how’s about you getting me on McDematitis’ calendar and then you and me going out for some roofie coladas?
Subject: RE: JPMC Meeting Request
Of course! Again, I am sincerely sorry for offending you. I must have mis-heard and it was in no way my intention to make you upset. I always enjoy working with you and seeing you at the WSS events J
Best, XX
She had obviously never called her "Liz" before nor been invited to do so. It certainly doesn't sound as if they were friends. She didn't know her well enough to know she doesn't use a nickname.
SunkenCiv is involved in this? I've never seen this on any of the list pings.
One of my sisters is named Elizabeth.
I LOVED calling her “Lizard”! That was one of the great things that got a rise out of her...
Liz? She would answer without a second thought, any more than she would Beth.
It is great to pull the legs of people whose mother, or they, have determined that ONLY their full proper names are to be used.
Or wife.
I worked with a Peter, who preferred Pete...but whose wife DEMANDED he be called PETER in her presence.
She became incensed if anyone dared desecrate his name, and he better not contradict her, either.
I told her once that she must be confused; Peter spends his days eating pumpkins; Pete runs an ICU at night. Other times, others gigged her just to watch, too.
Since she was neither employee nor patient's family, it was fun to unglue her on the rare occasions she brought him his dinner around 1 AM. Pete would laugh about it...after wify-poo left.
Aside: the rest of us on the unit were his age or OLDER; no one was younger than he was.
The best way to assure that you are going to be ribbed about things like this is to completely ignore them, I’ve found. Actually, I discovered that somewhere around 4th grade, I think... I guess Ms.Elizabeth didn’t ...
She is going to have this follow her now, possibly forevermore.
We use to know a young woman we called Lizard... lost touch, but she loved the nickname.
Goes Haywire? One would have to be already “Haywire” to work for McDermott.
here is the e-mail I sent
Hi Liz,
I read about your e-mail exchange in the news. Wow, you must have some real anger issues. Why is it that all liberal Democrats are so angry?
You know I have a daughter named Elizabeth. When she was growing up she did not like her name so she went by her middle name. Then while in High School she decided she did not like her middle name and wanted to be known as Elizabeth. But now she has graduated from college and we laugh about the things she did as a teenager.
I don’t think I read in the article; but how old are you?
Well, I am sorry you don’t like to be called Liz; but think of it this way you could be called by a name a whole lot worse...
Maybe you should think about some anger management counseling. Maybe its your boss. I know I have had some real embarrassing bosses in my life time.
Anyway, lighten up after all we are paying your salary; which from what I read, you appeared to be highly overpaid.
Take care Liz
Sincerely,
Donald
BTW, people have also called me Don, Donny, and Donna but its okay because I am a grown up :)
Valley Girl.
You didn’t read all my posts? Nor the complete posts?
Lizzy is as NUTTY as her Boss, McDermott!!
Perhaps this is a pet peeve with you as well, because many people think she was WAY out of line.
Btw, who released the private emails? For what purpose?
I still say this woman has the right to ask to be addressed by her name. One shouldn't presume that another person ever uses a diminutive of their name without being told to address them in that manner.
And it's not weird. As an aside, the French have two forms of "you". One is intimate, "tu", and one is formal, "Vous". So do the Spanish. It acknowledges that some relationships are general while others are intimate.
LizzardBeth Bexton?
Hmmm..
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