little miss sunshine

So I was trying to fit in a quick phone interview for an article I'm writing for Second Job yesterday. I had been trying to get in touch with this company out of Houston that has been in charge of the redevelopment of a local strip center. After having my emails and phone calls ignored from the lady who calls herself the Leasing Representative, I decided to call the main Houston number and see what happened. What happened was that I was transferred to a lady apparently in charge corporate communications out of the New York City office. For the purposes of this blog, I will refer to her as Little Miss Sunshine. After playing phone tag a couple of times, here is the conversation that ensued:

Me: Hi. I was returning your call...

LMS: Yeah. Uh huh.

Me: I am writing a story about one of your properties, and I just wanted to ask you a few quick questions. Do you have time or should I email you?

LMS: No just do it now.

Me: How did your company get involved in the redevelopment of the center...

LMS: It's our center.

(Knowing that's not entirely true, I seek clarification.)

Me: So you're working together with--

(LMS interrupts)

LMS: No! It's OUR center!

Me: Oookay... What kind of improvements have been made during the redevelopment?

LMS: Kohl's is opening October 1st and Spec's is opening September 29th. (note: not only was my question about the architectural changes, not the stores, she's speaking about the past is if it were the future)

Me: So do you have anything else planned in the near future?

LMS: You already asked me that!!! We want to change our tenant mix.

(I wonder if she has a phone up to each ear and is actually having two different conversations simultaneously)

Me: Alrighty. What type of tenants are you looking to attract?

LMS: Just the ones who will fill up available space. You already asked me that!

(I swallow hard to keep from saying something nasty.)

Me: Do you have access to a site plan or rendering you can send to us?

LMS: It's on the website.

(note: On the website, there is a large banner that says SITE PLAN COMING SOON)

Me: Well thanks so much for your time.

LMS: *click*

You'd think a person in the corporate communications field would be required to have - I don't know - communication skills. After all, I am giving them free advertising in a newspaper that is distributed to the homes of all of their potential customers for that center. And, not to be nasty, but that shopping center has needed customers since the early 90s. I think I may have call the company back and point that out to Little Miss Sunshine's boss.