Monday, August 28, 2006

The Rhetorical Shield

I was behind a few people in the checkout line at Safeway the other day. Near the end of each transaction, the clerk said, “I’m required to ask you if you’d like to make a contribution to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.”

I thought that phrasing was rather odd, so when it was my turn, I asked the clerk whether he was required to say, “I’m required to ask you...”

It turns out that he wasn’t, so I gave him a suggestion.

He told me that the “I’m required to ask” part wasn’t required at all. All HR required is that he ask for a donation. But this particular clerk found it uncomfortable to simply come out and ask each customer for a charitable contribution.

I’d share his discomfort, and I’d also be looking for what I call a “rhetorical shield,” some device to insulate myself from the message.

The rhetorical shield makes the clerk feel more comfortable, because he’s prefacing his request with the equivalent of: “Hey, I don’t want to ask at all, but I gotta.”

I suggested a slight change of phrasing. Instead of starting out with “I’m required to ask,” he could say “We’re asking all of our customers today if they can help the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Would you like to make a contribution?”

The “we’re asking all of our customers...” construction offers a way to distance one’s self from the request, but is a lot more customer friendly.

I hope he took me up on my suggestion. Next time I’m in his line, I’ll ask him how it went.

Posted by Richard Bloch

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