Breathy Voices Show They Are Taking Their Jobs Seriously

(I am a housekeeping supervisor at a hotel, and I am manning the phones during the afternoon shift. The phone rings. It is my colleague from the front desk.)

Me: “Thank you for calling housekeeping. This is [My Name]; how may I assist you?”

Colleague: “[My Name]! I have a guest who just complained that his room wasn’t cleaned when he came back! Could you send someone up quickly?”

(I quickly check the records; the morning shift indicated that he had put the “Do Not Disturb” sign up, and left his room for the afternoon shift. I pick up another phone and dial the phone of the room attendant assigned.)

Me: “His room was on ‘Do Not Disturb,’ but it’s okay; I will send someone up now.”

(I get the room attendant and conveyed the message, as my colleague was speaking.)

Colleague: *sounding very shrill* “Why do you still sound so calm?! The man was furious! Shouldn’t you have some sense of urgency?”

Me: “I’m not the one running up to clean the room. But, if it makes you feel better, I can pant and speak in a breathy voice to you?”

Colleague: “…”

Me: “All right, I’ve gotten through to the room attendant. They are on that floor and are moving to said guest’s room now. I’ll update you once they are done. Goodbye.”

(I still don’t understand how moving quickly to get things done should translate to sounding like you’re running a race.)