Summary

“Cold Calling” by Chuck Palahniuk starts with Bill, who calls potential customers to sell them the Wonder Wet Wiper, a floor mop. When the computer dials a Mrs. Wayne Timmons, the woman immediately assumes Bill is from Pakistan or India. Bill deviates from his sales script and tells her that he is in high school and works part-time, claiming that he is located in Walla Walla, Washington, but the woman does not believe him. Bill’s supervisor and colleagues are watching him, as he is not allowed to spend too much time on the phone and talk off the script.

The next night he talks to a man who believes Bill is from an Arab country and hangs up on Bill. Other phone calls also end with potential customers hanging up after calling Bill a racially offensive name. He then speaks to an Amnesty International activist who talks about giving money to people in third-world countries and who encourages Bill to boycott corporations.

Eventually, Bill gets a number from Walla Walla and talks to a young gi...