Business

Who's on first at Kimberly Clark

By Bill Moss, Published: March 27, 2013

You can see how it could get confusing.

At Business Morning Update, Melanie Matteson, of Kimberly Clark, introduced a coworker, Kimberly Clark, of Kimberly Clark.
Kimberly Clark the person, a quality systems superintendent, is used to people getting a chuckle out of her name or reacting with a barrage of follow-ups.
"When they call my phone I say 'Kimberly Clark,' and they say I know I've got Kimberly Clark but who I am speaking to," she said. A lot of people ask her if she owns the company.
She's been with the company quite a while, since 2000, and she's had a name that matched the name on her paycheck since she got married the following year.
We can imagine Abbott and Costello, of "Who's on First?" fame, doing a bit on Kimberly Clark of Kimberly Clark.

Ring, ring, ring.
Operator: Kimberly Clark.
Caller: May I speak with someone in quality systems please?
Operator: Just a moment.
Caller: Thank you.
Kimberly Clark: Kimberly Clark
Caller: I'm sorry I thought the operator was switching me to quality systems. Is this the operator?
Kimberly Clark: No, this is Kimberly Clark. May I help you?
Caller: No, I know this is Kimberly Clark. That's who I called. Can I speak with a quality systems supervisor?
Kimberly Clark: Yes.
Caller: OK. Can you switch me?
Kimberly Clark: No, go ahead.
Caller: Who is this?
Kimberly Clark: Kimberly Clark.
Caller: No, I said, who is this, not what is this?
Kimberly Clark: This is Kimberly Clark, quality systems.
Caller: Good. Now I'm getting somewhere. Are you a supervisor?
Kimberly Clark: Yes.
Caller: You're also the switchboard operator?
Kimberly Clark: No.
Caller: OK, who is this then?
Kimberly Clark: Kimberly Clark.
Caller: Are you people not allowed to give your name?
Kimberly Clark: Yes, we are.
Caller: What is your name?
Kimberly Clark: Kimberly Clark.
Caller: Oh, your name is Kimberly Clark?
Kimberly Clark: Yes.
Caller: Ohhhh. I'm sorry.
Kimberly Clark: That's OK. Happens all the time.
Caller: Do you own the company?
Kimberly Clark: No

Kimberly Clark is a nice person. I think if the jokes and the confusion bothered her she would go by Kim or keep her maiden name or maybe insert a middle name, like Kimberly Anne Clark. Instead, she rolls with it.
Her husband can sympathize. I imagine he gets cracks about American Bandstand and New Year's Eve all the time. He's Dick Clark.