'references' don't mean 'relatives'

I've only been doing background checks for a couple of months now, but I'm still amazed by the references that people list. Today I got a chance to call on one of Doug's references, whose name was 'Mary'...no last name, only a phone number. I called and asked for Mary...

Mary: "This is Mary"

Me: "Hello Mary, you were listed as a reference by Doug Bender and I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk to me about how you know him."

Mary: "Doug isn't here right now...is this one of his friends?"

Me: "No, Mary...he listed you as a reference, on a job application, I was calling to ask you some questions about him"

Mary: "Oh sure, you can ask me about Doug, I'm his mother."

Me: "Hmm, well, you see Mary, that's a problem. I can't take a reference from you because you're related to Doug. It's not really going to be an impartial opinion of him."

Mary: "Oh, well his sister is here, you can talk to her and she'll tell you about Doug."

Me: "No Mary, she's related to Doug too...so that won't work either...I'm just going to let you go, okay? You have a nice day."

Mary: "Well you too, and listen, when you see Doug, tell him that he needs to call me more often because I miss him and he hasn't come to see me in over a month."

I can see his rejection letter now:

"Dear Sir, while your credentials are impressive, you have neglected to phone your mother for quite some time now. We have decided to choose an applicant who better appreciates the woman who raised him, worked her fingers to the bone, and changed his dirty diapers. Thank you for your interest in our company, and please call home. Your mom said that she misses you. Best of luck in your search for employment."