I don't get it- is it just me?

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Does it strike you as "odd" to get phone calls like this- where it seems the person has never learned phone etiquette at all?

phone rings- I answer
me: "hello"
them: just sit there... can hear breathing and noise in background but they say nothing
so I say again "hello?"
them: long pause then "hello" and say nothing else- meanwhile I'm making funny faces at the phone like what in the world is your problem?

So then I finally say again "hello?"
them: "hello" and that's it!
me: "can you hear me?" (thinking maybe it's someone that can't hear me saying hello?)
them: "who is this"
(huh? you call me and ask who I am? so I respond with)
me: "who is THIS?" (said incredulously- definitely giving the impression that I'm amazed they are asking me who *I* am)
them: "oh I probably have the wrong number" click they hang up.

Would you ever call someone you know- even a close friend or relative and just say "hello" and sit there?
If you then realized you may have the wrong number- would you ask who THEY are or would you ask to speak to whom you called for so you could see if you have the wrong number?

I don't get people sometimes. Just hello and that's it with long pauses and then finally ask who is this. Don't call me asking who is this- if you don't know.. I'm not telling you. LOL (unlisted number btw)

 

[Maleficent13]

This is why I don't answer my phone.

Seriously...phone etiquette these days is horrible.

 

[Marseeya]

That reminds me of these calls we've been getting lately. This elderly woman keeps calling here, and she'll leave messages on our machine. She's got this really low gravelly voice, you know how people sound after they've been smoking their entire lives? She'll leave messages like, "Hello! Someone's got to come leave Fluffy out (or feed Fluffy). Is anybody there??? HELLO! HELLO!" She sounds really angry about it too.

Sometimes I'll be home when she calls, and she'll do the "WHO IS THIS???" in an accusatory tone, so I'll politely tell her she's dialed the wrong number. Poor woman!

 

[flipturngirl]

That is why when you answer the phone and no one answers you just start pushing random numbers on the phone... so then if i is a telemarketer they will think they got everything mixed up. Also that is why we have caller ID, call waiting, and blocked calls.... but it was probably someone with the wrong number lol hope it will stop

 

[DukeStreetKing]

My best friends father was the person who taught me proper phone etiquitte. He taught me some of the best lessons in life just by expecting things to be done properly. It seemd goofy at the time but I'm thankful now.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

We have caller ID and I don't usually answer the phone if I don't know who it is, but if for some reason I do answer, I will say "hi" a second time in case it's a child calling for one of my kids, and then I hang up. That is unless I'm in an especially snarky mood. Then I might b up for some phone fun. In general, though, I don't answer if I don't know who it is (translation--I'm not normally in a snarky mood in real life... ).

 

[goofygirl]

Once in awhile I get wrong numbers on my answering machine. One wrong number called and left all this info about funeral arrangements on my machine! They did not leave their number. I would have called them if they left their# and told them, "Hey, that sounds like pretty important info, you were calling the wrong person with it. Just letting you know."

 

[jbdreamer]

I don't understand it when people call and ask "Who is this" or "Whom am I speaking too? "

You called me, you tell me first!

 

[Blondie]

If I don't recognize the name/number (thank you caller ID) I don't pick. I let voice mail handle it. If they don't leave a message, it couldn't have been that important.

 

[Celluloidgal]

That reminds me of these calls we've been getting lately. This elderly woman keeps calling here, and she'll leave messages on our machine. She's got this really low gravelly voice, you know how people sound after they've been smoking their entire lives? She'll leave messages like, "Hello! Someone's got to come leave Fluffy out (or feed Fluffy). Is anybody there??? HELLO! HELLO!" She sounds really angry about it too.

Sometimes I'll be home when she calls, and she'll do the "WHO IS THIS???" in an accusatory tone, so I'll politely tell her she's dialed the wrong number. Poor woman!

This reminds me of a song called "Wrong George" by Chagall Guevara. The guitarist of the band recieved a wrong number call that was recorded by the answering machine. They set it to a beat and a song was born. It is funny & sad all at the same time.

Here are the lyrics:

Dave Perkins: Hello?

Female voice: Hello.

Dave: Yes.

Female voice: Is this David Perkins' residence?

Dave: This is it.

Female voice: Is this David Perkins' residence?

Dave: This is it.

Female voice: It is?

Dave: Yes.

Female voice: Well is he there?

Dave: This is he.

Female voice: Is he there?

Dave: This is he.

Female voice: Can I speak to him?

Dave: This is he.

Female voice: David?

Dave: Yes.

Female voice: Is that David?

Dave: This is he.

Female voice: Do you know who this is?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: Huh?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: This is Mrs. Edmonds. You know Mrs. Edmonds?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: Do you know Mrs. Edmonds?

Dave: No I don't. I think you've got the wrong number, ma'am.

Female voice: Is this David's residence? David Perkins?

Dave: Yes, it is, but I think you've got the wrong David Perkins.

Female voice: David Perkins? Well, he ought to know me. David?

Dave: Yes?

Female voice: Have you got a brother named George?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: Huh?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: You haven't got a brother named George?

Dave: No I don't.

Female voice: You don't have?

Dave: No I don't, ma'am.

Female voice: Well I can't understand it. Uhm, you oughta know me, I kept you children when you were little, if you're still the right one.

Dave: No, uh, not unless you lived in New Jersey, uhm, you don't know me when I was...

Female voice: You don't know me?

Dave: No ma'am.

Female voice: Well, I'm sorry, I've got the wrong George then, I guess.

(sound of phone hanging up)

 

[BeNJeNWaFFLe]

I really wonder about some people. They act like they have never used a phone before. Personally, I say hello twice. If I don't receive an answer, I hang up. That was before I got caller id. Now, I only pick up for numbers I know. It really helps to avoid the slew of 1-800 numbers I receive.

That reminds me of these calls we've been getting lately. This elderly woman keeps calling here, and she'll leave messages on our machine. She's got this really low gravelly voice, you know how people sound after they've been smoking their entire lives? She'll leave messages like, "Hello! Someone's got to come leave Fluffy out (or feed Fluffy). Is anybody there??? HELLO! HELLO!" She sounds really angry about it too.

Sometimes I'll be home when she calls, and she'll do the "WHO IS THIS???" in an accusatory tone, so I'll politely tell her she's dialed the wrong number. Poor woman!

This sounds like my college roommate. She had just started a new job and was given a cell phone just for business use. On that phone she was constantly getting calls from a lady demanding to speak to Maria. Well, this lady had a heavy spanish accent, and my roommate had a heavy Greek accent. Oh the fights they'd get into just trying to communicate "You have the wrong number."

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I hate when people call and ask who I am. I refuse to tell them.

Our number spells a very bad four letter word (and I live in a college town; prank calls abound). However, we have had it for so long, that I don't want to change it. So, we have caller id and anonymous call rejection and call blocking. It has cut down on the amount of weird calls.

 

[ChristmasElf]

I say "hello" once. Then again. If they still don't say anything,
I just say, "hold on," let me transfer you to Moose over in homicide"



They usually then hang up and don't ever call back!

 

[OK!]

I usually say "Hello" once and if there's no answer right away or if (even worse) I can hear the whirring/clicking noises that indicate I'm about to be on the receiving end of an automated solicitation call, I hang up immediately. I never answer calls that come up "unknown."

 

[Sparx]

I get calls all day and night on my cell from four or five people demanding to speak to "Ryan G." I know no ryan g. and this is not his phone. and I am tired of people calling for him. and when they call they ask me who I am. HELLO!! its MY phone. you called ME. you tell ME who I'm talking to.

and nothing makes me more angry than a telemarketer. I have gotten into verbal fights with them. It doesn't bother me that htey called, it bothers me that they dont' take no for an answer and call back when I hang up on them.

and wrong numbers at 3 in the morning. if you don't know someone well enough to know their phone number correctly, you don't know them well enough to call them at three oclock in the morning.

 

[ReggieB]

I say "hello" once. Then again. If they still don't say anything,
I just say, "hold on," let me transfer you to Moose over in homicide"



They usually then hang up and don't ever call back!

Oooooo, I like this one.

I always want to say something like "this is a secured line, and this call is being monitored and recorded" but you always think of these things afterwards! I always apologize if I make a misdialed call. I'm amazed people just sit there in silence for a minute before hanging up. A grumpy "wrong number" is better than the silence.

By the way, my family all live abroad. I would get into enormous trouble if I ignored all those unknown caller numbers...that would be them. Though for some bizarre reason my father-in-law called yesterday and it came up as a call from Bermuda (he was sat at home in UK)

 

[Maleficent13]

and wrong numbers at 3 in the morning. if you don't know someone well enough to know their phone number correctly, you don't know them well enough to call them at three oclock in the morning.

AMEN!!

 

[Syrreal]

We used to get wrong numbers all the time when I lived with my parents. Finally I got tired of it and started answering the phone "Naked people Emporium, we strip 'em, you buy 'em. How can I help you?" I actually had someone ask me if it was a home or a business. I just replied it was a business and repeated the line. They then said they were sorry, that it was a wrong number.

As far as asking "who is this?"- I don't expect to be asked that here in the US. In Brazil, yes- that is how phone etiquette is done there. For example-
A. Hello?
B. Hi, who am I speaking with?
A. Joe.
B. Hi Joe, it's Tina. How are you?
A. Hi Tina. I'm fine.
B. That's great. Is Tom there?
A. Sure, hold on a sec.

 

[Celluloidgal]

"Naked people Emporium, we strip 'em, you buy 'em. How can I help you?"

We've used, "Steve's Morgue, you kill 'em, we chill 'em."

 

[minkydog]

You know what I hate? When people call me and they're talking to me AND someone else in the room. I'm a healthcare professional,so the conversation goes like this:

Caller: hello, I want to speak to a nurse.
Me: This is Cathy, I'm a nurse, I'll be happy to help you
Caller: Are you a nurse?
me: yes I am
Caller: Okay, my baby has a fever
Me: Well, let me ask you a few questions and see if I can help you there
Did you take her temperature?
caller: she has a fever(Shut up!I'm talking to that nurse)
Me: Excuse me, have you given the baby any medicine?
Caller: (I'm on the phone now!) Huh? my baby has a fever and I wanna know what to do?
Me: Does your baby have any chronic health problems?
Caller: Huh? (no, STOP! here, give it to him...)
Me: does your baby have any health problems, like heart disease or lung disease? Any surgery?
Caller:she got a diaper rash...
me: Have you given her anything for the fever?
Caller: Huh?
Me: Did you give her any tylenol or motrin?
Caller: (I'm gonna... Now stop it!) Huh, whatchu say?
...
etc. etc

C'mon people. Either talk to me or talk to them,but don't waste my time. If your cell phone connection is that bad, call me on your land line.