If you don't answer the phone when you don't recognize the number . . .

[MickeyMomOfThree]

My kids' schools all come up the same number, even thought one is in HS, one in MS and one in elementary. All the extensions show as the same central number on caller ID. I have never had a teacher call for an emergency or otherwise from a cell number and I may or may not answer those if they are a local number. I never answer any that come from out of state, 800, 888, 877 or those weird ones that come up 000, and they never leave messages either. I do, however, check for a message right away so I would call back. For me it isn't that I am too busy, but I hae all the solicitations, unpaid 15 minute surveys, etc. We don't have a landline and while we have lots of minutes, I won't waste them on those.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

My son's school comes with a County School System Id. No worries that I'd miss a call.

This. When the school calls, the caller ID tells me they are calling. Not mention, I have each school in my phone's address book. So, when that number rings in, the title I've assigned it in the address book shows up. So I know exactly which school is calling.

 

[kristilew]

We listen to our answering machine but I can guarantee you if it was the school calling, I would be picking up the phone the instant they said their name. My 10 year old has been majorily injuried at the beginning of the school year for the past 2 years (yes, I'm a bit paranoid about school starting this year for him AND he has outdoor ED!! EEP!). Anyway, last year he had 2 of his adult teeth knocked out & because I was able to get him to the dentist within 30 minutes of it happening, they were able to save them without too many issues. Now, I know if someone is at work they may not get that lucky but I can't imagine if I had ignored the phone calls in that situation!! I can't imagine how parents can ignore school nurse phone calls -- ours doesn't call for the fun of it. If you are getting a call from the school nurse, there is a problem of some sort!
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I love how our school nurses start a phone call: "This is Nurse Fell - no emergency!" She must know how a mom's heart leaps into her throat when the nurse calls.

Our school system shows up on caller ID as the county. So does the library. And for some reason, so does this incredibly persistent group of phone solicitors for our local police. I hate to answer the phone for this last group, because they argue with me about donating, and continue to call after I've requested the do not call list.

Anyway, I often let the home phone ring, and if my cell starts in right after, I know to answer that because it's someone who knows me and really wants to talk to me. (I don't know what I'll do if that awful police group ever gets my cell #!)

 

[Disney1fan2002]

"This is Nurse Fell - no emergency!"

OMG! I wonder if it is mandated. My kid's school nurse says the same thing. "This is Nurse Jane, non-emergency".

My kids were frequent flyers to the nurse. So, when i would hear the message, i would roll my eyes and try to imagine what the ailment of the day was. I would call her back, or course.

One day, I get the message, "This is Nurse Jane, if you could please call me back."

I almost had a heart attack. Why didn't she say it was a non-emergency??? Well, it seems my dd was having tachycardia, in 2nd grade!!! The nurse took her pulse and it was 196. (resting) She ended up being fine, we got her heart checked out..but in all these years, I have had one emergency call from the school.

 

[kacaju]

I can't imagine how you think you're saving time even for those convenient easy little bitsy emergencies where one can leave a message. You have to pick up the phone and go through the whole rigamarole to get to the message press such and such to delete etc. etc. then ring them again, hope they are free to pick up, have a conversation.

This... when my phone rings, I answer it. If it is a telemarketer I just say not interested and hang up. If it is a recording, then I just hang up..really...it is not a big deal.

 

[MoniqueU]

I always anwer the ones from our area code as my kids could be calling on anyones phone. One time I didn't answer and my son had a wrestling emergency and was on his way to the hospital when my DH got the call. I learned my lesson fast.

 

[cruisnfamily]

This... when my phone rings, I answer it. If it is a telemarketer I just say not interested and hang up. If it is a recording, then I just hang up..really...it is not a big deal.

I agree, I always answer.

 

[brockash]

I don't usually answer if I don't know the number, but I do check the vm after!

This is me too. I really never answer the phone if I don't know the number, but I'll always listen to the v/m as soon as I get it. As for when my kids are not with me. I have the school number programmed into my phone and any friends they go to, I have their numbers as well, so I'd be answering those anyways.
I also don't answer the door, if I'm not expecting someone
My dh thinks I'm nuts, but I think it's just good sense.

 

[merryweather20]

This is me too. I really never answer the phone if I don't know the number, but I'll always listen to the v/m as soon as I get it. As for when my kids are not with me. I have the school number programmed into my phone and any friends they go to, I have their numbers as well, so I'd be answering those anyways.
I also don't answer the door, if I'm not expecting someone
My dh thinks I'm nuts, but I think it's just good sense.

Except when their cell dies and they call you from a pay phone, or they just got a new cell number on Tuesday and you hadn't heard yet.

What kind of emergencies do you have that its convenient to leave a message? If they're calling from a strange phone number in an emergency, do you really think you can just call them back?

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I'm wondering why you don't just call from a school line? I don't answer calls I don't know either. I think that would make it easier if you always used a school line or let people know at the beginning of the year these are other numbers you may be called from.

Generally this is a problem with parents we've had for a while. When the families are new they are anxious enough that they answer their phone, once they trust us, they stop answering. So they do know that we use multiple phones.

Our outgoing lines don't come up as the school's number. That's actually been true at every school I've worked at. I'm surprised it's not that way everywhere. If there's a singificant emergency we might have 1 person trying the Dad and 1 trying the Mom and 1 trying the emergency contact, they can't all use the school phone.

I should be clear that I'm not talking about "let's schedule a conference. I'm talking about "Your child and I are in an ambulance, please meet us at X hospital" type calls. No school phone in that circumstance.

I should add that of course we leave messages, if we can. Lots of familes have no voice mail, just a message to call back later. I don't have a problem with families who miss a call, check voicemail and call back later. But when I've got 4 numbers, and none of them answer or check for hours it is easy to get frustrated.

 

[stichy]

I don't answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. Fortunately DS's school comes up on caller id saying it's the school district. If someone calls my house phone and then immediately my cell rings then I'll pickup the cell.

 

[Hannathy]

Our outgoing lines don't come up as the school's number. That's actually been true at every school I've worked at. I'm surprised it's not that way everywhere.

Why don't they or why wouldn't they? All the schools my kids have attended come up as schools.

 

[mhsjax]

I gave my mother a piece of my mind on this issue as well. I'm stunned at the amount of people who think the person "can just" leave a message. If I'm calling from a pay-phone or a good samaritan's phone chances are you can't ring them back. They were in a genuine emergency where they needed a live human bieng full stop.


I can't imagine how you think you're saving time even for those convenient easy little bitsy emergencies where one can leave a message. You have to pick up the phone and go through the whole rigamarole to get to the message press such and such to delete etc. etc. then ring them again, hope they are free to pick up, have a conversation. Heck, my telearketers call back if they don't get a human, again and again.

If the person is sitting there and can see the number chances are they can sit there and listen to the message and as soon as they hear that it is someone they know, they can pick up the phone. That is how this works. I won't and will not answer a number that I don't know, I am so tired of talking to telemarketers 5 times a day. I won't do it.

 

[SandrA9810]

I don't have to worry about schools or other people contacting me for an emergency. Well information might be important to get to me, but it's not like I can do anything about it but know what happened.

I get a lot of soliciting calls. And on occasion I'll answer the phone. Most the time though, my phone is in my pocket on silent and I never feel it vibrate.

Family and friends all know not to leave me a voice mail, because I will just call them before listening to it. Of course, texting is my preferred way of communicating. If it's an unknown number, then I will listen before calling it back.

 

[kinntj]

This... when my phone rings, I answer it. If it is a telemarketer I just say not interested and hang up. If it is a recording, then I just hang up..really...it is not a big deal.

This is what I do too. I answer all my calls unless I'm sick. I don't have caller ID, so I never know who's calling.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Respectfully, it's MY phone. I pay the bill. I'll answer the calls I want to answer; everybody else is free to leave a message - which I'll return or not, at my discretion.

I've gotten six calls today. Five of those callers apparently didn't feel the purpose of their respective calls was important enough to leave a message. Given that, why should I bother answering their calls in the first place? The other call, yes, I will return.

 

[brockash]

Except when their cell dies and they call you from a pay phone, or they just got a new cell number on Tuesday and you hadn't heard yet.

What kind of emergencies do you have that its convenient to leave a message? If they're calling from a strange phone number in an emergency, do you really think you can just call them back?

Well my kids are 3 and 8, so they're never on their own or by themselves at a friends house. Honestly, if it's such a big emergency that the parent doesn't have time to leave me a message; I really would hope that they'd just call 911 first and call me next...if spending an extra minute to wait for the beep and leave me a message is going to risk my child's welfare, then obviously calling me first instead of 911 would be too. When my kids are teens and go out somewhere, I'm sure I'll answer any call, because I know it could be them, but only when they're gone.