More stories of cell phone hell...

[Broomjockey]

I cannot STAND IT when a stranger calls me and forgets to identify himself first.

I understand exactly where you're coming from, and I sort of agree. But then again, if it is my doctor's office, or something like that, I'd prefer they make sure it is me they're talking to before saying who they are just so other people aren't privvy to my information, even in a general sense. So my opinion is really rather odd, I guess, in that it boils down to this:

If you're cold calling me, tell me who you are first, unless it's private information. If you're a private individual, tell me who you are first. If I'm expecting a call from you, make sure it's me before saying who you are. Complicated, I know, but I'd rather not the one time my friend answers the phone be the time my doc's calling about my blood test results.

[Broomjockey]

It's a cultural (including location, age, and current cultural status).

Really? Since when?

Like he said, it is cultural. Some things do change from society to society, my favourite example being burping. In North America, you are generally considered crude to belch at the table. Other places, it is a great compliment to the chef to do so.

[air914]

Wow I never thought of answering the phone that way as being rude. I've always asked if someone was there before saying who I was.... b/c if I say "hello this is blank calling from blank" they may think I'm a telemarketer or a collection agency or something..... b/c they HAVE to say things in that order..... also, if I'm not talking to the person I need to speak with, why am I wasting my time explaining who I am and where I'm calling from? Especially if you have to make a lot of calls that day.... "Is so and so there" "no" "okay then thanks..... I didn't spend a ton of time saying who i was, where I was calling from - repeating that, explaining what it was, etc. etc.......

My definition of rude is when someone calls you on your phone and says "Who is this?" YOU called me..... Who are YOU?

[Shabo]

I don't know about you guys, but my phone rings roughly once or twice every hour just from telemarketers. This is what I mean by they might be ruining it for everyone. They call so often and are so annoyingly persistent that I don't want to talk to them. Ever. (Although, I have started to try and screw with them just because I have nothing better to do.) I once had a lady call from some phone company looking for my father, and he was on vacation. So I told her to call back in a few weeks. She called back later that day!!! I kind of snapped at her. I was just like, Didn't someone from there already call today? She kind of started to stammer and was like, Uh, I don't know. Uh, I can check... and I cut her off and was just like, "Because I could have *sworn* that I told them to try back in a few weeks since he was on vacation."

Seriously. I know people lie to you all the time, but FOR 's SAKE!

So that may be why people are prone to hang up if they don't recognize the cold call right away.

[Andara Bledin]

I'm in my mid-30's and I don't introduce myself when making a non-business call. If I'm calling as a private individual, I will not waste both my and the answerer's time with a full introduction if they're not the person I want to talk to.

As a private individual, I don't want to have to wait through your full introduction before you ask me if so-and-so who doesn't live here and hasn't actually had this number for at least 5 years is available. What could have been a 30 second call now takes 3 minutes and interrupts my life. And if the person who is actually being called for doesn't actually want to take the call, then they can damn well tell the person calling that fact themselves. I am not their avoidance device. (sorry, but I get this at work all the time and it really gets on my nerves)

As a professional receptionist, I can't tell you how annoying I, personally, find it when people give me their whole life's story before I can break in to find out who I get to pass them to. I've lost calls because people just won't shut up and I didn't manage to dump them on hold fast enough.

I got two of these types back to back just today. I lost the third caller just trying to get through the first two.

Seriously, if you're dealing with what is most likely a receptionist (if they give you the company name but don't give you their name, then they probably are just there to transfer you), explain what you need without going into all the sorded detail. Your name, company, and who/what you need is usually all we ever want, and often more than we actually need. If I need more information, I prefer to ask.

As a business caller, I will identify myself and my company when I call out, but I will do so as professionally and as breifly as I can. Then, I will get to the point.

^-.-^

[Kusanagi]

Personally, I never introduce myself for a business call, for the reasons mentioned. If I start off the phone call with "Hi, this is Kusanagi with Furniture store, how are you today?" or "Hi, this is Kusanagi calling from Furniture Store, is Customer there please?" I find that the majority of the people that I greet like this only process the type of greeting and don't actually process the words, say "no thank you" and hang up on me.

I have actually had customers miss their deliveries because when I called them with the time frames, they thought I was a telemarketer and hung up, and refused to pick up when I called them back.

I usually go "Hi, is (first name of customer) there?" or "Hi, (first name)?" I guess I don't see it as rude because

a)9 times out of 10 they are expecting my call and
b) they are already familiar with me because we did a transaction.

If I was cold calling then it would be different.

It just ends up having a very relaxed nature for everyone all around because then I don't need to break down automatic defenses that customers put up.