August 08, 2006

• Phone etiquette has been going downhill since people quit saying Hoy Hoy when they pick up.
• 1. Yes. 2. I think it's a time-is-money thing covering for laziness and lack of civility. Or that work-calls aren't real conversations or something. Especially true of wrong-number calls -- the tendency is to simply hang up without fucking apologizing for wasting my precious fucking time. Fuckers.
• Hello and Hoy Hoy, Danielo! If this is the most irritating thing about your job, I'd say you've got it pretty smooth. If you start to feel your stress level going up, take the "can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach. Hang up first--and then you join 'em AND beat 'em. Thank you. Toodle-ooo and good-bye!
• I haven't noticed this phenomonon at all and had I, it would bug me since I'm a bona-fide courtesy curmudgeon. It sounds like it might be particular to a certain portion of the business world? I work in a university setting and everyone says "goodbye" upon concluding a phone call, unless it's a "Hey, we're down here waiting in the conference room for you!" and the reply is "Oops, I'll be right there!" A hang-up with no "goodbye" is fine in this instance. That being said, I do think that with the advent of prevalent cellphone-ness, phone courtesy in general is going out the window. But that's a whole 'nother topic you don't want me to get into!
• [BlueHorse]: This is merely one of the many irritating things about my job. Having to show up on time and stay until close every day is top of the list!
• Jesus - I NEVER say "goodbye" when I use the telephone. When I'm finished jerking off, I slam the phone down as soon as I can. I don't know about you buddy, but I'm not paying $5.99 per minute or part thereof to be polite to anyone - not Candy, not Shandice - not even Nurse Titsy, my favourite.
• What kind of phone work do you do? Is it telemarketing or sales or something other. Because in telemarketing, people being called aren't going to feel like being polite. But I do occasional fund raising by phone for a college and I've always gotten the thank you and goodbye, unless the person really does not want to be bothered and even then about 60% give a quick no thank you and goodbye. Maybe they are nicer because it's a non-profit. The only time I don't get a goodbye in a personal call is if one of our cell phones cuts out early. Maybe people don't like you. ;)
• [Bruise]: It's a glass & mirror shop, people calling to place/check on orders, schedule estimates, etc... It's regular folks, contractors, old, young.
• Indeed- I feel no compunction whatsoever to be polite to complete strangers who are employing my telephone to attempt to conduct business. In my books, interrupting whatever I am doing in my home, damnit, to try to relieve me of money is the height of rudeness.
• Oops sorry wrong thread.
• What Bruise said... Telemarketers and those customer service types who attempt to keep you on the line beyond the extent of the business you originally called about (the ..."can I interest you in...") don't get a goodbye from me, 'cuz they don't leave room for one.. just a "thanks" and a hang up. Unsolicited calls of any type are likely to get a hangup with no words at all.... But, other than that, I am polite and end the conversation in a civil manner... And, I find that nearly 100% of the people I speak with do the same.. Danielo...is it the nature of the business you're in that might be causing this?
• Seems relegated strictly to the professional arena. Pretty much everyone I work with does this. If I didn't think I'd get stuck in harrassment training for doing it, I'd end every phone conversation in my building with "I love you." Try it with your friends. It'll really fuck 'em up.
• I've only seen it in the movies, and in the movies the try not to do it because it's superflous to the storytelling. Bye.
• I'd end every phone conversation in my building with "I love you." Did this once. I had just gotten off the phone with my wife, and got a call from my boss. Blah blah blah, she says goodbye, I let loose with a cheerful "love ya!" Big loooong pause (maybe a second or so, during which the little man who lives inside my head says "DUDE! You just told your boss you love her!" then I get a quick "um, love ya too!" and -click-
• Wow. Hey, anyone got a tissue?
• yes, phone etiquette does seem to have gone down hill. it's something of a pet peeve for me too. I work at home, so it's not an "at the office" thing for me, but I find it very annoying when people call you and do not either a)identify for whom they are calling b)identify themselves, but say "who's this?". I tend to respond with glacial formality and require they identify themselves. I even go so far as to ask what they are calling about, just to be difficult. I particularly find it annoying when telemarketers have very bad phone skills...duh!
• Hello? HELLOOO! Is this thing even freakin' working? HEELLOOO? Meh, screw this! *click / bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz*
• Well, I don't know if this has any bearing on it, but back in the 1980s when I was in my high school years I started answering the phone "Yeah?" because a Clint Eastwood character did it. It seemed like a suave and no-nonsense way of handling the phone. Unfortunately my parents didn't approve of it, so I've done the polite thing ever since. Maybe people are getting their cues from TV and friends?
• Oh sure, Quiddy. Last time I checked the posting guidelines, I didn't see anything about whether stories told in thread had to be intersting. So, nyah.
• WHen I used to work as a cashier at a casino I was constantly amazed by how few people would say "thank you." It isn't like I just got done giving you HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS or anything... After a while I would just say, "YOU'RE WELCOME" really loud and bitterly. What were they going to do, complain that I had said "you're welcome?"
• [Medusa]: Oh yes, I hate the "who's this" question, too. My dad used to hang up on my friends who called and didn't say "this is XXX" before asking for me. I think if you're calling someone else, then YOU are creating the interruption, and YOU should be the first to say "this is XXX, who am I speaking to?"
• "Wow. Hey, anyone got a tissue?" posted by the quidnunc kid at 04:34PM UTC on August 08, 2006 Don't use a tissue. It will tear and leave portions clinging to your penis. Try a paper towel instead.
• My parents were sticklers for phone etiquette. My sister and I weren't allowed to answer the phone if we couldn't do it correctly, up to and including the grammar of "this is she" rather than "this is her" or "you got her" when someone asked for us. We also had to say "Hi. This is meredithea. May I please speak to so-and-so?" when calling friends. It actually helped us out because our friends' parents were snowed into thinking we were nice kids :) My grandfather has terrible phone manners. He has never once said "good bye" to end a conversation, so maybe he's the reason my parents thought it was so important?
• My father always ended his conversations exactly like this: Alrighty....sounds good...talk to you later...bye. It was like a mantra. *hands quid a Bounty, because it's the quicker-picker-upper*
• So, nyah/ Sorry Fes: I didn't mean to knock your story, which I actually liked and thought was funny. I was merely trying to suggest it was kinda sexy. For "Wow" please read "LOL!"
• danielo, what is it about dads? mine used to answer the phone "what?" in his very deep and growly voice. it terrified my friends... jccalhoun, I feel yr pain. in the past, I worked retail for a long time. I am not sure there is a more dehumanizing job (well, yes, actually, I know that there are) I always make a point of saying 'hello' 'thank you' etc. to cashiers because so few people will even acknowledge they are human! a little nicey-nice goes a long way!
• I used to do the "I love you" thing to friends all the time. Four out of five'll give you a "Love you too" back before they catch themselves.
• Wow, I always signal the end of the conversation in advance with “Ok...take care” pause “Bye”
• I hate talking on the phone, and luckily I don't have to do it much anymore. But I think phone etiquette is jusy yet another on the long list of types of etiquette that have changed for the worse over the years. *takes off curmudgeon hat, puts on clown hat* They're probably being rude 'cause they've all got seven years of bad luck anyway on account of breaking their mirrors.
• "Later', 'OK', 'See you'; depending on whether is a job or personal call, those are the ones I and people I call use. Only with family or closer friends do the 'Good bye' is added around here. I have terrible phone manners, trying to cut to the chase and get things said quickly. Telemarketers? Sorry, just a 'No thanks' and hang up. Wrong numbers get a 'No, you got a wrong number' and that's it. I've been trying to erradicate from my system the tendency to end up calls with 'bye', just like that, in english; widely used here by spanish speakers, but still, it irks me.
• Medusa, I HATE it when people call and say 'who is this?' or 'who's speaking?' For years, (and twice this week) I've responded, quite simply: "I don't know. I can't see you." This happens a lot since I answer the phone here at work when our book keeper is off doing something else. Usually the rude assholes just ask for who they want to speak with, and I claim a victory dance every time.
• I just had a call from Samuel Jackson. Unless threatening to kill me is a new form of pre-hanging up etiquette that I wasn't aware of, he sure didn't say goodbye.
• I dislike when people call at my work and assume that the person answering knows who they are and who is working on their project without first identifying themselves. Because I sometimes help out with answering the phones when all the lines are lit, I start with something polite, like, "I'm a project manager, not office staff. Let me know who you're working with and I'll be happy to transfer you." Then I put them on hold and flip off the phone. That'll learn them.
• "I don't know. I can't see you." I'm stealing that.
• I like answering the phone "Hello, you're on the air." There's usually an awkward silence that follows.
• Ralph is teh shit.
• I noticed that people in the US were more inclined to hang up without saying goodbye than people here. Even the telemarketers say goodbye if you politely rebuff them. I always wanted to say "Pronto" instead of hello. It was fun to say when I was visiting Italy.
• I've got to say, I absolutely HATE it when I ring a business and just get a "Hello". HATE HATE HATE. I always answer the phone with at least giving my name, but that leads me to another hate -- the people who then go on to ask "Is that ??" *snap* AAAAAAAAAAAARGH
• I used to answer "Mmmmmmmmmyeeeeeeeees?" when the caller ID said it was someone I knew. Until the day I found out my caller ID wasn't working.
• I always answer unrecognised numbers "hello?" because I'd prefer not to speak to strangers on the phone. Sometimes, however, it is someone offering me money, which kind of fucks up my theory, because I like getting money. If it's someone I know, their name flashes up on the phone, and I answer "Hello, Liza", or whatever. That often produces a fumble on the other end (often followed by a chuckle), because people haven't grown used to the person knowing who's calling before they answer the phone. And I always say goodbye, if I mean it.
• I always answer with YESS! The long pause from people who don't expect it is somewhat entertaining. A friend of my wifes always giggles and says, "OK. As long as M (my wife) won't find out." She's a fox. You don't think she could be serious and I have wasted the last twenty years. Ouch! just got a feeknuckle (sp?) from M who was peering over my shoulder.
• Despite what I said upthread, my dad has been known to answer the phone "Taco Bell!" or "Howard Johnson, home of the 31 flavors!" when he's feeling silly. One time he did that, and it was my third grade teacher. I laughed for about a week. Also, my parent's number is one digit off from a Wendy's, so people call in all the time for that, especially when they have a really big order. They get terribly offended when we try to convince them that it's a wrong number (I mean really. There's yelling.), so we've just started taking their orders for food. "Um, yeah, I'd like 35 cheeseburgers and 37 orders of fries, and 22 frosties?" and we say "Ok, come by in about twenty minutes."
• when I am expecting a particular caller I sometimes answer "Carolyn's house of pancakes" which is funny when its not the person I was expecting...
• When I was flatting, we'd occasionally wet our pants answering the phone with, "Bob's House of PIE!" It was funny at the time, okay? Shut up!
• I can sound just like that AT&T lady [I was in radio for three years before joining the Army, which promptly kicked me out for sleepwalking], and I'll use that voice when I call my friends sometimes. It's funny when you get a collect call from God.
• When I was flatting, we'd occasionally wet our pants answering the phone with, "Bob's House of PIE!" Hmm, now instead of saying goodbye I'm tempted to say "WHEN COME BACK BRING PIE." I bet it'll work at least once too!
• Phone etiquette in general is declining. Has anyone else ever experienced the horror of having someone call your place of work, asking for a particular phone number, and then proceed to punch it into their cellphone while you're giving it to them? The first time this happened, I thought " this moron doesn't even realize he needs to disconnect the first call before making the second one!" Then I was informed that it is actually possible to dial a number while on another call, so I now answer the phone with a plaintive "Please stop WATCHING me!"
• On the rare occasion that I actually pick up the phone I answer with "hello". If the person on the other end falters it's because they are probably a Japanese telemarketer and this does not feature in their script. They will insist on saying "moshi moshi" which is how you are supposed to answer the phone here, and many will persist until you say "moshi moshi" back, except I'm a little bit evil and will often just keep chanting "hello" at them until they hang up.
• Oh and as for hanging up - a business type call will usually end with "I am terribly sorry for having disturbed you" rather than goodbye, but to friends you can't just say goodbye once it has to be said about at least ten times.
• Haha. I am a receptionist, and I'll tell you MY pet hate: Me: "Good morning, 123Fake Company, ilse speaking." Caller: "Yeah. Johnno thanks." I find it really annoying to have someone drawl "Yyyyyyeaaaaaaahr" at me when we're starting a conversation. (Just say that to yourself in an Australian accent, you'll see what I mean.) And word to the whole 'flipping them off' thing: I usually put them on hold, swear at them, give them the old double handed middle finger salute, then put them thru. One day I am so going to get caught. Haha. Oh yes: one other thing. This made my blood boil: Me: "" Caller: "Yes. What is the name of the person in charge?" Me: (baiting them) "Who shall I say is calling?" Them (icey dragon queen voice): "When YOU tell ME what their name is, I'LL tell YOU who I am." I so wanted to go "OOOOOHHHHH! I'm SCARED!" haha.
• wow, a lot of emotion here.
• Growing up, women outnumbered men 4/1, and then 4/2, so it always made us giggle to answer "House of Bootie, choose your cutie." For years, my sister would screw it up saying "House of Cutie, choose your bootie," causing us all even greater hysterics, but then I realized that worked, too. This was before Caller ID, so the reactions when Grandma called were wonderful. And I'm also stealing the "I don't know. I can't see you." response. Hearing someone ask "Who's this?" is one of the most obnoxious things one can do, in my book!
• Or, you can say something like, "I don't play peekaboo on the phone. I am an adult, sir."
• I remember one wrong call that came to us where the chappie asked for someone (let's call him Sam). Me: There's no such person here. You have the wrong number. Caller: Eh? No, I want to talk to Sam! Me: There's no such person here. You've called the wrong number. Caller: Just call Sam to the phone. Me: (slightly irate) There's no Sam here. Caller: (Impatient and supercilious tone of voice) You're Sam's wife right? I'm his brother, Bob. Call him to the phone! Me: (very sharply) There is no Sam here. I am nobody's wife. You. Have. The. Wrong. Number. Caller: (long pause) Oh. (hangs up) Me: (Is ready to spit fire, despite hysterical reaction from parents who are in the room also) (Phone rings again) Me: HELLO!?! Caller: (short pause, hangs up)
• I've had calls like that myself. We have lots of tiny little programs here, and none of us knows half of them, wht they do, or which people work for them. Yet we're all constanly getting calls about each other's programs, from people who think that because we're all under the same umbrella organization we can all do the same things. And the people calling rarely know the full name of the program they want, and just keep repeating the one keyword they know and the name of our parent organization over and over until you want to climd through the receiver and give 'em a purple nerple.
• My biggest phone irritant at the restaurant I work at is people attempting to place reservations (we don't take them) and then showing up, telling me thier name, and expecting to have a table held. Even better when they tell me they made a reservation ahead of time. I really don't think they listen when I speak, most just say thier name and ETA and hang up. Of course this doesn't piss me off nearly as much as the customers who CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THIER SERVER LOOKS LIKE. WE BRING YOU FOOD! TAKE A SECOND TO REMEMBER THE FACE!
• Ladyknight: Not to be insulting, but sometimes it depends on the server. Some I can remember till the next time I'm in, and some I can't remember the minute they turn their back at the table. Part if it is my frame of reference--hungry, tired, too dark to see well in resturant, some is that certain servers have no personality or physical features that stand out. yeah, over there's my server, the one with the eyepatch and hook
• I know some servers are kind of a blank slate, but the paranoid part of me dictates that if someone is going to bring me food, I want to know who they are in case theres something wrong with it. Besides, it's a little demoralizing to be reminded that you are more or less regarded as an insignificant robot. I think I've been in restaurants too long.
• Mhh. I'm guilty of the server-amnesia. To begin with, I'm *bad* remembering faces, so that's an issue. It's not a problem if accompanied, but when I go alone for lunch with little time to spare and hastily point at the special and later realize that none of the four servers' faces ring a bell... it's not a pleasant feeling, believe me. Good thing they are corteous enough to make eye contact from afar when one starts fidgeting.