COMM Phone etiquette seems to be a relic

[GeneSD]

It's remarkable how phone etiquette seems to be a relic of the past in today's world. A simple act that should be second nature, announcing who you are and where you're calling from has become a rare occurrence. In an era filled with scams, phishing attempts, and robocalls, every incoming call feels like a potential trap if this basic courtesy isn't extended. It's as if common courtesy has taken a backseat to anonymity and suspicion. If we've reached a point where we're hesitant to answer our phones because we can't trust the caller to properly identify themselves, it's a telling sign of how far we've strayed from the norms of respectful communication. It's time to reclaim phone etiquette, as it's not just about politeness, but also about building trust in a world riddled with uncertainty.

 

[Hfcomms]

You mean it's not polite to answer your phone saying. 'What' !!!!!

I just don't answer my phone unless I recognize the number. Saves me a lot of aggravation.

 

[closet squirrel]

My favorite is when someone calls you and after you say "hello" they say "who's this?"
What the heck, you called me

 

[Cyclonemom]

My favorite is when someone calls you and after you say "hello" they say "who's this?"
What the heck, you called me

Followed closely by "Where are you?".

 

[Blacknarwhal]

If they told you who they were, you'd probably hang up. A lot of the scam depends on you being clueless until you're worn down or the trap can be sprung. Case in point: the "Hello, Grandpa?" calls.

 

[momma_soapmaker]

Answer the phone with "mule barn". It throws them off.

I did that to my husband once though, and he wanted to know if he was talking to the head ass.

 

[GingerN]

Answer the phone with "mule barn". It throws them off.

I did that to my husband once though, and he wanted to know if he was talking to the head ass.

Daddy, and now my youngest daughter, were prone to answering it Kelly's pool hall, 8 ball speaking.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Daddy, and now my youngest daughter, were prone to answering it Kelly's pool hall, 8 ball speaking.

PW’s house of hookers and midgets. The vet didn’t know what to think!

 

[CTFIREBATTCHIEF]

Depending on my mood that day I would answer."NORAD alert line state your business"

The silence would be deafening

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Oh, gosh — you all have reminded me of one of the most embarrassing moments in my collegiate life.

At that time (late 70s) every dorm room in the male dorm had a phone number that was 352-5 and the your dorm room number. The 352 was the exchange number for the town of Natchitoches, the 5 was my dorm’s assigned number. Because I lived in room 211, my room’s phone number was 352-5211.

Because of this predictable numbering scheme, if you knew a guy’s room number, you also knew his telephone number. And that would allow you to pull telephone pranks on him.

Well, it was finals week, and it seemed everybody was blowing off some steam by telephone pranking others.

I was not immune from the shenanigans. I had gotten two calls the night before from dorm mates concerned about whether I still had King Arthur in a can, and other nonsense like that.

So, about the time that the phone system in Rapides Hall was beginning to light up with that night’s prank calls, my telephone rung.


Thinking it was one of the dormitory’s phone pranksters, I answered the phone with:

”NSU Student Affairs Office. Would you like to have an affair with me?”

…

To my horror, the caller turned out to be my ultra conservative, 80-something year old GRANDMOTHER!

 

[SlipperySlope]

My first BIL used to always answer the phone by saying.."County morgue, you stab 'em we slab 'em".

 

[Papacub]

Answer the phone with "mule barn". It throws them off.

I did that to my husband once though, and he wanted to know if he was talking to the head ass.

My father in law always answered the phone, "Jacks Mule Barn, head jackass speaking!"

 

[Jeff B.]

We dropped the land line a few years ago. My wife was a little cranky about it at first, now she admits she doesn't miss it at all. I tend not to answer numbers I don't know. Voice mail works and I'll call you back if I want.

I swear I've blocked a million numbers from Washington DC.

 

[psychgirl]

You mean it's not polite to answer your phone saying. 'What' !!!!!

I just don't answer my phone unless I recognize the number. Saves me a lot of aggravation.

Same

 

[dstraito]

Not only Phone etiquette, but civility as well. I think the internet has allowed anonymity to allow people to disrespect each other. I do not answer the phone unless it matches a number in my contacts and if it is someone that needs to get in touch with me, they can leave a message. 99 percent of the anonymous phone calls I get do not leave a message. Saves me a lot of time. I am sure I have missed out on numerous car warranty offers.

I too have been known to pull pranks, especially that first year in the dorm. The doors were heavy oak with heavy duty door knobs. You could push in at the top and bottom and slide a small stack of pennies between the door and the frame. There was no way they would twist the door knob to open it. Then we would go to a phone and call them. Once they answered you just put the phone down without hanging up. That particular switch system would not time the call out so there was no way to get a dial tone to call out. The only way they could get out of the room was if someone was walking by and heard them and removed the pennies. Retaliation was usually swift and severe, but all in good fun.

 

[Phelan]

at fort phelan the land line is answered in one one 2 ways, "Grand central station, amtrack office this is... how may I help you" or phelan's veterinary and chinese takeout, if it moo's and shouldn't press 1, if it doesn't moo and should press 2. take out orders press 1.
There hasn't been a non sales call in over 3 years, I feel fine answering the phone like that.

 

[Shadow]

My partner and I were working on call for work stoppages for our company. The phone rings and I hear him say "your needs, your needs, what about my needs... OK go ahead". Then he hangs up. I say what was that. He said when he picked up the phone the first words he heard were "I need". Then the guy hung up.

He was quick like that and always enjoyable to work with.

Shadow

 

[straightstreet]

If you're not in my contacts, I don't answer. It goes right to my voicemail which right now is full and I intend to leave it that way.

 

[WalknTrot]

My brother used to answer as the local 3.2 joint. Best friend uses "County Mental Health".

 

[Swampdweller]

If I didn’t know the number I would answer “congratulations caller number 3 you’ve won one free session at Happy Bottom Riding Club and sex therapy clinic. Most callers would hang up before I could tell them how to claim their prize.

 

[Cardinal]

My first BIL used to always answer the phone by saying.."County morgue, you stab 'em we slab 'em".

My younger sister did that once, and it turned out to be a family friend calling to inform us his mother had passed away.
Awkward......

If you're not in my contacts, I don't answer. It goes right to my voicemail which right now is full and I intend to leave it that way.

My phone is set to Do Not Disturb.
Only folks in my contact list will ring.

 

[Squib]

No land line here anymore… but like most, I didn’t answer unless I knew the caller.

Saw one meme where a guys said when an unknown number calls him, he answers in a whisper…

”Ok, it’s done, but there’s blood all over the place!”

 

[The Mountain]

"Hello, you're on the air..."

 

[Secamp32]

at fort phelan the land line is answered in one one 2 ways, "Grand central station, amtrack office this is... how may I help you" or phelan's veterinary and chinese takeout, if it moo's and shouldn't press 1, if it doesn't moo and should press 2. take out orders press 1.
There hasn't been a non sales call in over 3 years, I feel fine answering the phone like that.

Amtrak trains leaves out of Penn Station not Grand Central. Only MTA commuter trains and subways leave out out of GCT. It was only MetroNorth trains until recently. Now some LIRR trains stop there now too.

 

[packyderms_wife]

"Hello, you're on the air..."

Hmmm what do you do with the toast and scrambled eggs?

 

[packyderms_wife]

Amtrak trains leaves out of Penn Station not Grand Central. Only MTA commuter trains and subways leave out out of GCT. It was only MetroNorth trains until recently. Now some LIRR trains stop there now too.

Interesting, I remember being on an Amtrak train going into Grand Central Station more than once back in the eighties.

 

[Meemur]

Hahah! Great memories!

Yep, I used to answer the phone "county morgue." Such fun!

 

[Mushroom]

My favorite is: This is ..... with your senior benefits.
Me: Give them back immediately! They are mine and I want them back now!

 

[cat killer]

I got a call today from a different area code so let it go to the answering machine.
Really great new, I won $2500000 from Publishing clearing house, as soon as I collect it I’ll be going somewhere warm.

 

[cat killer]

Hahah! Great memories!

Yep, I used to answer the phone "county morgue." Such fun!

Used to answer county morgue you stab them we slab them.
Now it should be you shoot ‘em but that doesn’t rhyme, going to have to come up with something else

 

[Babs]

I speak Spanish when I answer calls from numbers that I do not recognize.

 

[momma_soapmaker]

I worked with a guy who used to answer the phone with "Bucky's Meat Market - nobody beats our meat".

 

[pauldingbabe]

"Liberty Hall"

 

[StarryEyedLad]

I do miss the feeling of slamming down a phone receiver, good and hard. Throwing a cell phone across the room just doesn't hold the same satisfaction.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Admittedly, my favorite such prank was the church who'd answer the phone. "This is the devil. Who in the hell do you want?"

But nothing beats Robin Williams. 14 seconds.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh40fAxY3PA

 

[cwr]

It's remarkable how phone etiquette seems to be a relic of the past in today's world. A simple act that should be second nature, announcing who you are and where you're calling from has become a rare occurrence. In an era filled with scams, phishing attempts, and robocalls, every incoming call feels like a potential trap if this basic courtesy isn't extended. It's as if common courtesy has taken a backseat to anonymity and suspicion. If we've reached a point where we're hesitant to answer our phones because we can't trust the caller to properly identify themselves, it's a telling sign of how far we've strayed from the norms of respectful communication. It's time to reclaim phone etiquette, as it's not just about politeness, but also about building trust in a world riddled with uncertainty.

I work in a call center. People are rude, crude and indecent. They try their best to put me down. I just keep on going as they are just like most of the people in this country. Now that being said I do speak with many people that are nice. Mostly conservative folk. . I also get 100% ratings on 99% of all calls. Some people are just never happy!

 

[Delta]

I got into a "fight" with a neighbor because she wouldn't identify herself over the phone. She insisted I "knew" who was calling. Later I realized she was so married to her cell phone that she couldn't imagine anyone had a landline and lacked caller I.D.

When any unidentified caller asks who I am or am I so-and-so, I either ask "who's asking?" or "who wants to know?" or state "I don't recognize your voice," depending on my mood at the time. I have been known to respond with an "Ich verstehen sie nicht", but I'm afraid they'll know more German than I do. (I know not to use Hindi or Bengali.)

 

[summerthyme]

I got into a "fight" with a neighbor because she wouldn't identify herself over the phone. She insisted I "knew" who was calling. Later I realized she was so married to her cell phone that she couldn't imagine anyone had a landline and lacked caller ID

You beat me to it! I was going to say, we have an entire generation who grew up having never used (or maybe even seen, except in movies) an old style landline telephone. Without caller ID, you simply had no choice but to answer it and find out who was calling!

But we didn't have the crazy amount of garbage SPAM calls, either! In our family, we were taught to answer like some executive secretary... "Smith residence, Jane speaking. Who's calling, please?"

These days, you'd be nuts to provide that much personal info before you were certain who was on the other end.

But I have absolutely no problem with asking, "who is calling?", and hanging up if they don't want to answer.

Summerthyme

 

[WalknTrot]

Yup. If the scammers ask if it's me (named), first thing, I ask "Who's calling please?"
Then they have to jump into their scam spiel without me either identifying myself or answering in an affirmative manner which can get your phone line/long distance account hijacked.

 

[Lone_Hawk]

Oh, come on folks. Have a little fun with them. I make up answers and try to keep them on the line as long as I can. I act like an old fool, "I'm sorry, can you speak up? I'm hard of hearing." and other stuff. I kept one spammer on the phone trying to make sure my electricity wasn't turned off, at the end he started laughing and called me a MFer. I jerked the publishers clearing house jerks jumping through hoops for hours. Great fun. But I guess they put me on their don't call list because I haven't had any spam calls in quite a while. I consider it a public service to keep them jerking on the line as long as possible so that they aren't calling someone who might fall for their crap.