Post by: El Tejon on October 22, 2005, 06:41:06 AM
My life is talking on the telephone, incessantly. The earth will crash into the sun if El Tejon does not spend hours a day talking on the phone.
I receive dozens of voice mails every day. Why do people not: 1. identify themselves (I get at least three "it's me, call me" or "you know who this is, call me right away" calls a day), 2. leave their phone number so I can call them back, 3. Leave short messages (I get messages slightly longer than a Russian novel ["and then in 1997 he was mean to the cat. . ."]).
When I was in kindergarten (Westlake elementary, 1975) I remember the teacher bringing out a toy phone and going over how one should behave on the phone. I even remember filmstrips and a film (with the guy's voice that sounds like he is underwater) on phone behavior.
Is anyone else experiencing this?
Is voice mail and the "IM culture" to blame for this? Is it the decline of educational standards? Is it the lack of decency and courtesy in our society (reflected as well in people's dress and lack of grooming that we have discussed earlier)? Are George Bush and Haliburton responsible? Why won't FEMA fix this?
Post by: ...has left the building. on October 22, 2005, 06:54:04 AM
Post by: Werewolf on October 22, 2005, 07:01:17 AM
It's as simple as that.
Post by: Ben on October 22, 2005, 07:32:59 AM
The number of people I meet with nowadays that stop a face to face meeting to answer a phone call is astounding. Working in the emergency response arena, I cut slack for someone who may need to check caller ID or quickly answer a call in case it is an emergency, but if it's not an emergency, they should respond with a, "I'll call you back", not leave me cooling my heels while they take down a list of groceries they need to get on their way home.
Oh yeah, also people that constantly disrupt multi-participant meetings by not putting their cell on vibrate or "off" and getting up every ten minutes to answer various calls. Either attend the meeting or answer your phone -- make up your mind (and I HATE meetings, but if we all have to sit through it, please -- common courtesy).
Post by: Guest on October 22, 2005, 07:54:40 AM
As others have touched on, Society is in hurry going nowhere.
I too was taught in public elementary school how to use a phone- properly. Born in '55 and we did this in the first grade and continued throughout High School, phone etiquette, thank you notes, and other forms of interacting with others such as handshakes, opning doors for a lady...pulling chair for a lady and holding it, giving a lady / elderly men our seats...etc. Common Courtesy is not taught as it once was.
I do not use phones as much as I once did. I used to use one a LOT. I could gauge three things about folks. 1) What decade they were born in. 2) if educated in public school as I was (good), homeschooled ( good) or Private/ Parochial ( good) or 3) Not raised with parenting and educated in a system that put 'quanity' ahead of 'quality'.
One of the reasons I purchased a Caller ID - was to actually 'understand" whom called, the time of call, and return phone number. Sad, really sad.
Worked better than an answering machine...
Post by: spinr on October 22, 2005, 08:23:43 AM
As a part of my job I get a lot of calls from people wanting phone numbers, addresses, general info, etc. It never fails that someone will call wanting something and when I get what they ask for and begin to tell them, they'll say... wait, hold on, I have to get a pen/pencil/crayon to write it down.
Why do people do this?
It never fails; and they make you wait, sometimes up to a minute, for them to find a writing utensil while you've got other things to work on.Just a wee bit of common sense is too much ask I guess.
Post by: grampster on October 22, 2005, 08:58:57 AM
Post by: Waitone on October 22, 2005, 10:10:40 AM
Post by: bratch on October 22, 2005, 11:22:39 AM
Post by: DJJ on October 22, 2005, 11:56:02 AM
Quote
As a part of my job I get a lot of calls from people wanting phone numbers, addresses, general info, etc. It never fails that someone will call wanting something and when I get what they ask for and begin to tell them, they'll say... wait, hold on, I have to get a pen/pencil/crayon to write it down.
I worked summers at a pizza parlor. Invariably, I would answer the phone and ask if I could "take your order", and the caller would turn away from the phone and yell, "What do you guys want?" If we were busy, we were authorized to say, "We're busy right now. Could you call back once you've decided? Thanks." and hang up.
Post by: JAlexander on October 22, 2005, 01:17:22 PM
I will admit to leaving 'it's me' or 'tag, you're it' messages, but since I only do that to my close friends and have a really distinctive voice, I don't feel too bad.
James
Post by: Agent P on October 22, 2005, 01:45:31 PM
Post by: Chuck Dye on October 22, 2005, 03:08:04 PM
You have discovered one more area in which parental abdication in child rearing contributes to societal entropy. Even if you respond with the equivalent of going thermonuclear, you will only cleanse a very small radius.
Post by: brimic on October 22, 2005, 03:09:57 PM
At home, I have a bit of an advantage. I have a very hard to pronounce eastern European surname, you know they type where the consenant: vowel ratio seems to be way off, if someone calls and mispronounces my last name, I hang up immediately as they are someone who doesn't know me and about 100% of the time are looking for a donation for something. It may be rude, but I don't like people wasting my time or calling me during the day when I'm sleeping unless its a life or death emergency.
Post by: Tallpine on October 22, 2005, 03:13:30 PM
No, but about the only calls I get are from telemarketers who can't speak english...
(when I get a little better at it, I'm going to start talking to them in Gaidhlig
Post by: Standing Wolf on October 22, 2005, 04:39:22 PM
Post by: Guest on October 22, 2005, 07:06:45 PM
He shared with me once how this is an advantage in some respects. The phone is one as mentioned. The other is these meetings he sometimes has to "make an appearance".
He does not like these people, he does not want to be in attendence, darn sure does not want to converse with anyone. Most know he has two hearing aids.
He takes them out, and can work a room with head nods and smiles. He will spot the good food, that is where he wil be - and not polite to talk with your mouth full anyway.
Post by: K Frame on October 22, 2005, 08:14:32 PM
He got pissed when I never returned his calls. I had no clue who it was, no name, no number, but he just couldn't figure out why I didn't know who was calling.
Post by: Justin on October 22, 2005, 08:52:55 PM
"Hi, this is Justin with XYZ co. My number is 555-123-4567. I just needed to get in touch with you regarding the artwork for your ad in ABC publication. Please give me a call at 555-123-4567."
Short, to the freaking point, and repeats the phone number twice.
I absolutely *hate it* when people leave long, rambling voicemail messages. In fact, I'd say it's a pet peeve. Get to the gorram point and stop using your timeshifting powers to yak at me.
Post by: HForrest on October 22, 2005, 09:16:03 PM
Post by: brimic on October 22, 2005, 11:17:39 PM
LOL. ever ask her for some damn cheezey poofs?
Post by: Silver Bullet on October 23, 2005, 02:32:04 AM
Post by: Stickjockey on October 23, 2005, 06:27:44 AM
>ring<
>ring<
You: "Hello?"
It: "Please hold, for an important message!"
>muzak<
>muzak<
>more muzak<
>ad nauseum<
Post by: Silver Bullet on October 23, 2005, 06:34:18 AM
*SLAM* *click* *hummmmmm*
Post by: Lee on October 23, 2005, 09:15:59 AM
Post by: Sergeant Bob on October 23, 2005, 11:13:25 AM
Quote
i think u all r ovreacting 2 modrn culture 2day. whenever i talk 2 my mom im all like, frickin mom pick me up some goddamn cheetos, and shes like, ok darling! she knows it me, y dont u know ur clients. U shud kno that I am not sefl centred cuz one time i was like, mom get me ice cream now!!!!!!! and she was like no and i was like, u bitch! but hey i didnt end up getting the ice cream so y wud u call us kids self centerd???
Can you tell me how to get Vernor's off an LCD monitor? ROFL!
Post by: jefnvk on October 23, 2005, 02:10:23 PM
Don't have an answering machine.
My roommate has an answering machine. I have no idea how to use it. Family and friends get mad, they call and leave a message and I don't return it, because I have told them many times that I don't use it.
Post by: Justin on October 23, 2005, 02:31:26 PM
-Mark Twain
Post by: Strings on October 23, 2005, 07:07:30 PM
Sorry Joe: if it was THAT important that you speak to me, you would've mentioned what the call was concerning (which is what my voicemail message ASKS you to do)...
Post by: El Tejon on October 24, 2005, 03:22:15 AM
"It's very important!" No, it's not, if it was important you would have left me your phone number and told me what you are calling about.
Of course, I receive phone calls from people who call me every five minutes to ask me questions that they already know the answer to but just want to hear my voice and then ask me if I saw the Colts or Pacers game. *sigh* No one told me about hand holding in law school.
Post by: BrokenPaw on October 24, 2005, 05:06:00 AM
Which was fine, since it was easier to walk down the hall and thump him directly. But I do sort of feel bad for the new guy that has that phone...
Now. Getting out my cane to wave it and gritch about kidsh theshe daysh:
When my daughter's friends call, frequently I'll answer, and they'll say:
"Hi."
That's it. Nothing at all to identify themselves, nothing. Usually the gods of Caller ID have granted me insight into who they are, and I've gotten to recognize the worst offenders, so I've gotten preemptive. When I recognize their numbers, I'll answer with, "Prince William County Sheriff's Department, this is Deputy Ackerman speaking."
Usually they hang up, so it serves my purpose adequately.
-BP
Post by: Sindawe on October 24, 2005, 05:20:05 AM
Cold calls to my workplace are just as bad. We have a menu system that will eventually route callers to our support number (I work in IT). 5-6 times a week I have to deal with fools wanting to speak with the Owner or the person in charge of HR or some such nonsense. Our policy is to take a name and number to pass on to the person in question, but 75% of those callers don't want to do that, they want to be transfered, right away. I've had a few get nasty when I've refused to do so (my boss signs my paychecks, they don't, so HE gets to make the rules) and it can be diffucult to be politic with the fools. Those that call my home with no phone manners, well, they get to listen to the air horn.
Post by: Silver Bullet on October 24, 2005, 06:58:10 AM
Quote
"It's very important!" No, it's not, if it was important you would have left me your phone number and told me what you are calling about.
Might there be some limitations on that ? I could imagine that I might feel uncomfortable leaving information about a serious legal situation on an answering machine (or even voice mail), not knowing for sure who was going to come along and play it.
Post by: jefnvk on October 24, 2005, 07:15:17 AM
Quote
Might there be some limitations on that ? I could imagine that I might feel uncomfortable leaving information about a serious legal situation on an answering machine (or even voice mail), not knowing for sure who was going to come along and play it.
The answer for that?Hi, this is JefNvk. Something has come up that I need to speak with you about in person, I'd prefer to not leave details on your machine. If you could call me back at your earliest convenience at 123-4567, it would really be appreciated. Thank you very much, and have a nice day.
Or, as I would do it:
BEEP, click
BEEP, click
BEEP, click
BEEP, click
BEEP, click
'Hello?' 'Where the hell have you been?'
Post by: Guest on October 24, 2005, 08:30:01 AM
Never failed though, go take out the trash and the Alarm Company would call. Be at someone's house and the Alarm would go off and the call forwarded. Ususally about the time I was about to dig into a steak or something.
We won't get into staying overnight and when the Alarm company would call...
I no longer have to deal with Alarms like that anyway.
Still when I did, I used etiquette and folks knew that I needed to forward calls and were understanding. Back then I could not associate , travel with "like" others, Security meant we had to always be separate.
I got mom the Caller ID and a digital answering machine. She also has a cell, in the event she is out and needs something. At home she is slow to get the phone. We won't mention she won't put the phone next to her power-lift chair, where she sleeps to blaring tv preachers and by the time she figures out 'that noise' is a phone ringing, she misses the call. Too many times I have driven over to find out the reason her phone busy - off the hook. [sheesh]
She can at least get the message, and read whom called and the return number.
I did work in the main OR of a hospital. I do not own a cell and refused to have a pager. So I got to use the hosptial cell phone. Nodbody had the number except for those in OR whom needed to contact me for on- call.
Once inside, again I refused a pager. I made it clear kinda stupid to page me for a patient dying, when in the same time to just call me on the cell phone and run to the OR suite. Made sense to me. Policy changed to my way of thinking. I mean if you need me or something, I can run and talk at the same time. Beats trying to find a phone and wasting time calling you when a pt is dying.
OR phone etiquette - differs. Most times we are very polite and talk as normal folks do. There are times, when you answer and " STAT, OR 19, bring
Smartest thing I ever did was go to Sage telecom ( no SBC telemarketing) , then I got mom to switch, less monies for more service. Then I got really smart. My phone is not under my name ( nor is much else).
Word is - the guy that sired me tried to call me. When he couldn't he went to where I "had lived". I'd been gone 11 months.
Ahh...silence is golden, anonymity is more golden.