# Dear Colleagues, I know you have call display, OK? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2012, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270 "2012-03-30T13:29:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Enter\_the\_Flagon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enter_the_Flagon)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/41 "2012-04-02T00:19:04Z")
I hate my new company cellphone. When you call me, I can look at the display, but I don’t immediately see your name or number. In order to see who’s calling me, I have to wait for the phone to finish displaying the “Press \* to unlock” and then the “Press # to unlock” messages in sequence, before it decides to casually scroll your name or number across the display. This takes time. It’s faster to just answer the damn thing by saying “Enter speaking”, listen while you tell me who the heck you is, and then get on with the conversation. So this is what I’ll do when I’m in a rush. Leaving the phone unlocked is an option, but in the end it’s worse than suffering the above scenarios, since this horrible phone is also the undisputed champion of all pocket dialing cellphones. Hell, it’s the champ of pocket dials even when it’s _locked_. And replacing the phone is not an option that my employer is willing to explore right now, although I will readily admit that replacing my employer is an option that sorely needs to be explored. So for now, you’ll just have to re-learn how to say your name. But thanks for giving me an excuse to get this off my chest. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MareIt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@MareIt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MareIt)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/42 "2012-04-02T02:17:32Z")
If I know who is calling and it is either an internal or a personal, I answer with some variation of “this is MareIt” external calls always get “Company name, this is MareIt”. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/43 "2012-04-02T03:42:08Z")
In my previous job, when I would be in the States at the head office, that was a pretty high rate of people calling from others’ offices. My boss would be in a meeting with someone and would need to call me. So, it just become more efficient to say: Me: This is Tokyo. Bob: I’m in John’s office and we need to know XXX. It does seem to the OP has decided there is only one explanation for people not giving their names, which is to be coy, rather than accept there may be other explanations which makes sense to the person who is doing it, or simply people are doing things without thinking. As this all takes less than two seconds to finish the exchange, I can’t see why it would bother you so much. ---
**Author:** ![kath94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/67e7ee/32.png) [@kath94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kath94)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/44 "2012-04-02T17:48:01Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > So why the hell do you all answer the phone as if you have no fucking clue who’s calling? > > I can see playing coy at home, since it’s maybe possible that you don’t want to pay for call display and don’t have it, but at work can you at least pick up the phone and call me by name? > > I always say “Hi Bob” or whoever. What’s the point in playing stoopid? Does everyone do this? > [@Tamex](#): > > I work in an office where some people get caller ID and some don’t (and, no, I’m not sure why that is. I guess some people just want to feel more important than others.) My coworker and I share a phone, but it comes up on caller ID with her name because she’s worked there longer and had the phone first, I guess. So, it’s a bit disconcerting to call someone and have them answer with “Hi, Sally”. Then I have to stammer and say, “No, this is actually Gertrude.” I’d rather just tell them who I am in the first place. My husband works from home. He recently had to call a colleague across the country. Imagine hubby’s surprise that the phone was answered, “Hi, Kath.” He was not happy. My peave is with people who don’t listen to the detailed voicemail I just left them, which includes my phone number & extension and why I called. Most will just call the number on the caller ID, which is the switchboard, and say “somebody just called me from this number. I don’t know who it was or why.” Aaargh! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/45 "2012-04-02T18:32:48Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > My husband works from home. He recently had to call a colleague across the country. Imagine hubby’s surprise that the phone was answered, “Hi, Kath.” He was not happy. It’s a simple mix up. Why would it make him unhappy? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/46 "2012-04-02T18:55:31Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s a simple mix up. Why would it make him unhappy? It wasn’t so much a mixup as someone making an assumption from the caller ID. I would also suspect that since he was working from home he’s now concerned that calls from him showing his wife’s name on the caller ID seem unprofessional. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/47 "2012-04-02T19:06:22Z")
> [@Moonlitherial](#): > > It wasn’t so much a mixup as someone making an assumption from the caller ID. I would also suspect that since he was working from home he’s now concerned that calls from him showing his wife’s name on the caller ID seem unprofessional. Seems like a bit of an overreaction to me. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/48 "2012-04-02T20:06:38Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s a simple mix up. Why would it make him unhappy? He just found out his wife is having a long distance love affair with a colleague of his, I’d be upset too. The correct thing to do when you see a name on caller ID, is to immediately launch into a long winded personal diatribe, then find out it was someone else borrowing his phone. Preferably, the someone else being the target of your complaint. At least, that’s how they write sitcoms. Edited to add, that first line was actually what I thought on hearing the story, not that it was a caller ID mixup. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/49 "2012-04-03T01:45:57Z")
Because I once got a call from a co-worker (and a close friend) and it turned out to be his boss who was an asshole. If I had said something ‘edgy’, it could come back to haunt me. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/50 "2012-04-03T22:38:33Z")
> [@](#): > > So why the hell do you all answer the phone as if you have no fucking clue who’s calling Because only about 1/3rd of the calls I get display the name of the caller? Because sometimes I get wrong number phone calls, and "Good Afternoon: “Employer”, this is “Tastes of Chocolate” warns some people that they have the wrong number? Because transfered calls, or conferance calls, only show the number of my co-worker, there is no warning that someone else is involved? Because visiting employees may be using someone elses office and phone? Because I can answer the phone without looking at the screen? Because co-workers that I don’t know call me, and I don’t want to answer “Hi Bob” when I don’t know Bob? In short, because it’s the professional and safe thing to do. Not because I’m being coy. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/51 "2012-04-04T03:26:10Z")
Why? Because I get calls from technicians working at someone else’s desk. Or people covering a position who can’t remember how to switch who is logged in. Or the CEO intruding. Or maybe they have me on speaker with vendors there. Regardless, I’m a professional, and I answer the phone as such. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270/52 "2012-04-04T03:53:07Z")
Regarding “It’s never someone using Bob’s phone, it’s always Bob”, don’t forget referral calls. Admittedly, my last job might have been a little more disorganized and hectic than most, what with positions changing desks randomly, and people randomly doing different desks, but the fact that TERRY is calling you doesn’t mean it’s TERRY on the line. It could be TERRY transferring a call that should have gone to your desk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dear-colleagues-i-know-you-have-call-display-ok/617270.md?page=2)