I don’t mean your own phone, but other people’s phones–especially ones at work. In some of the jobs I’ve had, I would try as much as I can to avoid answering the phone. Even when it was silly because it was obvious that I was the one nearest to the phone. If one of my tasks was to clean, I would concentrate real hard on a spot with a rag while the phone was ringing, then turn around just as someone got it. Or at my current job, at a store, I’ll start re-arranging racks of clothes at the other end of the store while the phone is ringing.
Or my friend…she’ll go somewhere right quick and give me her cell phone. “If someone calls, just tell them I’ll be right back.” I’ll say something like, “No. I don’t want to answer your phone.”
For those of you who do hate to answer phones that are not your own, have you ever done something weird in order to not answer it?
I hate answering all phones, mine included. I drive my mother crazy when she’s at my house because I ignore the phone, and she’s the type who HAS to answer it, no matter what. I hate the thing.
I spent years as a secretary/receptionist. Answering phones is second nature to me. In fact, I’d much rather answer someone else’s phone than answer my own - the odds I’ll have to actually do something for the person calling are so much lower.
I don’t even like answering my own phone. Actually, I’m even bad about playing back the accumulated messages on the machine until my husband insists. Currently there are three messages waiting playback, my personal record is 22.
Answering someone else’s phone is a dynamite opportunity to use the old classic, “[The phone’s owner] would love to talk to you right now, but I’ve got my dick in [his/her] mouth! HAHAHAHA!”
I get a kick out of answering the phone, esp. when its not my own! Several times, I have been in a store, standing near the phone when it has rang…no sales person in sight…oh how i’d love to pick up the phone and say hi!!!
While I hate answering other people’s phones, I have no problem answering phones at work. I guess I see them as an extension of “my” phone. On the other hand, I hate the shirkers at work who never answer phones. bean_shadow, I snarl in your general direction. Grrrr.
I hate telephones. The reason I even own one is out of convience. I hate when people (wife included) talk on and on at the phone, I hate the bell and the invasion of my privacy.
There is several reasons for this, when I was a child I was forced by my parents to say (“Family name” residence, “My name” speaking) simply because they were annoyed at how other children answer the phone. I hated working jobs where there is a phone involved, how many times it can ring, what to say, and all that. THe telephone is truly a device for anal retentive people.
Lastly, besides telemarketers (whom we all hate except for the old, gullible, crazy and lonely) is an answering service. For example, I call a plumbing service, and the person answering the phone says “ABC plumbing, how can I help you?” I tell them what I want and then they announce “I’m sorry sir, this is the answering service, the store is closed and I do not know that information.” I don’t understand thier purpose, and I find them irritating to say the least.
I don’t like answering phones and there are very few people I feel comfortable ringing. Like a phobia I guess. When I have to ring someone I get really really nervous, unless I have to do it quickly and don’t have time to get nervous.
At work, I answer any desk phone. I refuse to answer anyone’s mobile phone though - they’re a bit more personal and private, I think. At least mobile phones have message banks, unlike regular desk phones.
One of my clients employs a Mac repair guy. He’s frequently away from his workbench, which is conveniently located next to my workbench. Often his phone rings… and I know it’s really unprofessional, but I avoid answering it.
Why? Because despite answering the phone with “So-and-so’s phone, Maxxxie speaking”, then don’t listen and go straight into what’s wrong with their stupid Macs. Most of the time I can’t get a word in edgewise until they ask that fateful question “What do you think is wrong with it”, to which I respond (somewhat gleefully) - “I don’t know! I’m not the Mac person! He’s not at his desk now, leave me your number and I will have him return your call”.
I know it’s evil, but despite not wanting to answer his phone, I always get a kick out of it - I can just imagine the person on the other end venting their spleen about a Mac gone bad, only to be told they’ve just vented at the wrong person… the imagined look of disappointment on their faces almost makes it worthwhile.
But ya know, if they just listened to what I said in the first place, they wouldn’t have to suffer now, would they? Then again… they are using a Mac
At the bar where I work, the phone is ALWAYS ringing…and it’s never for me, b/c I don’t have annoying friends who call me all the time at work. (I hate it when people call me at work. I’m at WORK, dammit!)
But there are only three phones in the whole building…one at the door, one in the office, and one at the bar…so sometimes I have to answer it, and I cannot stand it. It’s usually someone’s girlfriend, wanting to “catch” their SO cheating on them…“Hey, is Mark there? When did he leave? Have you seen him since?”
This is SO not part of my job description.
The last time my manager bitched at me about ignoring the phone, I told him that if he wanted someone to answer the phone, they’re called receptionists and they get paid a lot more per hour than I do.
As it is, be thankful I don’t “accidentally” drop a keg on the thing.
I will say that a cool trick to play on people who ALWAYS get personal phone calls at work is to smear some mayonnaise on the top half of the phone and then tell them they’ve got a call. The look on their face when they pick it up, and feel this moist, creamy crap coating their ear, is really a Kodak moment.
I HATE answering phones, my own or another’s. I was thrilled at work when management decreed that the sales people should be catching incoming calls, so the rest of us should let it ring. When I was temping, I would sometimes turn down assignments that were strictly receptionist duties, I hate answering phones that much.
(At home, a frequent sight is the phone ringing, me sitting there ignoring it while my husband scrambles to find the cordless. I refuse to be a slave to the telephone, especially when more often than not, it’s just a telemarketer.)
I have always hated talking on the phone. Now it’s my job. I’m temping, answering phones all day long for the city water department. “Cityutilitiesthisisc_carolhowc’nIhelpyou?” To my great surprise, it’s actually not all that awful. I have overcome my phone phobia! (I still won’t talk to answering machines, though.)
I don’t mind answering my own phone. That’s fine, I have no problem, unless it’s reeeallly early, then I’ll usually just let voicemail get it.
I will, if necessary, answer the phone in one of my friends’ dorm rooms, like if they’re busy or something, but I’ll always answer with “Hello, (Friend)'s room, this is Tara.”
I have no problem answering the phone at work. I have a little script for each job, so the only problem is when I come home and have to consciously make the switch from saying “North Hall Library, this is Tara, how can I help you?” to “May’s Drive-In, how can I help you?”
I refuse to answer the phone at other people’s houses. Even relative’s houses. I don’t live there, I will not answer their phone. I will look the other way, or I will go “Hey, (whoever), your phone’s ringing.” Or the always humorous, “Doorbell!” when it’s clearly the phone.
I do hate making outgoing calls unless I know exactly who I’m calling and that they’re there and that they’ll pick up the phone. I despise calling businesses or calling people I don’t know too well, or calling people when I don’t know if they’re there or not. I just get really really nervous and terrified of making an ass out of myself on the phone. Hell, it took me a week to get up the nerve to call and activate my credit card, and that’s a freaking recording! This fear has diminished lately… but it still scares me a little.
I hate answering the phone. I get so many telemarketing calls that I’m never “available”, -“he’s not in, can I take a message?” People who know me know to speak up, and telemarketers won’t leave any message, and I don’t care about them anyway.
My mom is the same way as Athena’s: she acts like not only do you have to answer the phone whenever it rings, but you have to talk to telemarketers, just because they’re being nice to you. I do not do that.
I say “don’t want anything” and then hang up. Sometimes if I’m feeling cheeky I make chicken, cow or other animal sounds when they go into their sales pitch, or start singing “the star-spangled banner”, “to dream the impossible dream” or “you’ll never walk alone” or something. They’re not the only ones who can waste time.
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I hate to answer the phone at other people’s homes, it always feels rude of me for some reason, always has. Just my luck that most of my friends and family tend to go by a “who’s the closest, answers it” policy.
I work mostly third shift, so I get very few calls at work unless it’s important or work related. I rarely answer the phone there and make a point of telling co-workers, “I’m not answering it.” It’s usually someone checking up on their SO or a deadbeat calling in “sick”.
I used to have two supervisors, both drunks, who used to call work quite often making nuisances of themselves. One made a habit of calling in “sick” a lot when he didn’t want to come to work. The other one used to call us and harass us for “covering” for the other supervisor; covering in this case meant taking the call and writing down on the shift report that the other supervisor called in - as per our SOP. He would also call us during football season, blind drunk and yelling, “Roll Tide! Who is this?”
After months of this I just quit anwering the phone at work.
