# How do you answer your phone when you have caller ID w/ name? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382 "2002-09-14T01:51:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/1 "2002-09-14T01:51:11Z")
I would answer Hello Joe (or whoever it says it’s calling) and have done it a few times but I don’t anymore because: 1 - My wife doesn’t want our friends (who come over and have seen/used our phone) to know we are using the CID w/n. 2 - (the main reason) It seems to throw the person calling totally off guard, Sometimes makign them forgetting the reason they called and almost always makign the conversation longer by at least ‘how did you know, that’s right you have CID’ So to appease my wife and to speed the conversation along I just act like I don’t know. So how do you answer when you know who’s calling? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/2 "2002-09-14T02:04:58Z")
I tend to just say “hello”, and pretend I don’t know. I only do otherwise for my girlfriend (and ocasionally for my mum because it freaks her out. hehe) ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/3 "2002-09-14T02:11:49Z")
I only have caller ID at work. I simply answer the phone by stating my name, regardless of the incoming source. ---
**Author:** ![bobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f9ae1b/32.png) [@bobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobo)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/4 "2002-09-14T02:18:04Z")
I always answer with “Hey (name), what do need?” People are finally getting used to it… the “oh, yeah, you have caller-id” comments have finally stopped… those statements stopped partially do my less than nice statements to the effect of “yeah, it’s been around for a while, get used to it… now… what, do, you, want?”, or “hey, if you send me an email, I’ll know it’s from you before I read the message… what’s the big difference, you’re choosing to contact me, and I know who is trying to contact me. moving on…” so most people that call me are used to it, and also accept such conversations from others as well… if we all team up, hopefully the masses will accept new technologies. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/5 "2002-09-14T02:24:27Z")
If I know who is calling they get “Black Diamond Sand and Gravel, Rock speaking.” If someone calls and I know they are not calling for me (99.9% of the calls to my house), I let someone else answer the phone. ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/6 "2002-09-14T04:32:05Z")
It all depends what mood I’m in. People have watched in shock as I answered my cellphone “What the f\*\*\* do you want, b\*tch?” (edited cuz it ain’t the Pit) After I’ve hung up, I explain “Oh, it was my Dad.” 😃 – Dragonblink, who answers her CID-less home phone with “Studio of Iniquity, how may I direct your call?” ---
**Author:** ![mudcrutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2bfe46/32.png) [@mudcrutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mudcrutch)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/7 "2002-09-14T05:23:15Z")
I usually only answer if it is somebody I know, or if a name & number shows up (telemarketers are almost always “unavailable”). And then I just just answer with “hello” ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/8 "2002-09-14T06:35:04Z")
If it’s someone I know quite well it’s sometimes “911 emergency, how may I help you” Or simply “Yeah I’d like a large cheese pizza with a medium pepsi.” Then hang up (again, only for those who you know quite well, or if you’re in a fun mood, people you don’t) ---
**Author:** ![snowglobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@snowglobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowglobe)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/9 "2002-09-14T06:48:04Z")
I rely heavily on caller ID to screen on both my home and mobile. I do this because I use my phone for a side job and screen all calls related to that job. So, I never answer “Hi, so and so”, because, as someone noted, not everyone is hip to caller ID and my friends and family know I have it. I would like to add though, while the advent of mobile and connectedness has certainly changed the way we communicate, I think we are losing sight of communication etiquette. I’m no prude, but I really hate it when people answer the phone too casually because they think they know who’s calling. Even if you think you know, proper phone etiquette should prevail. You’ll know what I mean if you let your Mom use your phone and your friend calls to talk trash about something you just e-mailed them. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/10 "2002-09-14T07:15:09Z")
I only have called ID on my mobile (cell) phone. I don’t always answer by the caller by name, but I tend to change the inflection of my greetings. Without caller ID, I answer “Hello?” If I know who it is, I answer “Hello.” Sometimes, “Hey”. Other times, “G’day, G’day”. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/11 "2002-09-14T07:33:01Z")
I answer the way I was taught in Germany: By stating my first and last name (Bill Craig). No big deal. My phone’s unlisted and just a very few people have the number. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/12 "2002-09-14T07:40:26Z")
I always just say hello. Even if the caller ID says the call is coming from Bob’s house, I don’t know if it’s Bob calling, or his wife, or maybe a friend he has over at his house. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/13 "2002-09-14T14:56:16Z")
If it’s someone I know, or for my roomate, I either answer with something inane like ‘Satan’s house of tacos, may I take your order’ or ‘Mitra’s answering service’. Otherwise, I just say hello. Or ignore the phone entirely, at times. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/14 "2002-09-14T16:32:20Z")
I’m with **Narrad** in that I only change my inflection, from the _hello?_ to _hello._ Or, if I’m excited about the person calling, _hello!_ We had name caller ID at work for years and years, and I saw so many people get burned when they picked up the phone and said something obnoxious when they saw their friend’s name, only to discover it was actually their friend’s boss who happened to be using that phone, or in the worst case I ever personally witnessed, when our Chairman of the Board happened to be walking through an office and borrowed a phone to call over to another office. The person being called answered with “Hey hey baby, how’s tricks?” Not really projecting the professional image the Chairman would like to see from us. I realize that answering one’s home phone is different from the phone in the office, but I was already out of the habit of “personalizing” my greetings by the time we got caller ID at home. ---
**Author:** ![loupdebois](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e495f1/32.png) [@loupdebois](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/loupdebois)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2002, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-answer-your-phone-when-you-have-caller-id-w-name/128382/15 "2002-09-14T18:38:13Z")
CID name is a way of deciding WHETHER to answer the phone, not HOW to answer it. Close friends can reach me on the bus or late at night, vague acquaintances can’t. It also saves me the trouble of checking my messages sometimes… I have it on my cell for that reason, because I pay enough each month to my chosen communications titan without offering up my soul to know who called. “personalized greetings” are for people who still think CID is a pretty nifty thing (like digital watches), rather than a useful feature.