I can tell you why I have in the past answered with that exact statement (and I donth’t think it was to be an asshole…). In the past, and I’m less sure about now as I haven’t looked into the laws lately, there absolutely was a difference between a land and a cell phone for some purposes. Companies could get dinged with violation of telemarketing laws for calling a mobile phone, and it wouldn’t seem fair to bait them into this by not clarifying the number you were giving. I think this was based on the days when minutes were far less plentiful and cost a lot more for the cell owner. Also, much less a factor in the US, but when I lived in Portugal, it actually cost different amounts to call depending on what the connection was. land to land: one rate, cell to cell: most likely same rate, cell to land or vice versa: much more expensive.
So yeah, there is(or was) a legitimate reason for a person to make this distinction before continuing…
This pretty much sizes it up in my line of work. You adapt to the customer, because they aren’t going to adapt to you.
I agree with this.
We are in a transitionary time with regard to this sort of thing. In the population at large, having only a cell phone is still not typical. Even now, when I am filling out a form, there are usually only spaces for “work” and “home” numbers!Naturally, as the way we use phones changes, the way we talk about them will change. In the meantime, people want to make sure that they’re not being misunderstood. So maybe they supply too much information.
But so what?
Yes, they probably should go ahead and give their cell number immediately, but you know what? People are people. They ain’t perfect. What’s so hard about saying “okay, what’s that number please?”
If you let people’s ordinary foibles bother you so much, you really shouldn’t be in customer service.
Well I ssem to get the question phrased a bit differently these days,
“Do you have a preferred number where we can reach you if necessary?”
And then,
“Do you have a second number you would like to give?”
Because that’s not what they think it means.
Those must be the Indian call centers. From American reps, I usually get “fo nuh?”
Repeat after me: “Okay, give me that number.”
Arrrgh. I answer that question, but no one seems to record that answer and actually use it. Whenever required to give more than one number, I invariably indictae which one should actually be used, and most of the time the office or business will call every number BUT the one I indicate.
I’ve told the dentist’s office repeatedly yo call my cell. They HAVE called it once or twice, so I know they POSESS my cell number. But mostly they call my old work number or my wife’s work number to get in touch with me. They don’t usually call my home number at all…but every once in a while they’ll leave a message there during working hours when they know I’m not home. Just to change me up, I guess.
Other businesses aren’t as bad…but generally, saying “please use this number in preference to the other numbers” is a complete waste of air and calories. The person I’m talking to almost always responds as if they’re distracted, watching Mongolian yak porn, or trying to reach the 13th level of DOOM II, and I know I am dropping stones into a very empty well.
Sigh.
Sailboat
It sucks for me, because not only do I not have a land line, but I work from 2pm until 10pm, so when a form asks for a home number and a work number, I need to figure out if they mean “daytime” and “after hours”. Even if it does say “daytime” and “after hours”, then I’m screwed too, because I’m at work for part of both times. The worst forms even have the exact number of boxes for a land line “(xx) xxxx-xxxx” and a cell phone “(xxxx) xxx-xxx”.
It’s so nice when they simply give a little box with “preferred contact method”.
Then there’s the whole thing of organisations thinking I’m some sort of fly-by-night risk because I don’t have a land line. Er no, I’ve lived in the same city all my life, I have been in the same job for nearly two decades, and I’m not exactly about to leave for some foreign tax haven. I don’t have a land line because I don’t freakin’ need one.
I wasn’t expecting people to “intuit” whether I care about their phone situation. The way they can know I don’t care is by noticing that I didn’t ask. What I asked for was their phone number, not their phone situation.
But like I said above, I’m suprised “home number” is taken by anyone to mean anything other than “the phone number I can use to reach you at home.” So there is a communication problem–what I think is the natural meaning of “home number” (and I’m still pretty convinced about this) is not, apparently, what a lot of people think is the natural meaning. I don’t expect them to “intuit” my understanding of the phrase, it’s just that, til today, I simply thought this was what everyone thought the phrase means. I thought it was just what the phrase does mean. (I still think this in fact, though now I see a lot of people don’t understand the meaning of the phrase. 
)
-FrL-
Well, yeah, of course. I can’t think of a reason why anyone needed Lurkmeister to explain the situation.
-FrL-
Actually, when I was unemployed I was out looking for a job most days 9-5, or even 8-6.
The problem I get now is when people want my work number. I give them my cell. Then, when they realize it’s the same as my cell, they say “NO, I want your WORK number.” I’m working in construction now, at jobsites that change weekly, or even day to day. Most of these places do even have a phone connection. If you want to call me at work you have to call my cell - that’s why I gave it as my “work” number. That’s also why I can’t give you the address of my current work location - it changes pretty damn frequently, so just freakin’ call me on the cell, m’kay?
No it fucking isn’t. Home phone means landline. I’m ‘on unemployment’ and when someone asks me for my home phone number I say Sorry, I don’t have a home number, but here’s my mobile number. (I don’t have a home phone line because I can’t afford one. Sue me.) But I’m probably being a dumbfuck because I’m on umployment. :rolleyes:
Lots of places specify Home, Cell, & Work for phone numbers. There are identifiable suffixes for cell phone. People are probably worried that putting down a recognizable cell number as a ‘home’ number will make them look shady.
So, I never use the term ‘home phone’; I use land line and cell.
If you want whatever phone they they prefer you to call, then don’t say home phone say phone number. Many places do ask for home phone and cell phone along with work phone number.
I specify mine is a cell only because I live in a state which has a total of 1 area code, and since my cell is from a state 2200 miles or so away, I mention that so they don’t look at me funny when I don’t start with the State Area Code. I don’t have a landline, I don’t need one. It didn’t even occur to me to get one when I moved into the house I’m in now.
Recently I went to the dentist and when I filled out the paperwork I put my number under the “cell” line. The receptionist asked me what my home phone was, so I told her I didn’t have a landline, just the cell. I guess she then filled that in on the home line.
I think landline when I think of the phrase home phone. However, at work, I am constantly asking people for a phone number. Our ancient software has one space for one number. I don’t give a shit whether it’s a home, cell or work nuimber. “Could I have a phone number we can reach you at?” is my usual question. And I do get people saying, “My cell is blah-blah-blah…”
Whatever.
Of course, I don’t get upset about it either, I just type the number.
Home phone, cell phone, work phone have three different meanings in my world, and if someone tells me their telephone number, I like to know which it is. I keep them separately in my address book.
Home Phone - Telephone number where I can reach you in the evenings outside of normal working hours (let’s assume 9:00 - 18:00 in your timezone).
Work Phone - Telephone number where I can reach you during the day, during normal working hours (let’s assume 9:00 - 18:00 in your timezone).
Cell phone - Telephone number where I can reach you at any time.
I don’t give a lot of people my cell phone. Mostly I give them my home phone so that they can leave a message if I’m not there. My work phone is for people I deal with at work, such as customers.
The correct question to be asked nowadays, especially useful for people who have phone number explanation issues, is
“what number should I use if I want to reach you during these times?” (e.g. if I want to reach you between 9:00 and 18:00 Eastern Standard Time.)
Unless you are filling in a form for the customer, perhaps you could ask “What number should I use to contact you?”
Strange but true: The last place I rented a room in does not have a land line; I couldn’t get my ADSL to work there unless I register a land line myself (ggrr!). The landlord and landlady prefer to use to use cellphone for all communications.
The difference between home/office/cell comes into play when advertising in the Yellow Pages (or at least it does where I live). A land line (home or office) listing in the Yellow Pages does not require a deposit. A cell phone listing in the Yellow Pages without a land line or office line listing requires a deposit.
Hey, Otto-you claimed upthread that the precious seconds involved in clarifying things was wasting your time. Pray tell, are you paid piecework, as in more completed screens equals extra food pellets? Or are you an hourly wage person?