# Phone Etiquette Poll: The Curse of Caller ID **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 2, 2006, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110 "2006-05-02T15:28:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/21 "2006-05-03T18:35:13Z")
Thanks for all the answers! I was amused by “Yo, dawg” and Firecrotch immensely. I want to start calling people by each of these names. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/22 "2006-05-03T19:59:29Z")
> [@Tastes of Chocolate](#): > > I never ever ever assume that the person that I’m calling has caller ID or will recognize my voice, especially on business calls. How hard is it to say “Hi Fred, it’s ToC with ABC Company.” If I get into the habit of trying to guess if the person at the other end knows me, sure as shootin’, I’m going to get bit in the butt by it. It also give the person I’m calling time to get oriented on who I am, and what I might be calling about. All good points, but as I said they _know_ I have caller id because they have the exact same phones. No harm, it just strikes me as funny. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/23 "2006-05-03T20:23:08Z")
I actually **don’t** have caller ID, but I like it if people who do answer by greeting me immediately, so I know they know who I am and it saves me the trouble of identifying myself. As for when I get calls, I use the ghetto caller ID system - I just try to guess who it is. I’m right a lot of the time. ---
**Author:** ![vix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a88e4f/32.png) [@vix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vix)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/24 "2006-05-03T20:34:03Z")
It doesn’t bother me. However, it drives me nuts when I answer my phone at work, “[Department], this is vix,” and the caller says, “Hi. Is this vix?” GAH. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/25 "2006-05-03T21:22:50Z")
> [@vix](#): > > It doesn’t bother me. However, it drives me nuts when I answer my phone at work, “[Department], this is vix,” and the caller says, “Hi. Is this vix?” GAH. Maybe you don’t enunciate well. I often have to ask people to repeat the phrase they used when answering the phone, since they spew it out so fast and mumbley that I couldn’t possibly understand it. Sure, you might say, “XYZ Company, thank you for calling, Susannah speaking,” sixty-five times a day, but it doesn’t do me a lick of good if it sounds like, “eggsbyciekummanyankafacallinsuzzanasbeek,” when I call. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2006, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/26 "2006-05-03T22:15:30Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > This happened to me once. I affectionately call our receptionist “Kittycat”. If I’d see “OPR” on my display I’d pick up and say “hey Kittycat”. That is until some muckymuck from THE BIG OFFICE was calling for my boss and she put him right through without announcing him first. Luckily he seemed to have a sense of humor. I have sales reps calling me all day from their cell phones. They know we have caller id, yet they always start the conversation by identifying themselves. Sometimes I’ll even answer with “Cosmo’s house of pain” or something silly like that ,and they act as if I’d answer that way to the general public. I got busted like this a few months ago. My work phone showed my coworkers ID so I answered with a Seinfeld-esque “Helloooooo” and got a customer who was already pissed about me being the sixth person he was transfered to. “Is that how you answer the phone?” was his response. I was totally caught offguard and stammered something. I wish I’d kept my cool and said something like, “Who are you? Why are you calling from so-and-so’s phone?” But that would have been BAD. The sad part was that I was unable to help the guy and had to send him to another department altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/27 "2006-05-04T01:10:27Z")
I think the idea of “opening courtesies” went out the window when phone solicitors started getting out of hand… I don’t know if that’s really true, but I’m happy to blame it on them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wensleydale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ce7236/32.png) [@Wensleydale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wensleydale)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/28 "2006-05-04T20:03:07Z")
It does not bother me, I prefer caller ID as at least I know who is calling and can answer depending on who it is, its like when you greet someone the greeting differs to who it is and how well you know the person etc. So caller ID is just like an extension of that. Beside it gives you the opportunity to not to answer the phone if you do not want to. Off the topic but it bugs me when people will answer their phone no matter what even if you are in the middle of a meeting with someone, for goodness sake let it take a message. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/29 "2006-05-04T20:26:57Z")
At home when I answer the phone I say “meow” to whomever is calling me. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to call me. 🙂 Occasionally, I’ll screw up and do it at my office. However, everyone calling my office is looking for me anyway, and they all know that I’m a nut job, so it’s ok. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elysium](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3be4f8/32.png) [@Elysium](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysium)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/30 "2006-05-04T22:14:26Z")
I definitely will always say a Hello, even if I know who it is on the line. But while I give a cautious “hello?” to those I don’t recognize, you can definitely tell when I know you and I’m glad you’re calling when it becomes “Hello!” Although it irks me that my dad calls me and insists on announcing who it is. He always says “Hello Elysium, it’s your father!” Like I can’t recognize his voice after 23 years and as if he didn’t know my only phone is a cell and he’s obviously on my contact list. I can mouth it along with him every time, I know he’s going to say who he is. Sometimes I’ll answer with “Hi dad!” and he’ll still go on with the “it’s your father” bit. Wierd. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/31 "2006-05-04T22:37:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, I find it odd to pretend as though I don’t know who is on the other line when I pick up the phone. I agree with this, it makes no sense to pretend not to know the person, so I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/32 "2006-05-05T14:07:00Z")
I use Caller ID on my cellphone to provide personalised answers (“Hi Mum!”), but there are some other useful phone greetings for People I Know: _“Mmmmmmyeeeeessss?”_ _“Wibble!”_ And, of course: _"Ahoy Ahoy!_" (Useless trivia: This was actually how people used to answer their phone in Ye Olde Days, before someone suggested that “Hello” would be a lot more workable!) ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/33 "2006-05-05T14:19:47Z")
> [@Elysium](#): > > Although it irks me that my dad calls me and insists on announcing who it is. He always says “Hello Elysium, it’s your father!” Like I can’t recognize his voice after 23 years and as if he didn’t know my only phone is a cell and he’s obviously on my contact list. I can mouth it along with him every time, I know he’s going to say who he is. > > Sometimes I’ll answer with “Hi dad!” and he’ll still go on with the “it’s your father” bit. > > Wierd. So funny, my mom does this as well. Every call, every time, for my entire life. She’s even a little formal (especially if she is leaving a message) and will usually say “Hello delphica, this is your mother calling.” As weird as I think this is, I would most likely be completely freaked out if she ever called and _didn’t_ say it. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/34 "2006-05-05T15:11:27Z")
I always identify myself when I call my mother because my sister and I sound identical and I figure why not cut mom a break. And she doesn’t have caller ID. What’s so weird about that? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/35 "2006-05-05T15:26:08Z")
“Yes” would probably annoy me. But I don’t mind when someone answers the phone and addresses me right away. It isn’t that startling. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/36 "2006-05-05T15:32:10Z")
When I called my ex-husband this morning, he answered with, “Yes, ma’am?” ugh. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/37 "2006-05-05T16:00:12Z")
> [@Ellen Cherry](#): > > or am I all alone in my irritation? As far as I am concerned, you’re all alone, standing in a corner. BTW- I answer the tlephone at home _"Telephone!_". Drives them nuts. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/38 "2006-05-05T16:18:30Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > As far as I am concerned, you’re all alone, standing in a corner. > > BTW- I answer the tlephone at home _"Telephone!_". Drives them nuts. 🆒 I would love to push my thumbs into your eyes. What? Did I say that out loud? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/39 "2006-05-05T16:27:35Z")
I have different rings on my phone for people I know and other numbers but if I get the “someone I know” ring I don’t look to see who it is, I just answer. If it is someone else, usually telemarketing, I don’t answer at all. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110/40 "2006-05-05T17:23:33Z")
> [@Ellen Cherry](#): > > I would love to push my thumbs into your eyes. > > What? Did I say that out loud? 😃 Phhhhtttpppthht! 😃😛 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-etiquette-poll-the-curse-of-caller-id/355110.md?page=1)