So, I’ve been thinking (this is never a good thing), and it occured to me that stuff my parents have told me about talking on the phone and stuff I’ve been taught elsewhere are somewhat contradictory.
The big one is how you answer a phone. I’ve allways been taught to answer with an uninformative, but friendly greeting (ie: “Hello” or “Howdy”) so as to let them know they’ve been answered, but without being so gruff as to scare them off. OTOH, I’ve had various classes teach that I should answer with my name “Howdy, Leader Residence, Ragu speaking.” The reasoning for the former is that it gives a minimum of information for people phishing for info over the phone (ie: If THEY don’t know who they are calling, why should I tell them?) and the reasoning for the latter is so that when someone calls, they immediatley know they have the right (or wrong) number, thus avoiding unnecessary akwardness. (ie: If someone is calling offering me a job, or if Alyson Hannigan decided she wants to take me out to play pool and got my phone number from someone else, they’d want to know right off that they were at the right place. )
Another thing is how to get someone off the phone, mainly telemarketers. My dad always tells me to cut them off at the ankles and hang up, but I tend to let them run their scripted pitch to me before saying no and hanging up. Do telemarketers have a preference? If they’re getting paid commission by-the-call or by-the-sale, would they prefer that i get them off the line and on to their next sucker quicker rather than nicer? :dubious:
I always answer “hello” unless I am answering someone else’s phone while house-sitting etc… Then I give the “the Doe Residence, this is ChestnutMare” or “Jane’s phone.” Unless the Caller ID shows that it is someone I know and then I answer “hello. It’s ChestnutMare”
I always answer with a “hello”, followed by my name. I do this both at work and at home. I just think it’s easier to establish my identity from the word go. It avoids the tedious exchange:
Caller: Oh hello. Can I please speak to Cunctator?
Me: This is Cunctator speaking.
Caller: Oh hello Cunctator…
As for telemarketers, I simply say “I’m not interested thank you” and immediately hang up, even if the telemarketer is in mid-sentence.
Ah, the advantages of living in Japan. I’ve lived here for 15 years this time, and have yet to get a telemarketer on my private line. We get cold sales calls at work, but they go away easily.
My sister and mother have features which blocks calls that don’t show the caller ID and they both noticed immediate reductions in telemarketers. I didn’t realize how much of a problem it was for you guys. With how aggressive they are, I would think that cutting them off in mid-sentence would be fine. “No thanks.” Click.
An interesting difference in ettiquite between Japan and the US. Over here, it’s expected that the person calling will identify themselves before asking for the person they want to talk to. If they don’t identify themselves, the person answering the phone will ask who is calling. When I was living in the States with my Japanese ex-wife, she would get really pissed on the occation a woman would call and ask for me, without identifying herself. My ex thought I was having an affair.
At work I’ve always answered with company name, my name, how can I help.
At home, my castle, I say “hello” If the caller asks for someone, say me, I ask who might be calling, or what the call is about. If it is a telemarketer, is say, before they get in another word, “Take this name and number off your calling list, Thanks.” Then I hang up.
Someone calling my home is no different than someone knocking on my door. If I don’t know them, its my decision whether they gain further access.
I was always taught not to answer a home phone with a name of any kind, because of Bad People. It’s always been just, “Hello?” Now, since we’ve gotten cell phones, I just ignore the landline, because everyone knows better than to try to find me there.
With my phone, my answer depends on who’s calling. Anwhere from, “Hello?” to “You want something, don’t you?” At work, it’s"Thankyouforcalling <store name>, this’s RFBlues."
At home, I usually say “hello.” My mom tends to favor the “'yello?” that some Simpsons fans use, even though she hates the show. Once in a while, I pick up the phone and say “Domino’s Pizza.” (I took it from a Charlie Sheen movie.) This confuses people.
I used to say things like “Hello, [name of paper]” at work. Since almost no one else in the office does this, I’m back to the regular “hello.” One guy does say “Newsroom” or “Newsdesk” when answering the phone; it sounds cool even though it’s not exactly true.
At my last job, we were instructed to answer the phone with the name of the business and not to give out any extra information. We were supposed to be especially secretive about the whereabouts of the boss, just in case someone was calling about some bill he needed to pay.
At work, it’s “Good morning/afternoon, (company name) how can I help you?”
At home it’s simply, “Hello.” I’m on the Telephone Preference Service list so I generally don’t get junk calls - except from abroad - and those that I do receive get treaded very curtly.
As others have indicated, there isn’t one rule that fits all situations.
A home phone is for your convenience. The obliglation to identify oneself falls first upon the caller who has intruded into your space. Said caller should first say “Hi, this is So-and-So,” and then if appropriate “May I speak to Whatsisname?” If you want to identify yourself when you answer, that’s your right, but I don’t agree that it’s something you should do.
A business phone is for the customers’ convenience. The answerer should state the business name so the caller can be assured they have the right number.
For any business folk who care, I will tell you that one of the most annoying things to me is hearing a spiel when the phone is answered. Things like “Joe’s Pizza, would you like to try our special hog’s brain mud crust pizza with exclusive worm snot sauce?” or “Thank you for calling Throckmorton Idustries, home of the Aggrandizer Widget and Refried Doodad. This is Sue. How may I direct your call?” A simple “Joe’s Pizza” or “Throckmorton Industries,” said with a smile in the voice, is all that’s needed. Anything else is superfluous and in fact counterproductive, as it induces irritation at the time wasted before I can ask for what I want.
This causes much consternation when my wife’s friends and family from Brazil call.
This is a perfectly proper conversation in Rio de Janeiro:
Me: Hello?
Caller: Who’s this?
Me: Minor7Flat5. And you?
Caller: Joe Schmoe
Note how the caller demands to know who answered the phone. That is annoying as all getout to my American ears. However, I have heard this kind of call so many times while in Rio that it apparently is socially acceptable.
I used to rudely ask them who they were before giving my name. After learning that this is commonplace, I began to simply go with the flow.
Don’t ever say the word “yes” until you know who you are talking to. Phone-service slammers will use your recorded “yes” as proof that you agreed to switch long-distance providers.
Sample:
Caller–Is this Mr. AskNott Whatyourcountry?
Me–It is.
Caller–Do you live at 555 Drivestreet Circle?
Me–That is my address.
Every year at start-of-school time, some dyslexic girl gives her (actually my) number to a new crop of friends. Over the next week, we get a lot of “Is Cindy there?” calls. This year, I told every one of them that Cindy was grounded, and she got another day for every phone call she got from her wild friends.
This would be such a beautiful thing. Unfortunately, overpaid consultants dictate that this is an effective way to answer the phone. Working drones are then forced to use this garbage when they receive a call. If they don’t, they’ll be reprimanded.
Hell, yeah! On the few occasions which I have received a phone call from someone who demanded my identity, I have gotten very irritated, and replied, “you called me, who are you?” To me, calling and demanding the identity of the owner of the phone is the same (in principle) as knocking on someone’s door and demanding that they let you in and show you I.D. I don’t care who the f@*# you are (or think you are - even the police!), if you come to my door/call my phone, you’re the one with the obligation to identify yourself - for my own protection and convenience.
At work, I don’t follow the “script” that some cow-orkers do of saying “good morning/afternoon, Acme Corporation, this is YaWanna, how may I help you?” As Gary T points out, this is a waste of the customer’s precious time, and is more information than they will retain. I just say “good morning/afternoon, Acme Corporation,” with a pleasant and professional tone of voice. Hell, when I took this job, I told them that I was not interested in answering phones, but that I’d do it in a pinch - they’re lucky when I manage not to hang up on people accidentally!
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