Quit hanging up on me!!!

[Hon'ya-chan]

Going thru the Special orders, and I find one where the people haven't picked it up and it's now on the second round of being held. Dial up the number.

Other person: Hello?
Me: Hello, is XXXXXX there?
OP: No, she's at work.
*phone goes dead*

I thought that was weird, and either instinctively a/or by gut, I assumed that the woman hung up thinking i'm a telemarketer. So, I try a different approach:

OP: Hello?
Me: Hello, this is (Bookstore and location), may I speak to XXXXXX?
OP: No, she's at work.
Me: Can I...?
*phone goes dead*
Me:....leave......mess.....****.

Okay, now i'm pretty miffed at this point. I had clearly identified myself as being local, and if the woman didn't want me to caller the number back, I could've accept even a terse "Don't call me!!" response. Then I could maybe send out a postcard. Hey, I got the special order paper right in front of me, what are they gonna do, call the cops on me for Harassment?

Third times the charm? Nah.

OP: Hello?
Me: This is (Bookstore and location), may I leave a message for XXXXXX?
OP: (I forgot what she said, probably something that irked me to say the below)
Me: Well, I don't appreciate being hung up on by someone who doesn't have the basic courtesy of either asking me to leave a message or tell me not to call back this number. Now, can I leave a message or not?
OP: I'll have her call you back later.
Me: Ok.

Just a few hours later, someone comes in and asks for the books in question, Can't tell if it's the person I spoke on the phone earlier.

Man, some people should never be allowed near a phone.

[pile of monkeys]

I have to call to confirm appointments for the following day, and I can't tell you how many times this happens. I always lead with "This is [place] calling to confirm an appointment, may I speak to [customer] please?" I've gotten hung up on, yelled at, told to stop calling, and my favorite, when you ask if you can leave a message, the person says no. If you don't want to take a message, just let the machine pick up. It's not that hard! In this day and age of Caller ID, you can see what business the call is coming from. Just don't pick up the phone!

What's funny is that we keep detailed notes about calls, like if we left a message on a machine, spoke to the customer in person, left a message with a man, etc., and if the person says they never got their reminder call (which is another rant all together- you're a grown-up, keep track of your appointments, the call is a courtesy), we have the pleasure of telling them, "We called [phone number], and a man answered and hung up on us without allowing us to leave a message." I imagine there are some interesting conversations at home that night.

[Bramblerose]

Inthis day and age of Caller ID, you can see what business the call is coming from. Just don't pick up the phine!

YOu are making major assumptions about cid- 1) I don't think anyone older than us in the blood relative pool has it and 2) ours ... well, we got what we paid for with this phone. It's not so hot at picking up that signal.

[Hon'ya-chan]

I imagine there are some interesting conversations at home that night.

I was kinda wondering about that as well. How did the woman mange to come to the store and get her books when the bitch on the phone shrieked out "She'll call you after work!" That must've been fun.

Also today, I had a strange number of phone calls from I assume teenagers, who can't be bothered to silence the damn stereo/TV/whatever and have a normal phone conversation. God, I really am starting to hate the Vampire Genre even more.

[Lingering Grin]

If you don't want to take a message, just let the machine pick up. It's not that hard! Inthis day and age of Caller ID, you can see what business the call is coming from. Just don't pick up the phine!

My parents have neither caller ID nor an answering machine, what now?

[Nyoibo]

My parents have neither caller ID nor an answering machine, what now?

Then take the damn message.

[Lingering Grin]

Then take the damn message.

I don't answer their phone

[evilhomer]

...and if the person says they never got their reminder call (which is another rant all together- you're a grown-up, keep track of your appointments, the call is a courtesy),

I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll be brief, but it absolutely drives me nuts how an uneccesary coutesy becomes an absolute required expectation. As you said, grow up, take some responsibility.


I had a case with a clown like this. Normally if someone does it I'll just put them to the bottom of the pile and try some other time, but this particular assclown just rubbed me the wrong way, maybe it was because he was obviously drunk at 11:00 in the morning, whatever it was, I decided to screw with him.

Me: Can I speak to Cathy?
SC: .... wut?
Me: I'm calling from tv repair, could I speak to Cathy please
SC: .... go getta life *click*

Calls 2, 3 and 4 were similar

Call 5

SC: WHAT!!!
Me: Hey, how ya doin?
SC: Pretty pissed off.
Me: Oh, sorry about that, you wanna just let me talk to her then?
SC: Nope *click*

Call 6

SC: WHAT THE HELL GUY!!!
Me: How it's goin?
SC: I don wanna buy nothing
Me: Oh really, you don't want you tv back?
SC: Huh?
Me: Okay, well if you don't want the tv, we'll just go ahead and sell it for the repair cost.
SC: Huh, wut r you talkin about.
Me: Okay, your file is closed, your tv is in general sale now. Thank you so much, have a nice day sir. *click*

Call 7

Me: Good morning, tv repair.
SC: Didja jus call me?
Me: I don't know sir. I may have, I've been calling people all morning. Let me check your file. **get info**
Me: Hmmmm, I don't have any active files, I'll have to check the history files, hold please.

To cut to the chase, I let my manager know that he was drunk and an asshole and what I was doing. After he stopped laughing, he got in on the act and we let this drag on for 10 minutes or so, innocently playing up that the file said that someone who refused to give their name said they didn't want the tv anymore. The customer was not amused at the end of the ordeal.

[PepperElf]

Evil! but funny

It's not that hard! Inthis day and age of Caller ID, you can see what business the call is coming from. Just don't pick up the phine!

i do that on my cell sometimes.

[BookstoreEscapee]

OK, when I finish at the dentist, I set up my next appointment before I leave, so six months in advance. They give me a card with the date and time, and if I'm lucky I don't lose it before I get around to putting it on my calendar. A few weeks before the appointment rolls around they send me a card, and a few days before they give a call. I appreciate this, plus it is probably in their best interest to do so when they allow appointments to be made so far in advance or I'm sure they would have a lot of no-shows. However, if I make an appointment a week in advance, I am perfectly capable of remembering to show up. I appreciate the reminder call, and it's good to have the confirmation, but if they didn't call it wouldn't be their fault if I forgot.

I once called a customer to tell him his book was in, and the phone was answered by, I'm assuming, his teenage son. I identified myself, asked for the customer, and was told he wasn't there. I asked if I could leave a message and the kid said, "Sure" and then hung up on me. I called back and he did it again. Twice. So I got one of my male coworkers to call and the kid took the message from him. Punk.

[Nyoibo]

I don't answer their phone

Um... well... uh... crap.

[pile of monkeys]

My parents have neither caller ID nor an answering machine, what now?

In that case, when I ask, "May I leave a message?" it would be most appreciated for the person answering to say. "Sure- let me get a pen," or "No problem, go ahead," or some variation of "yes" instead of answering the phone and then refusing to take a message. It's only the people who don't want to take a message who I suggest let the machine pick up. If you answer and can write down four or five words for another member of your household, we're good.

[ShadedWings]

Only problem with CID that I see is that about 1/3 of the business that end up calling me at home have their ID altered - either Private Number or Unknown, or even going by a local number/name but linked up to an automated system selling something or calling around for donations. It's frustrating.

[mattm04]

I had to call a SC because a special order they placed did not come in (well it destroyed in transit) they hung up when I ID's my self by name, company, and dept. They can in and demanded why we never called. Morons.

[EricKei]

Only problem with CID that I see is that about 1/3 of the business that end up calling me at home have their ID altered - either Private Number or Unknown, or even going by a local number/name but linked up to an automated system selling something or calling around for donations. It's frustrating.

Check with your phone company and see if Anonymous Call Blocking (or its equivalent) is available, or indeed, even already on your bill -- you have to punch in a special code to activate it. Once this is on, any masked numbers will never even ring on your end. They will get a recording telling them that they must call back from a non-masked number. Cuts out pre-recorded calls almost entirely, and cuts waaaay down on the other unwanted calls. Also, sign your number up for the National Do Not Call Registry.

https://www.donotcall.gov/