I Am Not calling From A Telephone!

[TelephoneAngel]

ok, so sometimes the calls get cut off either at our side or the customer's side, so it is useful to take a phone number in case that happens in which case I just call them straight back.

But they cannot even answer this question sensibly.

Me "What number can I take to call you back in case we get cut off during the call"

Customer "I know we won't get cut off" *ok, and can you give me the lottery numbers then*

Customer *gives number*, then says but that's not the number I can be reached on" *why give it then?*

Customer - I am not calling from a telephone I don't have one.
ME - UH you are calling from a public telephone and this is the number *reads number from call identifier screen* (where do you think you are calling from if not a telephone?)

[EvilEmpryss]

Okay, that last one would make me go "huh?" for two reasons. First, CS isn't calling from a telephone? When did toasters get the ability to place calls? Second, if you can see the number on your caller ID, why are you asking the customer what number they're calling from?

[TelephoneAngel]

I ask them which number they want to be called back on because often they say they would prefer to be called back on their own cell/mobile phone rather than the landline they are actually calling from because it costs them less to call on a landline in the first place, but if I call them back on their own phone it costs them nothing.

So they sometimes do give a different number from the one showing on the call identifier.Also if they are calling from someone else's phone - work, friend's phone, they often don't want to tie it up for too long and will ask for a callback on a different phone.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Perhaps the caller was Abraham Simpson, calling from his iron.

[BusBus]

Sometimes the number on the call display is the general number for a building/office. Sometimes the extension# or a specific phone number needs to be give in order to be able to contact that person directly.

[ApolloSZ]

Perhaps the caller was Abraham Simpson, calling from his iron.

heehee saw that episode on the box on sunday.
*puts iron to ear*
"Hello? Ah gladys how ya doing?"

[scruff]

I sympathize with the callers, a little.
Sorry.
I've spent most of the last decade in houses without proper landlines, either no land line or incoming calls only, so if I'm calling someone I usually call from a phonebox (due to no credit on me mobile).
So if someone asks me for the number, I can't tell them, as the phone box has no number on display often. Or the other end asks for the phone number to find me in their files, and that doesn't work if the house has no phone at all. Well, there probably is a number allocated to the house, but if I've got no line, I don't know how to find out what the number should be.

[BlaqueKatt]

First, CS isn't calling from a telephone?

phones aren't for calls silly, they're for updating your FB status

Personally I'm posting from my microwave......

[Stormraven]

No, I'm calling from a shoe.

[It's me]

He could have been using Skype

[RootedPhoenix]

....tin can and a piece of string?

[Mike Taylor]

No, I'm calling from a shoe.

Secret agent?

[Mr Hero]

Perhaps the caller was Abraham Simpson, calling from his iron.

Or his TV remote

[Boggles]

When did toasters get the ability to place calls

about the time they invented the Talkie Toaster to help you choose your warm bread product breakfasts.

Crumpets, muffins or plain toast for the reference

[Shalom]

So if someone asks me for the number, I can't tell them, as the phone box has no number on display often. Or the other end asks for the phone number to find me in their files, and that doesn't work if the house has no phone at all. Well, there probably is a number allocated to the house, but if I've got no line, I don't know how to find out what the number should be.

In many locations in the USA, generally Verizon served areas and possibly others, dialing 958 at any phone will read back a recording of that phone's number. This was presumably done for the benefit of the phone techs who may be facing 200 pairs on a punch block with no labels, so they can figure out which line they're supposed to be working on.

(Given that you said Phone box rather than Phone booth, I'd guess you're not in the USA, so this code won't work for you, but BT may have something similar. In any case it might be useful for other USAnians.)