It's a wrong number, get over it!

[fma_fanatic]

I swear, I want to scream this every time someone calls because one of our reps dialed their number or misdialed. It happens. A lot. It happens at my house, it happens on my cell phone, it happens on DDD's cellphone. It's a wrong number. Get. Over.It.

Today was the tipping point for the wrong number callbackers (as I call them). A woman called, demanding to know why someone called her while she was in the middle of her shower. I don't know. I wasn't there when the call was made. I can't see when people make calls. It was a wrong number.

Woman: nutty showerer
me:

W: why did they call? what did they want? I was in the middle of my shower *rantravefoam*
me:I don't know ma'am. It was probably a wrong number.
W: That's not acceptable! I want you to ask them why?!
me: I don't know ma'am. I don't know who called you. It was just a misdial.
W: I don't believe you! You're trying to stalk a single woman in her home taking a shower!!
me: (wtf??) Ma'am, if you honestly believe that, then please call your local police department. I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you.
W: but why???
me: I'm sorry ma'am. I can't answer something I don't have the answer to.

She went on for another minute, but by then I'd tuned her out and oops, my finger slipped and the call disconnected. I'm honestly surprised she didn't outright demand that I ask every single person who called them and why. I've had a few do that. I tell them that unless they want to wait at least 4 hours, I'm not doing it.

It's a frickin' misdial people!!!

[Exaspera]

It's all parenoia about "Big Brother." Plus, I'm sure that one of y'all deliberately waited until she was in the shower before you mis-dialed that number, didn't you!?

[Shalom]

I have heard someone say that if you do in fact dial a wrong number, it's more polite to leave a message saying "Sorry, I dialed the wrong number", instead of just hanging up. I suppose that would have headed off this situation.

[Android Kaeli]

I get that sometimes at my work place. Sometimes a manager will call/leave a message to tell a customer that <random product> is in for their <random raincheck> or <random special order> and to pick the <random product> up. Sometimes the frame shop will call/ leave a message for their <random custom frame> to be picked up. Then us other employees will get the "Well, who called and why?" questions, we don't know and usually ask if said customer has a rain check, special order, or custom frame through <my store>

Usually after the rant and raving is done on the customers side and these questions are asked, there is a ten second pause followed by a "Oh yea, forgot about that" along with a hang-up. I can see forgetting about a rain check, I can see forgetting about a special order as these two things aren't often remembered unless the items are really need. But forgetting a custom frame that not only did customers pay an arm and leg to get framed, but pictures and other frameable things? Yea, okay.

[fma_fanatic]

I have heard someone say that if you do in fact dial a wrong number, it's more polite to leave a message saying "Sorry, I dialed the wrong number", instead of just hanging up. I suppose that would have headed off this situation.

I have brought this to the attention of the sales trainer many times when he's working with new reps, but I guess either it goes in one ear and out the other or he doesn't go over it. When this happened I once more told the trainer that he needed to talk to the reps about this. He just shrugged and went on with whatever he was doing.

[TonyDonuts]

I have heard someone say that if you do in fact dial a wrong number, it's more polite to leave a message saying "Sorry, I dialed the wrong number", instead of just hanging up. I suppose that would have headed off this situation.

A couple of years ago I had an assistant manager who absolutely refused to leave messages on answering machines or voice mail. She would call, get the answering machine or voice mail message and just hang up. If it was urgent she would call back four, five, a dozen times until somebody answered or she got too frustrated.

My telling her that if she didn't leave a message I wouldn't call her back left her horrified!

"But what if it's important!" She asked.

I told her that my assumption is always that if it isn't worth 20 seconds to leave a message, it's not worth my time to return the call.

"It's very simple, say your name, your phone number, and why you're calling. That's it. Are you actually telling me that's beyond your capabilities?"

And she would fidget and fumfuh and "But, but, but, why can't you answer
whenever I call?"

And I would tell her, "Look, if I'm asleep, or horizontal and superimposed with The Redhead, or taking a dump I ain't answering the phone. How hard is that to understand? You still haven't explained why leaving a message is such a huge goddamn burden on your soul."

More fidgeting, followed by her fleeing the room.

Yes folks, my assistant manager.

This is complete guesswork, totally pulling numbers out of the air, but I would guess that about one in four of the people I've worked with over the years are completely incapable, for reasons known only to themselves, of leaving a simple message on an answering machine.

These are usually the same people who compulsively call each number on their caller ID and interrogate them to find out their name and intentions.

I don't understand that either.

[Exaspera]

I have an outgoing message stating that if you want me to call you back to leave me a message. Otherwise forget it.

[XCashier]

This is complete guesswork, totally pulling numbers out of the air, but I would guess that about one in four of the people I've worked with over the years are completely incapable, for reasons known only to themselves, of leaving a simple message on an answering machine.

These are usually the same people who compulsively call each number on their caller ID and interrogate them to find out their name and intentions.

They know how to work Caller ID but they can't figure out how to leave a message on a machine? How pathetic can you get?

I know people like that, but it's still mind-boggling.

[Andara Bledin]

If I mis-dial and I get an answering machine, I hang up.

However, I do stay on long enough that should someone actually answer, I can let them know it's a wrong number and apologize.

At least one of my co-irkers, however, is notorious for dialing the wrong number and then just hanging up. He does it inside the company, too, when dialing extensions. I've taken great pleasure in, more than once, making a page over the PA that it's rude for him to hang up like that.

The worst is when people mis-dial and end up calling 911, and then they hang up! We had a rash of it at one point, and we were about 2 calls away from getting a huge fine. One issue happened to be related to one of our customers and our fax program, but we've worked around that.

^-.-^

[AccountingDrone]

I have heard someone say that if you do in fact dial a wrong number, it's more polite to leave a message saying "Sorry, I dialed the wrong number", instead of just hanging up. I suppose that would have headed off this situation.

meh, I do that, it takes me a second and then people dont wonder about the mystery call.

Though I did have a jackass call me back and demand why I left a message telling them it was a wrong number

[ottid]

Ugh, the person who had my phone number before me hadn't changed their business cards or something, every so often last year we would get a call for them. If the person left a message with a phone number I always rang back to say they had the wrong number, and to delete the number from the records as belonging to that business. The first time I did that I was thanked, the second time it was completely different "No one here by that name" etc and so on. I was trying to do them a good deed so they didn't waste time rying to ring me again!

On the other hand, everytime I've picked up the phone and tell them they have the wrong number, have been given the wrong one by the business, they are understanding "Oh is this private number? Sorry about that." Only had one since the start of the year for that business, hoping for no more!

[HYHYBT]

Probably a stupid question, but since you don't know who she is or who called her, how do you know it even *was* a wrong number?

[Magpie]

These are usually the same people who compulsively call each number on their caller ID and interrogate them to find out their name and intentions.

I HATE it when people do that to me. Especially because they don't identify themselves. I fail to follow the logic. Even IF I'm the one who made the call (and if you're an apartment manager in a university town that's a really stupid assumption), do you really think I'm going to magically remember every call I made AND be able to match you up with it? (Again, if you're an apartment manager, bear in mind that I made 5 calls in a row).

And it's happened more than that apartment manager, he was just incredibly rude about it.

[Chrismor]

<snip>
W: why did they call? what did they want? I was in the middle of my shower *rantravefoam*
me:I don't know ma'am. It was probably a wrong number.
<snip>

How I read that...

W: why did they call? what did they want? I was in the middle of my shower *rantravefoam*
me:I don't know ma'am. It was probably a wrong number.
W: You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel
...

Is something wrong with me?

C.

[EricKei]

I told her that my assumption is always that if it isn't worth 20 seconds to leave a message, it's not worth my time to return the call.

"It's very simple, say your name, your phone number, and why you're calling. That's it. Are you actually telling me that's beyond your capabilities?"

HELLS ING YES! I cannot stand it when people just hang up instead of leaving a message -- it's worse when they listen to the whole message FIRST!

I have an outgoing message stating that if you want me to call you back to leave me a message. Otherwise forget it.

I do the same