Telephone Etiquette

[lorrir]

My husband and I own a couple of business, I run the office for both of the companies and I can't believe the rude telephone manners of some of the folks who call the office.

I have a corporate background and I know everyone out there has not taken "telephone classes" but I just don't get it, didn't their mother teach them better?

The phone rings, I answer; "Good Afternoon, ABC Corp, This is Jane."
The caller asks "Who's speaking?"
Me, "This is Jane, who am I speaking too?

First off I already identified myself when I answered the phone, Secondly, when one initiates a phone call the caller is supposed to identify themselves and state the reason for the call.
Example. "This is John and I'm calling about a job vacancy, may I speak to Human Resources please."

The "Who's speaking" thing is strictly a southern thing as I have lived and working in Major Cities in the North and Florida an NOBODY in those places have ever started a telephone conversation with "Who's speaking".

I'm sorry to rant but it just drives me nuts, sometimes I refuse to tell anyone who I am (again) until they tell me who they are. I know it's childish, but I'm the boss so I have that luxury.

But I guess I should expect it from a place that calls garden hoses, hose pipes (does Sears have a hose pipe dept?), They carry people to the store (Personally I drive people to the store) and mash computer keys (kinda like striking computer keys)

Ok, my rant is over, besides those things I really like living in the south.

 

[agnes_day]

i do that too!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I answer the phone at both my offices. Don't you get annoyed at people who call maybe once a month at most and still expect you to have their voice memorized? Like they're so important you ought to have memorized it?

Answering machine no-no: Leave a long rambling, too detailed message, then just as the listener is bored to death and falling asleep, say your phone number really fast, once.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

I just say "you called me, so obviously you know who I am, please tell me who YOU are."

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

I know just what you mean, I do all my DHs office work for his business out of our home too.


Yesterday I put my fish tank on our local radio party line (buy/swap/sell) and a couple hrs. later I get a call. This man asks me if I was the one who called the party line needing my grass cut and I tell him "No, you must have the wrong number" and he doesn't say 'oh, I am sorry' or anything like that...instead he starts hollering to someone in the backgroud "This ain't the right XXX number" and hangs up....

 

[sparkles2307]

Yesterday morning I was covering the front desk while the receptionists had a unit meeting. When someone calls me in my OFFICE on my OFFICE line, I answer "this is Rachel..." but at the front desk we were taught from day one as receptionists to answer "Polk County Social Services." no more, no less. SO, I answer and this guy is all "hello?", and I say "how may I help you, sir?" and he says "well you can tell me your name for starters." in one of those belligerent "im taking your name down to tell on ur supervisor later..." tones... I hate that, you called our OFFICE, not me personally, so you dont need my name, I am the receptionist, you cant get me in trouble cause I dont handle your case!

 

[Camelot Farms]

Who's speaking is better than 'Who's this?'

If I pick up the phone and one of DS's friends says that, I reply 'this is Mason's mom and have the power to decide whether you get to talk to him or not.

Ugh!

 

[wombat]

How about when someone calls you, and then says "can I call you back? I have another call!"

Suuuuure ... I'll just be sitting by the phone waiting. It must be something fascinating, if YOU called ME and now YOU don't even want to talk about it!

 

[Camelot Farms]

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

What about when you call up someone and they answer the phone like "The pool hall, this is 8-ball speaking" and "City morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em"

I have a sister who will answer her phone in some sort of way like that every single time!