Let me finish!

[Cupcake Fiend]

I answer incoming calls as part of my job.  The spiel I have to give isn't that long, just "Good morning/afternoon, Company name, this is Mischief, how can I help you?"

Sometimes someone won't even let me get that much out before they start to request the person they called for.  Which makes me have to ask them to repeat themselves, as they were speaking at the same time as me and I couldn't tell what they said.

The caller who did this to me today, even interrupted me AGAIN the second time I got on the line with them to say the person they wanted wasn't available, and would they like his voice mail.  They are speaking over me and trying to tell me a message to give the person.  No thanks...just leave it in his voice mail, please.

In such a huge rush, the caller ends up wasting more time having to repeat themselves, and makes me feel all of, oh, worthless because they aren't even paying attention to me at all.

[Clara Bow]

Oh I hate that. I also used to hate it when they would snatch the pen out of my hand as I was drawing an x on the document to show them where to sign for their meds...
People just don't think...

[Lisbeth]

That's so annoying.  It made me loathe answering phones when I was a secretary and receptionist.

Even worse is when I was new and was told to screen calls, and the caller would tell me, "He knows who I am."  Yes, but I, newbie, don't!

[Cupcake Fiend]

I sometimes think one of my primary functions here is to screen calls, and it drives me nuts! 

Hi, Johnny, I have Orlando Bloom on the line for you
Oh, hey Mischief I can't talk to him right now.  Tell him I'm not here.
switch lines
Hey Orlando, Johnny is not available right now, would you like his voicemail?

I am not going to lie for you!!

Even worse is this one guy who keeps calling for one of our guys and when I ask who is calling, always has some smart-alek reply like "Tell him it's the Ultimate Supreme Lord of the Universe."  I recognize his voice, now, but when I was newer here it would really throw me off.  And this guy would just refuse to tell me anything else.

[Madd Hatter]

Even worse is this one guy who keeps calling for one of our guys and when I ask who is calling, always has some smart-alek reply like "Tell him it's the Ultimate Supreme Lord of the Universe."  I recognize his voice, now, but when I was newer here it would really throw me off.  And this guy would just refuse to tell me anything else.

[/quote]

I had one of those too.  I finally told him "I'm sorry, we've had 4 Ultimate Supreme Lords of the Universe call today, may I ask which one you are?"  He stopped using that one after that.  lol   

[RegionMom]

Oh, I like that answer!  "Which Lord are you?"
I work front desk one day a week at my kids' school and I will get calls that say,"someone just called me at this number.  Go get them for me to take this call."
umm, this is a k-12 school with full staff and lots of buidings.  I do not know who called you, if they did not leave a msg., then they will call you back or it did not matter! 
Often the person will say,"oh, I did not check my voice mail, I just re-dialed the number."
And sometimes I will get a LONG story of child sick, needs homework, and after the long tale, all I do is transfer them to the right office to repeat it all again! 
Oh well. 
I really do like working there, tho.    Seriously!!

[Lunadiana75]

Ugh, even worse was "Well, I'm personal friend of *said person I'm trying to reach". Yeah, yeah, you and 100 other minions I've talked to today. If you were such a close personal friend, you would have his/her cell number now wouldn't you?

[CutebutPsycho]

People who interrupt are Rudie McRudersons!!! I agree with you, it is very annoying and makes a person feel about |<>| this big!!!!

Off with their heads!!!!

[Cupcake Fiend]

Oh, yeah, I get the "personal friend" or "he's expecting my call" or "someone from this number just called me, who was it", or "he knows who I am"  all the time. Grr.

[Sirius]

Years ago when my older sister was a Red Cross volunteer, she was given the job of answering the phone in a department in the hospital.  She was told to put all doctors who called through immediately and take messages for everyone else.  One day this person calls, and says, "This is Dr. Blank.  I need to speak to Dr. Bonebreaker."  So, as she'd been told, she put him right through.  Dr. Bonebreaker comes out of his office laughing some time later and asked her, "Did he tell you he was a doctor?"  She said he had.  "He's a Doctor of Music History!" 

[Yentush]

I always answer, "Hello, XXX Office, Yentush speaking."

Then I get, "Hello, is this XXX?, who is spekaing please?"

[Suze]

you do know that when you answer the phone the first words out of your mouth go in one ear and ACCELERATE out of the other.

[IndianInlaw]

On the flip side, I called my son's dad at school (he was a teacher) and the person taking the message was extremely nosy.  The message (this was decades ago) was something like "send me the papers by next week."

The lady said "What papers?"  I said "He knows".  She said "I don't feel I can give him a complete message without you telling me."

I'm sure she'd have loved the details of his paternity suit, but alas, I denied her the privilege.

And he never did send those papers

[kherbert05]

Oh, I like that answer!  "Which Lord are you?"
I work front desk one day a week at my kids' school and I will get calls that say,"someone just called me at this number.  Go get them for me to take this call."
umm, this is a k-12 school with full staff and lots of buidings.  I do not know who called you, if they did not leave a msg., then they will call you back or it did not matter! 
Often the person will say,"oh, I did not check my voice mail, I just re-dialed the number."
And sometimes I will get a LONG story of child sick, needs homework, and after the long tale, all I do is transfer them to the right office to repeat it all again! 
Oh well. 
I really do like working there, tho.    Seriously!!

Our school policy is that if we call a parent and leave a message, we tell the office staff I called Mrs. X about Trouble Kid Y my next break is at Z time. Makes it a little easier to deal with the parents.

[nobby]

That's almost as annoying as the people who call, listen to the spiel and then ask for someone who works for a completely different company.


When you say you're not that company and Susie Derkins doesn't work there they then ask "Well what company are you?"


*sigh*