Phone talk - Yes!

[scattley]

The other thread got me thinking. We have a staff member who picks up the phone (when it has rung of course) and WAITS until the person on the other end says something. Then he replies something like "Yes this is XXXXXX". It drives me up the wall. His is the main help desk number and 40% of the time he has to transfer it to me (so changing the number direction to mine is not an option).

The heirachy of the office is such that his direct supervisor is 20km away so there is no-one here to ask him to change his phone manner. I have tried a bit of PA - answering my phone correctly a bit louder than usual and when answering his phone (which we need to do if he is not there) doing it properly (that is "XXXX, J speaking").

I have now moved into a new office so that while I can see him, I can no longer hear him. It still annoys the H*** out of me though.

"end vent"

[Sterling]

If I was calling it would annoy me also.  In fact I would most likely think it was a messed up voice mail and just hand up.  The person recieving the call should always say something first especially at a business.

[kathrynne]

The person picking up needs to say, "Hello" at the very least. Something to tell me someone has picked up the phone and that it's not a malfunction. Sheesh.

[Lisbeth]

That's unprofessional.  At the very least, a receptionist or help desk person needs to be the one who speaks first when they answer the call so the caller knows they've called the right number.

[Sirius]

If I was calling a business heard the phone pick up and heard heavy breathing, I'd think I had a wrong number.  Someone with some authority needs to teach this youngster how to answer a business phone properly, because otherwise he probably wouldn't pay any attention.

[EvilAlice]

The heirachy of the office is such that his direct supervisor is 20km away so there is no-one here to ask him to change his phone manner.

I would cheerfully lie and say that people (customers, if you have customers call) have complained to me about it.  Or even that I've noticed it and it needs to be brought to his attention that answering the phone means more than managing to make use of opposable thumbs and lift it UP.  ANSWERING the phone means ANSWERING.  As in verbally.  Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

It amazes me that people need to be told these things but I actually had a temp who had to be told to press the hold button after he answered the phone.  Our phones are not that complicated.  You don't have to transfer them or anything.  I thought it was basic knowledge to hit a hold button, which even many home phones have, to say "you have a call on line 1."  He would just wave the phone in the air going "you have a call" like a little kid answering the phone for his mommy.

[CocoCamm]

Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

LOL!!! CRUD MONKEYS!, thats just too much! Oh, and ITA.

[kathrynne]

Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

LOL!!! Oh my goodness! Goodness gracious me!, thats just too much! Oh, and ITA.

Very true. At least my parrot can say "Hello?"

[CocoCamm]

Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

LOL!!! Oh my goodness! Goodness gracious me!, thats just too much! Oh, and ITA.

Very true. At least my parrot can say "Hello?"

LOL!!! You guys are too much today and I, for one, am extremely grateful. I'm on the east coast where a good number of businesses are shut down because of the ice storm and so while I'm at work no one else is and I cant get anything done so I have amused myself all day with this site. You guys rock!!! 

[Sirius]

Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

LOL!!! Oh my goodness! Goodness gracious me!, thats just too much! Oh, and ITA.

Once the phone rang and my half-Ragdoll cat answered it.  He knocked the phone off the cradle and meowed.  I picked the phone up, to hear my neighbor laughing hysterically.  "Oh, Robesie answered the phone!"

[Pixie]

Otherwise you might just as well hire a dog to knock it off the cradle with it's paw.

LOL!!! Oh my goodness! Goodness gracious me!, thats just too much! Oh, and ITA.

Once the phone rang and my half-Ragdoll cat answered it.  He knocked the phone off the cradle and meowed.  I picked the phone up, to hear my neighbor laughing hysterically.  "Oh, Robesie answered the phone!"

Oh my Word.... Our Jennifer Rose used to do that!   She figured out how to bump the phone so it would stop ringing, but it was still hanging there.....She'd "talk" to my sisters until one of them would say, "Go get Mommy!"   The Jennifer would bump the phone again and hang up!    I did NOT believe my sisters when they told me this until I called home from work one day to check, and sure enough, Jennifer "answered" the phone!