Phone etiquette | Imamother

Motek

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:04 am

someone left a message on my answering machine asking that my husband or I call her back

she repeated her number three times but DIDN'T GIVE HER NAME or reason for the call but asked that she be called back as soon as possible

would you call her back?

amother

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:11 am

I wouldn't call back. It may very well be a telemarketer. Do you have caller ID? That always helps. Wait and see if she calls back.

suomynona

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:12 am

It might not be polite, but that doesn't mean it's your job to teach her a lesson.

I would definitely call her back. It sounds like it's important (to her) and I know that it's nerve racking not to be able to reach someone when you really need to.

Motek

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:14 am

why did you post that anonymously? are you also the type that leaves anonymous phone messages?

I do not have caller ID

have people have stopped identifying themselves because they assume you see their name on the caller ID, hmmm

do you think caller ID has changed the rules of phone etiquette, I.e. that you state who you are (whether on a machine or if someone picks up)?

suomynona

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:20 am

When caller ID began, I felt it wasn't proper etiquette to call someone back if I saw their name on the caller ID, but they didnt' leave a message. But after a while, I started doing it if it was someone close to me. Now people (including me) assume that they don't have to leave a message because the person will know they called.
What I hate is when I get a wrong number & the person calls back to find out what I wanted.

I also said that when I got married I wouldn't have called ID as a matter of principal. Now that I'm married & I work from home, you better believe I have caller ID. I can't be bothered to answer calls for my husband when he is not home. The machine does a better job than me.

suomynona

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:26 am

Another thing that changed since the advent of caller ID: When you call someone, you have to make a "cheshbon" which line you are calling from - in case you don't want the person to call you back on that line. Most people just scroll through their caller ID & call the number they see.

I remember a shadchan trying to reach me for a couple of days to let me know if the other party was interested in going out again. She was calling my fax line which I had called her from.

proudmom

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:36 am

Motek, what I do is if a person does that to me I go on google and I type in the phone number and most of the time the number comes up with a name. Try it. put the number in with the area code then do a space then the 3 numbers then space and put the last 4 numbers

Tefila

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:38 am

Caller id or not it's only mentchluch to leave a name even if it's an alias one Twisted Evil

This way when u return a call you will know who to ask for rather then someone such and such a time called me and told me to return the call. Sounds pathetic no? I wouldn't return the call let her call back. Hatzlacha
Disclaimer unless it's a phenomenal job offer or a close relative or friend that presumes you recognize her voice anyway Wink

goldrose

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:44 am

proudmom wrote:

yes, dear, brilliant! I do it too!

hardwrknmom

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 6:50 am

goldrose wrote:

proudmom wrote:

yes, dear, brilliant! I do it too!

Never knew that- thanks proud:)

realeez

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 8:23 am

I was going to say to go to a reverse phone lookup site.
if it isn't a telemarketer, it could be someone who really needs to get a hold of you and just made a mistake and didn't give her name! maybe she thinks you should recognize her voice!

red sea

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 8:40 am

Call her back, of course. Could be a ton of reasons she didn't leave the info. Maybe it was of a nature that you wouldn't leave on a machine, esp if you may have gotten a wrong number-does your machine say your name? Maybe she was distracted and forgot. And even if it was a telemarketer, you can always hang up on them later.

didan

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 8:47 am

B"H

proudmom wrote:

Actually, you can go to switchboard.com and look up the number.

chen

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 9:23 am

SaraG wrote:

No, not if she left no reason. The telephone serves ME; I don't serve IT.

Right on, sarag! I would not call back if they did not leave a name. for that matter, if they leave a name and it's a stranger, I don't call back unless they leave some sort of message. if it's important to them, they'll call back.

suomynona

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 9:39 am

Quote:

The telephone serves ME; I don't serve IT.

I agree in theory, but have a little "rachmanus" on this lady!

shayna82

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 9:48 am

whenever a number shows up that I dont know, I google it, and most of the time, its a telemarketing number, or its my grandmother calling on a calling card, with an 800 number, or some odd area code!!!

amother

Tue, Mar 07 2006, 9:52 am

I posted anonymously because I feel more comfortable that way. I certainly do not leave anonymous phone messages! My husband is a rabbi and we got caller ID so that when he isn't home I do not have to be his secretary while taking care of the children. If the peson leaves a voicemail, I call my husband on his cellphone right away to tell him about the call. He can even call back and listen to it himself.