Making phone calls

Dangerous Man · 10-09-2011 4:53pm #1

I don't know why - but I absolutely detest making phone calls. As I write this, there is a receipt for a bed on my desk. I have to call the customer care line for this company called 'Sleep Country' and tell them that I"m happy with my bed - for which I'll receive a voucher for $105 - which will go towards some sheets or something. Anyway, I'm actually dreading it and looking for anything to do to distract me from having to pick up the phone and talk to some customer service person.

Am I ill? Am I the only one?

Kevin Duffy · 10-09-2011 4:59pm

You're not the only one. I find myself idiotically having text conversations that take ages and cost 10 times what a call to say the same thing would have done.

Rosedust84 · 10-09-2011 5:07pm

Only when I'm chasing people for money :mad:

Aoifey! · 10-09-2011 5:08pm

I'm the same. If the phone rings at home and there is anyone else in the house, I'll refuse to pick it up. I don't know why, I don't know what I think will happen, but I just can't being myself to talk comfortable on the phone, it's even worse if I don't know who's going to be on the other end.

OneArt · 10-09-2011 5:09pm

I prefer phoning to texting because that way you'll actually get an answer out of some people!

ImpossibleDuck · 10-09-2011 5:10pm

I'm with ya! I fear picking up the phone.

Is there a phobia of this?

Daemos · 10-09-2011 5:10pm

Dangerous Man wrote: »

I don't know why - but I absolutely detest making phone calls. As I write this, there is a receipt for a bed on my desk. I have to call the customer care line for this company called 'Sleep Country' and tell them that I"m happy with my bed - for which I'll receive a voucher for $105 - which will go towards some sheets or something. Anyway, I'm actually dreading it and looking for anything to do to distract me from having to pick up the phone and talk to some customer service person.

Am I ill? Am I the only one?

Not as dangerous as you claim then

Man up ffs

Yitzhak Rabin · 10-09-2011 5:17pm

Depends what mood I'm in.

If its a Monday morning an I have the fear after a weekend of drinking, I get a mild panic attack when the phone rings and its not a number I recognise.

I also don't really like ringing people I don't know, like cold calling for a job or something.

But other than that, especially with friends, I much rather a 30 sec call to a text convo.

amdublin · 10-09-2011 5:18pm

I have this too

My personal opinion is its because I'm a child of the 80's when you "did not touch the telephone" because of the cost of calls. I think it created an innate anxiety and fear about the unknown for me.

Or something like that!

Kiera · 10-09-2011 5:22pm

I'm not big on talking on the phone. I've one friend who will stay on the phone to me for over 30 mins and i try my best to avoid her calls. I see her everyday so there's no need to ring me and chat for that long.

Zen65 · 10-09-2011 5:27pm

Dangerous Man wrote: »

Am I ill? Am I the only one?

Certainly you're not the only one. If you're comfortable talking face-to-face to people than phone-aversion is not a problem. If you're equally uncomfortable starting a conversation with somebody in the room with you, well that's a little more serious.

Personally I dislike the phone. It's an unreliable mode of communication because you cannot express yourself fully on it, nor receive the full suite of expressions from it. I keep phone calls short, text if it's just an exchange of fact, and I'll walk a distance to meet somebody in preference to calling them on the mobile.

Be at peace,

Z

Professey Chin · 10-09-2011 5:36pm

Call Centre work has me despising talking on the phone to anyone.
Hate it.Hate it.Hate it.Hate it

hbert · 10-09-2011 5:37pm

I HATE making calls too. Always fluff my words. Cant even ring for a takeaway or a taxi.

Ficheall · 10-09-2011 5:39pm

I hate phones too. And cameras.

Kiera · 10-09-2011 5:40pm

hbert wrote: »

I HATE making calls too. Always fluff my words. Cant even ring for a takeaway or a taxi.

Ah Jesus I'm not that bad. Why do you hate ringing them? You're only gonna be on the phone for a few seconds to give them your order or address.

aujopimur · 10-09-2011 5:41pm

I wonder if this phobia has a name, I'm sure it does.

EverEvolving · 10-09-2011 5:42pm

I find when someone rings me I rarely listen to what they say, they will stop talking and I'll realise I have no idea what they just said. As someone said it's probably the call centre work that's done it!

Aoifey! · 10-09-2011 5:43pm

hbert wrote: »

I HATE making calls too. Always fluff my words. Cant even ring for a takeaway or a taxi.

Ugh, I hate ringing for takeaways, I don't know why. I only ever order food on just-eat and even then I dread them ringing to say they're outside.

Abi · 10-09-2011 5:52pm

No, I've no problem talking on the phone. Well used to it through work. I always have myself prepared before I make the call, and make sure I have everything I need to hand. I am always friendly, but to the point.

DjFlin · 10-09-2011 6:40pm

I've nothing against making calls, but I hate using my headphones, its so handy to keep the phone in your pocket, but people always look at you as if your a nut.

Gummy Panda · 10-09-2011 6:58pm

I prefer to text.

Easier to multi-task when texting - "... so I;ve put your panties on my head"

:pac:

Leeg17 · 10-09-2011 7:20pm

I tried to order Domino's to not have to ring up, order placed, 2 minutes later they ring to confirm my address.

Why bother?

gargleblaster · 10-09-2011 7:40pm

Abi wrote: »

No, I've no problem talking on the phone. Well used to it through work. I always have myself prepared before I make the call, and make sure I have everything I need to hand. I am always friendly, but to the point.

I'm somewhat the same, but still don't like it. :pac:

I think this says it well.

The Big Red Button · 10-09-2011 7:45pm

Can't say I've a problem with it! Maybe a little when I was a teenager, but most jobs I've ever had have involved me spending a fair bit of time on the phone, so I had no choice but to just get on with it.

bnt · 10-09-2011 8:43pm

The whole principle behind making a call rests on an assumption: that you are prepared to interrupt someone else's activities to speak to them. How often is that really necessary? It's OK (I suppose) if you work in an office next to a landline, and you know it's part of your job, but these days that's not the case for everyone.

If I'm trying to work, an interruption costs me more than just the length of the interruption - it has a knock-on effect. I've been much happier since email came along: I'm not interrupted, I can prioritise my work, and I can get back to people without interrupting them.

Novella · 10-09-2011 9:06pm

I'm not too keen on making phone calls, but not to the extent that I'm scared or find myself putting it off for ages. I just prefer to talk to people in person, that's all.

My mum loves talking on the phone though. I have never seen anything like it. It's kind of hard to get a word in when she calls you for a chat.

policarp · 10-09-2011 9:21pm

aujopimur wrote: »

I wonder if this phobia has a name, I'm sure it does.

Telephonophobia or Telephobia. . .

Latchy · 10-09-2011 9:31pm

Novella wrote: »

My mum loves talking on the phone though. I have never seen anything like it. It's kind of hard to get a word in when she calls you for a chat.

I have an elderly relative who on the occasions I have to ring and say '' Hi there '' ... will start off the conversation and keep on talking with me struggling to get a word in , forgetting that it was me who rang him to ask a question or pass on information .Glad I don't have to ring him often .

Cupcake_Crisis · 10-09-2011 9:38pm

I also hate making phone calls, avoid them when at all possible! I get very angry and irate and the phone....because people are stupid.

cocoshovel · 10-09-2011 10:09pm

I don't really mind making phone calls too much, but I really hate answering phone calls. Most of the time I just ignore them completely unless I'm expecting a business call or something like that.

Another thing I hate is ringtones, all of them and vibrations. Just the pure sound of them makes me tense up/shudder and get annoyed. It could be that they're mostly too loud and high pitched. My message tone is an extremely quiet single "beep" and my ring tone is the lowest setting "ring ring."

Latchy · 10-09-2011 10:18pm

I usually have a rough idea who is going to be calling me on mobile but with home phone , I will let other family members answer the phone as much as possible just to avoid the everyday '' Hi , is

there'' ? calls .

revell · 10-09-2011 10:22pm

OneArt wrote: »

I prefer phoning to texting because that way you'll actually get an answer out of some people!

how do you interrogate people on the fone?

Dangerous Man · 10-09-2011 10:25pm

I called Sleep Country. On hold for fifteen minutes so I hung up...

later12 · 10-09-2011 10:40pm

No I have no problem making or taking phonecalls.

The only exception would be phoning girls, when you're trying hard not to make a tit of yourself and at the same time trying to sound smart, witty and nevertheless ambivalent about their opinion of you.

chin_grin · 10-09-2011 10:43pm

Dangerous Man wrote: »

I called Sleep Country. On hold for fifteen minutes so I hung up...

If I could be ar$ed there's a socially awkward penguin joke in there somewhere. Ah well.

hondasam · 10-09-2011 11:10pm

Dangerous Man wrote: »

I don't know why - but I absolutely detest making phone calls. As I write this, there is a receipt for a bed on my desk. I have to call the customer care line for this company called 'Sleep Country' and tell them that I"m happy with my bed - for which I'll receive a voucher for $105 - which will go towards some sheets or something. Anyway, I'm actually dreading it and looking for anything to do to distract me from having to pick up the phone and talk to some customer service person.

Am I ill? Am I the only one?

You just say to yourself, this person is a stranger, they cannot see you and make the call.
How the person answers the call will determine how the call will go.
If they answer in a happy voice you will relax and chat away.

strobe · 10-09-2011 11:14pm

Dangerous Man wrote: »

I don't know why - but I absolutely detest making phone calls. As I write this, there is a receipt for a bed on my desk. I have to call the customer care line for this company called 'Sleep Country' and tell them that I"m happy with my bed - for which I'll receive a voucher for $105 - which will go towards some sheets or something. Anyway, I'm actually dreading it and looking for anything to do to distract me from having to pick up the phone and talk to some customer service person.

Am I ill? Am I the only one?

I feel your pain brother. I thought I was the only one. See, this is why I love boards.

'Boards.ie - making you feel like less of a sociopathic weirdo since 2001.' (-- That's the official motto.

Making phone calls

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