People who call back from caller ID

dudara · 21-06-2006 12:51PM #1

I currently work as a temp and some of my assignments have involved switchboard/receptionist duties. I frequently receive calls from people wanting to know did I ring them. They've obviously seen a missed call on their caller ID (be it on mobile or landline) and they then ring. However, because the calls go through a switchboard, it's the main number that appears. This really annoys me, as it wastes my time, and I'm surprised at the huge numbers of people who waste their time and money doing this.

Question: Do you do this? Do you ring back missed numbers, or would you work under the assumption that if they wanted to speak to you, that they'll ring again.

Let me just add, that I never ring back. If people want to talk to me, they can try again or leave a voicemail.

Sarky · 21-06-2006 12:52PM

Only if it's a number I recognise. I have a deep-seated mistrust of strange phone numbers.

Dave! · 21-06-2006 12:54PM

If it's a mobile number I'll ring it back, but if it's a landline I won't, cos it could be a friend, and their mother who I don't know answers (and she doesn't know me), so I'll be like "I got a missed call, this is DaveMcG", and she'll be like "I don't know any DaveMcG, I'm calling the police, leave us alone!"

So yeh, mobiles yes, landlines no.

mepink · 21-06-2006 12:59PM

you are right dudara - if they want to speak to you they will ring back.

This is the same for those people who race to the phone in case they miss a call - leave it, if it is important they will leave a message or call back.:p

Morlar · 21-06-2006 01:02PM

I think it depends on who you think it might be - if say, your waiting on a delivery and had to pop out - then get back to a missed call you'd probably ring it - that sort of thing. If I am not expecting any reasonably important calls then I wouldnt bother.

Kiera · 21-06-2006 01:03PM

I wait for them to ring back. Like you said if its that important they’ll ring back or leave a voice mail.

Darragh29 · 21-06-2006 01:04PM

dudara wrote:

Let me just add, that I never ring back. If people want to talk to me, they can try again or leave a voicemail.

Simple question is why don't you just answer your phone when it rings the first time??? I can't understand why people are terrified to answer their phone when they don't recognise the number!?!?!.

Firstly, if you do answer the phone, you are not paying for the call, the other party is. Secondly, if it is bad news of any sort, do you think it will get any better when you ring them back, costing you money!?!?! Same is true for voicemail and test messages, do you think the actual message is going to change because the caller leaves a voicemail or text message instead of getting to talk to you??? Can someone please explain to me why people are terrified of taking unknown/private calls???

TerrorFirmer · 21-06-2006 01:05PM

I get that on the switchboard in work a bit too, can be annoying alright....but if I ever miss a call, I usually only call it back if its a friend, or if Im actually expecting a call....I dunno really, I never actually miss calls so I couldn't say for definate!

dudara · 21-06-2006 01:06PM

Darragh29 wrote:

Simple question is why don't you just answer your phone when it rings the first time???

because I might be working, training or otherwise occupied.

Can someone please explain to me why people are terrified of taking unknown/private calls???

that's not my issue. I used the phrase "missed" calls, not avoided/dodged calls.

Gordon · 21-06-2006 01:23PM

dudara, baby, if you want my phone number you should just ask me.

Giblet · 21-06-2006 01:24PM

I keep getting calls and missed calls from some spanish lad trying to ring someone. I'm on the verge of strangling him because he can't ****ing put the right number in his ****ing phone!

Adam · 21-06-2006 01:25PM

Sarky wrote:

Only if it's a number I recognise. I have a deep-seated mistrust of strange phone numbers.

Me too. If I get a phone call from a number I dont know I just stare at my phone until it goes away....

I usually win.

dudara · 21-06-2006 01:26PM

Gordon wrote:

dudara, baby, if you want my phone number you should just ask me.

Then I'll finally be able to get that barring order

monkeyfudge · 21-06-2006 01:32PM

I got one of these on Sunday... I didn't call back though.

Strangely it was a from landline number that was in the close vacinity of where I live.

I generally assume it's from someone who doesn't know how to operate a phone correctly.

I had some Italain girl ring my number by mistake on my office phone yesterday and for 5 minutes tried to tell me in broken English that she wouldn't be home for dinner...

Kolodny · 21-06-2006 01:37PM

fade_to_grey wrote:

Me too. If I get a phone call from a number I dont know I just stare at my phone until it goes away....

I usually win.

I find that usually works for me too. I'd never bother ringing back if I don't know the number and no message is left. I'm just not that curious.

Gordon · 21-06-2006 01:40PM

D'oh!

I got a new phone recently and it came with a sim card and some free credit. So I used the credit one night speaking to a mate in order to return to my old sim card. The strange thing was that my phone rang some time after I spoke to my mate - from an undisclosed number. I answered it and nobody was there. It wasn't my friend either.

dudara, have you been alerting the Greek police as to my whereabouts?!

dudara · 21-06-2006 01:42PM

Gordon wrote:

dudara, have you been alerting the Greek police as to my whereabouts?!

Interpol more like!!

Ruu_Old · 21-06-2006 01:47PM

I rarely call back people, if they want to contact me again, they can call me back again or leave a message. Its only if I recognise the number I might call it back. I get larf out of the people who call asking for "person x" and seem in total shock that they called the incorrect number and dialled me instead.

Femelade · 21-06-2006 01:52PM

oh god i hate that too, i work for a radio station , and sometimes i do the switch...poeple ring and they say "someone called me on this number" and i say "do you know anyone here who might have tried calling you" but they rarely do, so what can i say? I just tell them that there is no way of me knowing if they dont know themselves, so i ask them to just hang up and whoever will get back to them if its important. Very annoying though, but working where i work, those calls are the least of my worries tbh.

jester77 · 21-06-2006 02:02PM

I never call back, especially with the scams going round. They give you a quick buzz and hang up. When you ring the number back you are calling a premium number. Already had 2 of these calls this year from strange looking numbers. Little bit of googling led me to details of the scam, can't remember the site but if you type in the start of the dodgy number you'll find it!

Vinnie69 · 21-06-2006 02:05PM

I only phone back two types of numbers received on caller-display

1. My no. is similar to taxi company and when I get some drunk ringing demanding a taxk at 4am and don't say sorry when they are informed that they have the wrong no, I will ring them back at an unsocial hour and f*** them out of it

2. When some twat (normally a solictor's office) sets up a fax machine to continually dial my no. until the fax is received or as long as my answering machine has tape to record:mad:

netwhizkid · 21-06-2006 02:26PM

I usually only ring back blocked and withheld numbers, and of course numbers I recognise.

Kiera · 21-06-2006 02:29PM

netwhizkid wrote:

I usually only ring back blocked and withheld numbers, and of course numbers I recognise.

Are you messsing? How can you ring back a withheld number??

Ruu_Old · 21-06-2006 02:34PM

Kiera wrote:

Are you messsing? How can you ring back a withheld number??

You cant, he lies!

Kiera · 21-06-2006 02:38PM

Ruu wrote:

You cant, he lies!

I actually I thought maybe he was a wizkid. Silly me, should have known better.

6ix · 21-06-2006 02:47PM

Yeah I don't understand people who do this - 'I got a missed call from this number'.

So fcukin what, did you think you missed a phone call which was about to explain the meaning of life? I can understand if someone is waiting on a delivery or some other call. I really don't know why people do it otherwise.

WhiteWashMan · 21-06-2006 02:49PM

dudara wrote:

I currently work as a temp and some of my assignments have involved switchboard/receptionist duties. I frequently receive calls from people wanting to know did I ring them. They've obviously seen a missed call on their caller ID (be it on mobile or landline) and they then ring. However, because the calls go through a switchboard, it's the main number that appears. This really annoys me, as it wastes my time, and I'm surprised at the huge numbers of people who waste their time and money doing this.

Question: Do you do this? Do you ring back missed numbers, or would you work under the assumption that if they wanted to speak to you, that they'll ring again.

Let me just add, that I never ring back. If people want to talk to me, they can try again or leave a voicemail.

perhpas you could ask people that phone out of your company to leave a message so that they know who called them?

why shouldnt people ring back?

cargrouch · 21-06-2006 03:09PM

WhiteWashMan wrote:

why shouldnt people ring back?

Exactly! It's hardly their fault if they were expecting a call? Some people are juggling a lot of stuff! Got a missed call yesterday about a job in Limerick. Rang it back because I expect a calls from Limerick area codes to be about a job. Call went to receptionist, "Hi, this is recruitment agency X"

When I said I'd had a missed call did she:
A) Throw a hissy fit?

Do her job and connect me to the relevant department for my industry?

dudara wrote:

I currently work as a temp and some of my assignments have involved switchboard/receptionist duties.

I think your issues are with the job rather than the people. Surely these calls are part and parcel of switchboard/receptionist duties?

6ix wrote:

Yeah I don't understand people who do this - 'I got a missed call from this number'.

So fcukin what, did you think you missed a phone call which was about to explain the meaning of life? I can understand if someone is waiting on a delivery or some other call. I really don't know why people do it otherwise.

How do you know they weren't?

dudara · 21-06-2006 03:11PM

cargrouch wrote:

I think your issues are with the job rather than the people. Surely these calls are part and parcel of switchboard/receptionist duties?

Not when they are personal calls made by staff members on the floor or offices. Its not my job to track these down. Anyone making a call on a professional basis will (or should) leave a voicemail as standard procedure.

Mossy Monk · 21-06-2006 03:17PM

i would call back only if it was someone i recognised. idont care about any other numbers. if its important enough they will call back

the_syco · 21-06-2006 03:17PM

If I know the place is a recruitment company, or a job I've applied to, I ring back. Usually I have a name, or if not, I give a name "...uh.... John something, I think?":D

People who call back from caller ID

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