Answering your cell phone

[Anonymous]

For numbers I don’t know, I’ve stopped saying hello for fear of scammers recording my voice. It is annoying for sure.

[Anonymous]

I don’t answer calls from unknown numbers unless I’m expecting a call. If they leave a VM and it’s someone I want to talk to, I call right back.

I think it’s extremely rude for people to call and ask for me without identifying themselves. So when they ask “Is this X?” I ask who I they are. It sounds rude but they should identify themselves before asking me to confirm my identity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you answer your cell phone if you don’t recognize the number? Do you just say “hello” or state your full name? The reason I am asking is that I just say “hello”, you never know who is on the other line - it could be a doctors office or a spam call… but people in the other line never introduce themselves. They demand to know my name but never state theirs first. Be it a doctors office, someone calling from the opera to request a donation, or some newspaper trying to sell me a subscription.

I just press the button and don’t say anything. They called me — they can speak first.

This is the chaotic evil box of all these choices.

[Anonymous]

Why does anyone answer a number they don’t know? Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why does anyone answer a number they don’t know? Genuinely curious.

Doctors, handymen, other businesses,and, most importantly, my teenagers could be calling me from an emergency room pay phone …

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you answer your cell phone if you don’t recognize the number? Do you just say “hello” or state your full name? The reason I am asking is that I just say “hello”, you never know who is on the other line - it could be a doctors office or a spam call… but people in the other line never introduce themselves. They demand to know my name but never state theirs first. Be it a doctors office, someone calling from the opera to request a donation, or some newspaper trying to sell me a subscription.

I just press the button and don’t say anything. They called me — they can speak first.

This is the chaotic evil box of all these choices.

DP. Not really. The autodialers constantly call people, if you say hello it then routes you a live person.

[Anonymous]

If you call someone and expect a call back, put the number in your contact list. (Car repair, handyman or doctor’s office). When they return the call and the contact is revealed on my phone, I will answer, “Hello, this is Susan.” If it’s a total random incoming call, I wait until they leave a message.

[Anonymous]

I remember back in the day when I was a kid -- we'd answer the phone by repeating our phone number as though it was a question.

<ring ring> <ring ring>
six one two double-oh four?

[Anonymous]

I feel really old. I would expect a call from the doctor's office to go as follows...

"Hello?"
"May I please speak with Larlo Jones?"
"May I ask who's calling?"
"This is Larla from Dr. Smith's office calling about your upcoming appointment..."

[Anonymous]

If I answer it I say “hello, this is Larla.”

I don’t think it matters whether they know it’s me or not.

[Anonymous]

I just pick up the phone and begin breathing heavily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t answer calls I don’t know unless I am expecting a call from a doctor or something. If they ask who I am I don’t answer the question. I simply ask what they are calling about.

Same.

[Anonymous]

I only answer for my contacts. I don’t answer for unknowns because they are always spam and if you answer once, then you get 100 more calls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does anyone answer a number they don’t know? Genuinely curious.

Doctors, handymen, other businesses,and, most importantly, my teenagers could be calling me from an emergency room pay phone …

This seems so incredibly unlikely. I get the sentiment, but...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel really old. I would expect a call from the doctor's office to go as follows...

"Hello?"
"May I please speak with Larlo Jones?"
"May I ask who's calling?"
"This is Larla from Dr. Smith's office calling about your upcoming appointment..."

I’m in my 30s and this is my exact script and it usually goes as intended.