Do you answer your phone?

[Danno]

There are other options. If you don't want to answer your phone don't carry it. If you don't want people to leave voicemails, disable voicemail. If you don't want texts just have a landline. It's funny that we carry around a cell phone and get annoyed when people try to contact us on it. Or maybe we want to be able to contact people whenever WE feel like it but don't want other people to do that to us?

I think it's funny how people have their preferences or some might even call them rules, and they think/assume those are universal. So some people say "you better leave a voicemail" and other people say "don't leave me a fucking voicemail, I'm not listening to it". Some think you should text before calling, others think that's ridiculous. And they all expect other people to know and understand their specific rules.

I listen to voicemails, I look at texts. I answer my phone when I feel like it, which is rarely, and if I don't, leave a VM if you want. Or text. Whatever. I'll use my device how I want and when I feel like it. It's not a device to allow you to get a hold of me whenever you want, it's a device to allow me to stay connected when and how I feel.

[BCMtnHound]

I think it's funny how people have their preferences or some might even call them rules, and they think/assume those are universal. So some people say "you better leave a voicemail" and other people say "don't leave me a fucking voicemail, I'm not listening to it". Some think you should text before calling, others think that's ridiculous. And they all expect other people to know and understand their specific rules.

I listen to voicemails, I look at texts. I answer my phone when I feel like it, which is rarely, and if I don't, leave a VM if you want. Or text. Whatever. I'll use my device how I want and when I feel like it. It's not a device to allow you to get a hold of me whenever you want, it's a device to allow me to stay connected when and how I feel.

^^^This. I pay for the device, I choose how I use it, sometimes I am an ass about responding back to one form of inquiry or other, sometimes I feel like responding to everything immediately. Deal with it.

Work pays for a phone for me for reasonable reasons (immediately before or after work for business calls, safety coverage for my team, communications while on travel, etc.) That device is treated totally different, even for the times I set it to fwd to my personal device so I only carry one phone. It isn’t that hard.

[jmedslc]

I don’t get annoyed in the least about my phone. If people don’t wanna communicate, I DGAF, UNLESS we have plans to do so or meet up or coordinate a trip or something.

I’ll state the obvious and say that general rapport goes a long way in relationships and we learn how best to communicate with our friends, family, coworkers etc. Everyone has different preferences and engagement requires all parties to agree on basic protocols at some level.

All that said I’ll quote an old friend here in SLC: “ I like people. I just like them better when they’re not around”. Kinda fits with my communication style

[warthog]

I'm a construction project manager so yea I pick up calls from unknown local numbers during normal business hours, could be a new foreman/subcontractor, etc. trying to get a question answered quickly... after 4pm it's contacts only though, and I block all spam numbers immediately after I find out they're fakes or bullshit sales calls

As one of the reps that needs answers, we thank you. It is increasingly difficult to get shit done when no one wants to make a quick call that resolves it. They would rather email or text back and forth 15 times, just to finally call and get it resolved in 5 minutes.
I am on the phone all day, plus email, plus TEAMS. I barely respond to texts because there is no trail to follow later. Text is a really stupid way to try to do business. Almost zero accountability, which is probably why the millennial and Get Z I deal with like it.

[::: :::]

As one of the reps that needs answers, we thank you. It is increasingly difficult to get shit done when no one wants to make a quick call that resolves it. They would rather email or text back and forth 15 times, just to finally call and get it resolved in 5 minutes.
I am on the phone all day, plus email, plus TEAMS. I barely respond to texts because there is no trail to follow later. Text is a really stupid way to try to do business. Almost zero accountability, which is probably why the millennial and Get Z I deal with like it.

i agree re: texting, only to coordinate minor issues ("i'm 5mins late, but on my way..."), not substantive business

[babybear]

I never used to answer my phone (I also had an assistant so she would take all calls) but I work for an interior design firm now and we work with so many random subs that I have to answer it now.
It’s a hard habit to break.

[mcski]

I never used to answer my phone (I also had an assistant so she would take all calls) but I work for an interior design firm now and we work with so many random subs that I have to answer it now.
It’s a hard habit to break.

This update needs its own thread!

[old goat]

^^^This. I pay for the device, I choose how I use it, sometimes I am an ass about responding back to one form of inquiry or other, sometimes I feel like responding to everything immediately. Deal with it.

Work pays for a phone for me for reasonable reasons (immediately before or after work for business calls, safety coverage for my team, communications while on travel, etc.) That device is treated totally different, even for the times I set it to fwd to my personal device so I only carry one phone. It isn’t that hard.

Agreed. If someone chooses not to answer my call, my text, my vm, that's their prerogative. Just like calling, texting, or leaving a VM is mine.
At least we don't have to deal with unsolicited spam faxes any more.

[Aldo]

This discussion has me thinking I really need to reach out and touch somebody today.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[ötzi]

My theory is, use the means of delivering info that's most effective and efficient. If I want someone to call me back, I just hang up if I get their message. If I have to deliver just a little info I'll text it. If it's too much to text I'll leave a voicemail (and hope the person has visual voicemail) and if it's really a lot or it has to be super clear I'll email.

So them's the rules from here on out.

[jono]

My theory is, use the means of delivering info that's most effective and efficient. If I want someone to call me back, I just hang up if I get their message. If I have to deliver just a little info I'll text it. If it's too much to text I'll leave a voicemail (and hope the person has visual voicemail) and if it's really a lot or it has to be super clear I'll email.

So them's the rules from here on out.

Yup. Also, email means answer at your leisure. At least, that's what it means in my inbox.

[ötzi]

Yup. Also, email means answer at your leisure. At least, that's what it means in my inbox.

A spotlight on the back of the garage got turned on accidentally and my neighbor emailed me to say it was shining in his bedroom window and please turn it off. I just saw his email, it's from 5 days ago. Oops. But he has my number, why didn't he he didn't text me instead? Or call me? weird.

[jono]

Hopefully he's had time to stew on it and get really grumpy. That's the proper punishment for not obeying the rules.

So do you tell him about the rules? Seems like that's the only rule no one can agree on.

[ötzi]

The first rule about rule club is...

[old goat]

Yup. Also, email means answer at your leisure. At least, that's what it means in my inbox.

To my wife email means don't open or even glance at it, then claim you never got the email, then go back through 200 similarly unopened emails and find it, but it's too late, but put it in a folder with a couple thousand similarly unacknowledged emails.

[jono]

So she gets leisure. Cool cool.