Please leave a message rant!

If you ever plan on getting a job where you HAVE to answer a phone, ask someone about phone manners or stay unemployed.

You'd figure in a society where you can do just about anything on a telephone that people would be a little more concerned about how they leave a message on an answering machine.


I picked up a message from the "help desk" about a computer problem.

This is the edited version.

Hi,

I am trying to close out a problem ticket. A doctor can't log on to the system and we can't help him because that is a local problem.
We don't support that application.

I hope you can help him- Here's his number 555-1234.

BYE!

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Who left the message?
What is your number if I have a question?
Can you give me more details?
Who am I calling and why???
Can you put a little life into your voice and not make it sound like
it's a JOB to call me???

IT IS YOUR JOB!

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We have the ability to surf the web, take photos, GPS, send text messages, e-mail and take an obnoxious phone call when your cell phone rings with the tune from "FRIENDS" you downloaded for 99 cents...what does it mean???

It means you can abandon all sense of decorum!!

This "kid" isn't gonna get anywhere. He had no phone manners.
It sounded like he was on PLAYTSTATION all night long, and is pissed off he had to come to work.....HE ALMOST MADE IT TO LEVEL 8 on HALO 2- and it was MY FAULT he didn't!

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My 22 year old nephew is a perfect example of having half a brain when it comes to communicating.

I drove him to work everyday for one year. I had about one dozen conversations with him during that time. CDs with rap music were far more entertaining.....He doesn't do the radio.

If he grabbed a ride home he would call someone else to call me to give me the message.

He has my phone number in his cell.

When he called I had to ask him to SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!

BUT, If he takes a phone call on the cell, he becomes Marcel Marceau, Jim Carey and any politician who wants a vote.

Talk about animated.....
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So here's a tip for you up-and-coming CEOs and Presidents of HUGE companies.


Answer the phone with a smile in your voice.

Treat everyone like you need something from them.

Speak s-l-o-w-l-y and clearly.

Identify yourself.

Say please and thank you.

You can make faces and flip the bird into the handset, that doesn't matter..........I can't see you.

And have patience.

The phone that will wipe your rear end is just around the corner....

I just know it!
:rolleyes:

OH .... welcome to my job at Nestle!!!

The girl I work with has the worst phone manners...

It is funny how .. as many times as drivers complain about her and besides the fact she has been written up for her attitude... it still hasn't changed...:rolleyes:

ha ha....so true!! Where people learn their phone etiquette is beyond me.

When I worked at State Farm, they actually had a class people had to attend. I thought it was an excellent idea.

:)

:D :D Welcome to my world!

I get messages like that all the time.

"Help, my computer won't work! Call me back ASAP!"

Well, as soon as I hear ASAP, it goes to the bottom of the pile.

My husband has been working his new job for about a month now, working for a cable/internet/phone company in tech support where he handles customer calls about tech support issues.

First off, when he started he would sit in and listen to calls of the other techs to get an idea how it was done. He came home and would say to me "Those other tech support people are so bitter and condescending to the customers. They always sound angry or talk to the customers like they are stupid. I hope I don't get that bitter." He started doing calls on his own a couple weeks ago and it didnt' take long for him to come home completely drained from dealing with rude and downright mean people on the phone. He says he understands some now why the other techs act like they do.

Another thing he told me is they have a plant here in MN and one out in California. Since he works the night shift, he gets a lot of the California calls starting at about 7 p.m. our time. He said those are the ones he dreads most because a lot of the calls from Minnesotas are fairly polite but the ones out of California are often angry, rude, and downright nasty. I am not sure whether it's because MN has more a rural/farmer atmosphere or what. It hurts to think of people treating him that way because he's such a kind and good hearted person. :(

I won't get into details, but we just changed dentists, after 9 happy years with the same one, and it wasn't because of the dentist or his assistants, it was because of the poor manners of his new receptionist, and her lack of concern for what anyone thinks. I have never spoken to a more condescending, arrogant person in my life!!!!! What a disappointment!

I make my living on my manners, I think. Most of my work is done over the telephone and by email. If I'm not polite, they will move on, for sure!

Good thread, Richard.

When I was in High School I worked in the office. Picked up attendance sheets, checked people in or out of the school And answered phones...
One day I answered the phone. I went through the usual...Good Afternoon ___ Jr./Sr. High School. Student speaking. How may I direct your call?
The person on the other end was the RUDEST person I've ever had to deal with: "Give me SOMEONE to talk to! I WANT AN ADULT!"... :eek: :mad: To make a long story short, this person turned out to be MY Mother!:o
Needless to say, I quit answering phones that day and have been "Phone Phobic" ever since.
Caller ID was the best invention!

Quote:

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Originally posted by LoudLou

The person on the other end was the RUDEST person I've ever had to deal with: "Give me SOMEONE to talk to! I WANT AN ADULT!"... :eek: :mad:

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I refuse to answer the phone when my mom is around.

She once told me that I was too nice and sounded phony on the phone....

:rolleyes:

I guess that beat being TELEPHONY....;)

Quote:

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Originally posted by LoudLou
Caller ID was the best invention!

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Amen to that! I'm not too keen on talking/answering the phone unless I know who it is. My mom and I can talk easily but I cringe a bit when it's my grandma :p

I definately take my phone manners seriously! All the jobs I have had (which doesn't amount to many... :rolleyes: ) has had to deal with the phone. (Vacation rental agent and now an internet/phone salesperson for flagpoles). Dealing with the vacation rentals calls were fairly easy...except for the usually "idiot" who could not understand that when I said a condo was oceanFRONT they would be staying on the ocean...

Now, with flagpoles, I have come across a whole new breed of people. I am careful to be extremely polite, well-spoken, and knowledgeable of my products. If there is something I'm not sure of, I tell the customer and get help. (although I have developed a wonderful ability to "sound" like I know what I'm talking about...another story) However, I occassionally (happened today...) come across customers who think that women can know nothing about a flagpole/hardware/metal products, etc. They will ask for a sales rep. I tell them that I would be happy to help...they pause and with a "humf" in their voice, begin talking to someone they think cannot help them. Those are the kind of people I love to show up (politely of course ;) ). I think by the time they hang up the phone, their chins tends to be on the desk from me! hehe....

Girls can do a boys job...and look prettier while doing it ;) lol

Quote:

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Originally posted by slick
:D :D Welcome to my world!

I get messages like that all the time.

"Help, my computer won't work! Call me back ASAP!"

Well, as soon as I hear ASAP, it goes to the bottom of the pile.

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Slick,

When David gets calls and the errors are really lame, they tell the user the error is an "ID - 10 - T error" ... hee hee ID10T (idiot)

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Politeness is like an air cushion, there is nothing in it, but it softens the pressures of life. :)

Heinlein (I think) said manners are the glue that holds civilization together.

LOL... people always laugh at me when I've got my "professional phone voice" on. My family never hears me sound that way, but my clients love it. One guy commented that I sound like a happy person with a lot of energy. Me? Well thank you! :D Another told me he likes doing business with someone so energetic.. which reminds me, I must call him back today! :D

I see my kids on the phone. And I CRINGE. They mumble and do my biggest pet peeve in the world. Here it is
*ring ring*
Kid: Hello?
other person: Is so-and-so available?
Kid: this is him. (or her)

CRINGE!!! Its HE or SHE NOT.... and I repeat, NOT him or her!!! UGH! And they do this ALL the time... usually with me echoing them saying he/she after they say him/her. Two of my kids get calls form college coaches recruiting them for school... and they answer the phone with such poor grammar??? If I was a college coach, I'd question their academics. Especially today where colleges are starting to put serious emphasis on their athletes actually gettign an education! Ok, enough about my little rant! :D

I am on the verge of b-slapping the system administrator at work.

I get a call from The Big Boss looking for some info.

She called THE IDIOT WHO IS NEVER AT WORK and there is no answer to his office.

I tell her that the IWINAW has the forms and and I'll have to wait for security to come open the door....She tells me that he is there, he just doesn't answer his phone..

I knock on the door, he answers and I get the info she needs.
When I go back to hand him the paperwork, He asks me if I was sending the info that the BB wanted......He laughs and says that I just got the message.

I said "yeah right" and made it a point to mock the way he laughs.

I love Caller ID, but hate it when people abuse it.

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This guys spends HOURS ON THE PHONE talking to his wife while all other calls go unanswered......

He has no work ethic so I know he has no phone manners,

In all my jobs I had to use the phone communication in a highly professional manner. Very often, people wanted to talk to "the nice person" they talked to on the phone when coming to the office :) But I can be a real *witch* (with a B) when I speak to an unprofessional or a rude person.