[Velocity Girl]

So, you're speaking with someone and their phone rings.....should they answer it or continue their conversation with you?

If I'm just BSing with someone, by all means, take your call. But if we're discussing buisness, why does the phone call take priority over the conversation we're having? If you see the Caller ID and know it's a critical call you can politely excuse yourself, but otherwise I think it's just rude :mumble:

 

[BikeGeek]

I only answer if it's mission-critical, otherwise, that's what voice mail is for.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Ahhhh..... it's work. Who give a f**k what they do? Let 'em do whatever the hell they want. :mumble:

-S.S.-

 

[clancy98]

who lets their phone ring out loud at work anymore?

 

[JRB]

Depends on whether or not I have something I am expecting. Usually no. If you let voicemails stack up, that is exactly what they are doing, stacking up.

 

[pnj]

we don't have caller ID and all of our calls are critical.

I just excuse myself from the conversation I'm having (that I don't want to be having anyway) and answer the phone.

 

[Cooter Brown]

kinda like when you're in an auto parts store or something and the phone rings and they leave you standing at the counter while they run to answer that f#cking phone, like that ringing sound is more important than a customer that took time out of their day to come into your POS store, and then to get treated like that

pisses me smooth the f#ck off

 

[llkoolkeg]

I hate the telephone. I wish I only had to use it to put out fires. Email is way more efficient and concise. Too many people call me up just to ask stupid questions or chat, so I only answer the phone if I recognize the caller on Caller ID as someone I NEED to speak with in person. The rest of the punks get VM, which I can review and prioritize w/o being trapped on the phone by a chatty cathy.

 

[Snacks]

I never answer my phone at work unless it's one of the owners calling. Too many people call me with dingalingy questions I would rather listen to their voice mail and respond via email.

The least amount of human contact the better :nuts:

 

[Velocity Girl]

who lets their phone ring out loud at work anymore?

Our desk phone ringers can't be turned completely off. And suprisngly enough some people haven't figured out how to silence their phones yet!

 

[Toshi]

The least amount of human contact the better :nuts:

i agree completely! heh

 

[Ciaran]

I never answer my phone at work unless it's one of the owners calling. Too many people call me with dingalingy questions I would rather listen to their voice mail and respond via email.

The least amount of human contact the better :nuts:

Our boss actually tells our clients that she does not expect us to return voice messages. Of course since I am "Your company's computer guy" they should be calling the help desk anyway, and not me.

I am not a big fan of people anyway.

 

[ummbikes]

I am the service manager/cheif fire fighter for my company, we are a IT service provider. I never take a call while speaking with a client in person. Never. We charge way too much to risk pissing off a client.

My clients know the best way to get my attention is a e-mail. I have told them all that they can assume wires will get crossed if they atempt to discuss an issue with me on my cell phone, and I rarely answer my desk phone.

Voice mails, and e-mail is how it is done anymore.

 

[sanjuro]

I worked in a bike shop in NYC when I was a teenager. We were so busy most of the time, if I was on the phone longer than 10 seconds with a customer, the manager would hang it up!!!

 

[Rockland]

I have the do not disturb button activated on my phone. The secretary can tell it's on from her little control center, and gets pissed. Ahaha, no one gets through to me!

 

[Jr_Bullit]

We have an office rule that no phone goes un-answered if at all possible. But - if in a conversation, you obviously can't just turn and grab the phone...unless you're just BSing.

So we set it up so all phones have a backup, and after it rings privately on your line 3 times, it rings somewhere else for 3 beeps, then somewhere else (flashing quietly on the original phone as well). After 9 rings they're entered into the VM system, and can opt out and continue waiting for someone to grab it or leave a message.

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

It really depends. Do you want to be talking to the person in your office? If so, then let the phone go to VM (unless of course you recognize the # and want to talk to that person more) We have a button on our phones that will send a call straight into VM (do not disturb) if its not urgent.



If you dont want to be talking to the person in your office, use the phone as a quick way of ending the conversation.

For example...

Hey Dingleberry I dont have time to explain this to you for the 41365423 time today, so I am going to take this call. Now go try to figure out the task yourself for the next 4 hours. If you cant get it by then, the next time I get bored surfing the or get up to take a leak I'll stop by and help you. :nuts:

 

[PsychO!1]

I worked in a bike shop in NYC when I was a teenager. We were so busy most of the time, if I was on the phone longer than 10 seconds with a customer, the manager would hang it up!!!

Not anserwing and referring a call to voicemal in an office environment is one thing, but in a retail environment, that sounds like crappy customer service to me. If i was hung up on after 10 seconds, i would march down to the store and raise holy hell in middle of your busy ass!!!

 

[Snacks]

When I see someone coming towards my desk I don't want to talk to (this one woman in my office has the worse breath ever ) I pick up my phone and act like I'm talking so she leaves me alone :evil:

 

[MTB_Rob_NC]

When I see someone coming towards my desk I don't want to talk to (this one woman in my office has the worse breath ever ) I pick up my phone and act like I'm talking so she leaves me alone :evil:

Instead of constantly avoiding the problem why dont you pick up a pack of breath mints and throw them at her?

Once I laid those fat blocker pills across my door threshold, they did not work, the fat people that bother me at work made it by.

 

[Velocity Girl]

Once I laid those fat blocker pills across my door threshold, they did not work, the fat people that bother me at work made it by.

LOL!!!!!!!

 

[sanjuro]

Not anserwing and referring a call to voicemal in an office environment is one thing, but in a retail environment, that sounds like crappy customer service to me. If i was hung up on after 10 seconds, i would march down to the store and raise holy hell in middle of your busy ass!!!

I totally agree! My old manager was a huge b*tch! Another classic case of New York rudeness. I am always accomodating on the phone now, although if I am busy, I mention that I am busy and that they should come in and talk in person.

Occasionally friends of my new shop call and want to yabber while I am busy, and I remind them about this story.

But one time after closing, someone called up and wanted me to explain over the telephone how to use his new pump on a presta valve. I talked for 10 fruitless minutes while my fellow employees were waiting impatiently to leave, until he told me he bought the pump at Target! I told him to call them for help, and then I hung up!!!

 

[Barbaton]

My boss drives me crazy answering his 3 phones during meetings all the time. He's ADD to begin with. There are proactive strategies, though. I've rerouted meetings to alternate locations/lunch where phone lines or email aren't so prevalent so we can have good conversations.

Personally I don't answer my phone during a meeting unless it's someone who only calls for critical things. On my office phone, I just signed up for this new service where the phone office sends you an email with the voice message attached as mp3. This means I don't have to be at my desk to respond to voice mail, I don't have to call the voice mail and listen through the stupid menus, and gives me a searchable way to store old messages.

 

[llkoolkeg]

On my office phone, I just signed up for this new service where the phone office sends you an email with the voice message attached as mp3. This means I don't have to be at my desk to respond to voice mail, I don't have to call the voice mail and listen through the stupid menus, and gives me a searchable way to store old messages.

I have a cisco ip phone, and it does the same thing. I don't even remember what my voicemail logon is!

 

[DamienC]

When I see someone coming towards my desk I don't want to talk to (this one woman in my office has the worse breath ever ) I pick up my phone and act like I'm talking so she leaves me alone :evil:

Heh heh...reminds me of this .