Why do people answer the phone if they are in the middle of something important?

[Gary Fowler]

My biggest pet peeve is when:
I'm standing in a line at a store, or some such, politely waiting my turn like everybody else, and then the person behind the counter ignores all the real life people standing in front of them (with real sales $) to answer the phone for a possible sale! How is it the caller gets to skip to the head of the line just because they called?! What an insult.

It's at those time I wished I carried a cell phone (I don't! I'm possibly the last man in the world who doesn't). If I had one I'd call the store while standing three people back in line and talk loudly to the counterperson and ask my question! Maybe then they realize how rude it is to take the call. Of course everybody in line would be p*ssed at me!! Instead I just have to loudly comment "Guess I should had called instead of waiting here!"

(They should put caller on hold until it's their turn.)

My thoughts exactly. Why does a phone call get the first attention when a customer is thoughtful enough to show up in person. I have been tempted to just drop my purchase and walk out when a sale person gets on the phone for a lengthy time ignoring standing customers with purchases. I know that they consider persons in line a for certain sale and the phone a maybe which they don't want to loose, but common curtesy should dictate that the in person customer gets first attention. If they need to answer the phone, do so and put the phone caller on hold till all in store customers are taken care of. If a business has so many phone questions that the cashier cant wait on in store customers, maybe they should hire someone to just answer the phone.

I never use voice mail on my phone, if someone leaves a voice message it rarely even gets checked. If someone wants to talk to me, they better keep calling till they get me. I will check for text messages occasionally. When I am home, my phone sets on the counter and I may answer it if I get to it in time. If I am outside, the phone stays inside. Cell phone is for my convenience not other folks. If someone really needs me, they can call the wife, she always answers her phone (unless it is me calling and she is on the phone, then she just ignores it.)

 

[Shaneard]

My biggest pet peeve is when:
I'm standing in a line at a store, or some such, politely waiting my turn like everybody else, and then the person behind the counter ignores all the real life people standing in front of them (with real sales $) to answer the phone for a possible sale! How is it the caller gets to skip to the head of the line just because they called?! What an insult.

It's at those time I wished I carried a cell phone (I don't! I'm possibly the last man in the world who doesn't). If I had one I'd call the store while standing three people back in line and talk loudly to the counterperson and ask my question! Maybe then they realize how rude it is to take the call. Of course everybody in line would be p*ssed at me!! Instead I just have to loudly comment "Guess I should had called instead of waiting here!"

(They should put caller on hold until it's their turn.)

This is really a double standard here, I can't stand being at a parts counter and the phone rings and me being put on hold so they can talk to a customer on the phone BUT when I call I get frustrated they don't pick up because they are waiting on someone, if you can put me on hold when I'm in front of you why can't I be at the head of the line when I'm not there? UGH, lol.

 

[MitchellB]

Over the years we get so many sales calls on the landline, that I just stopped answering the home phone altogether unless I see a name pop up on the screen that I want to talk to. Thank goodness for answering machines. My cell phone is still an old flip-phone (replaced the battery several times) that just keeps going and going. Most of the time it is off and I only use it as a last resort. I'm still on an old pay as you go plan that costs as little as 15 cents a month. I'm a ham radio operator, but for some reason I have grown to hate communicating on telephones. My wife and almost everyone I see now days seem to be attached to there phone to the point it seems like a living being that needs their constant attention that is more important to answer and talk to than the human being in front of them or their task at hand. I guess I've turned into a crotchety old man, but to me the phone has become an invasion of privacy and the people who at so attached to them downright rude to those around them about their phone's level of social importance.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I rarely answer the phone if I don't recognize the number. The problem is all those new exchanges. But, than, everyone should use their name for ID. I'm surprised the telemarketers don't get smart and use some generic name. Richard Smith. I would answer that.

I won't do business with someone that answers a call in the middle of our conversation without excusing themself, for a good reason.

I also pretty much ended a few relationships where people got rid of their hard wired lines in favor of a crappy cell phone. Telephone tag, dropped calls, distraction, noisy calls. I can't be bothered.

 

[cqaigy2]

My biggest pet peeve is when:
I'm standing in a line at a store, or some such, politely waiting my turn like everybody else, and then the person behind the counter ignores all the real life people standing in front of them (with real sales $) to answer the phone for a possible sale! How is it the caller gets to skip to the head of the line just because they called?! What an insult.

It's at those time I wished I carried a cell phone (I don't! I'm possibly the last man in the world who doesn't). If I had one I'd call the store while standing three people back in line and talk loudly to the counterperson and ask my question! Maybe then they realize how rude it is to take the call. Of course everybody in line would be p*ssed at me!! Instead I just have to loudly comment "Guess I should had called instead of waiting here!"

(They should put caller on hold until it's their turn.)

This here.

Before cell phones were common, standing at the counter of auto parts store, only to be held up by phone call after phone call to said parts store. I had been waiting for what seemed to me, about 15 minutes. I pulled out my cell phone and called the parts store and asked them my question, while standing at the counter. The clerk was talking to me and his eyes started to wander over toward me and noticed i was on my phone, talking to him.

 

[Citydude]

I don't either. I just put it in my pocket and carry it there. Can't see the point of finding a box and tape and packing peanuts and all.

;-)

 

[Looking4new]

My Grandfather and I were in the basement of the drug store one day taking inventory.....The phone rings and he continued doing the inventory. Aren't you going to answer it I asked. His response was if it is important they will call back.
That is the way I feel about phone calls. Voice mail makes it so much easier to ignore other people.:thumbsup:

 

[Jstpssng]

I was in the local general store one day and a customer with a cell phone was trying to talk to somebody who was apparently working on his car. The mechanic must have really needed the money because all of the time I was in the store all that I could hear was "I can hear you, can you hear me?" If I was on either end of that conversation it would have been a rather brief phone call.

 

[ultrarunner]

My message on the house states, "If you are a Telemarketer Hang Up NOW!

Back when I had a personal Cell... I never went over the 10 minutes a month that were included...

With the company phone the plan is 1000 minutes for $100... no data but each text is billed as 1 minute.

1000 minutes use to last about 18 months... but the boss decided to circulate my number and maybe 10 weeks now... so many calls originate in the Hospital while I am in the building!

 

[bunyip]

My message on the house states, "If you are a Telemarketer Hand Up NOW!

Mine was similar, if you are calling from India, selling anything, comparing power bills please go away and annoy someone else.........