Recently I’ve had the experience of calling people, leaving a message when they did not answer, and then immediately getting a phone call back from them, asking me “Who is this? Why did you call my phone?” (They have not listened to the message I left for them.)
Now, there are times when I see a number on my phone that I don’t recognize, so I let it go to voicemail. Then I check the voicemail, and I call them back, as promised in my outgoing message. If the person doesn’t leave a voicemail, I don’t call the number. I figure, if they want to talk to me, they’ll leave a message or call me back.
Do you fall into the category of people who call unknown numbers back? Please enlighten me so as to subdue my ornery-ness.
Wow, total new pet peeve post.
Don’t even get me started on cell phone use in public or the blue tooth ear piece in the ready position.
Agreed. I find it annoying as well. Maybe the person that is calling back without listening to your message thinks they’re doing you a favor by getting back to you so quickly, but really it’s just irritating because then you have to say the same thing again. Blarg.
When they start interrogating you, just ask if they listened to your message. This may help get the point of etiquette across.
If I know the person who is calling and they leave a message, sometimes I go straight to the callback. Easier for situations like ‘hey i’m calling to ask where you are, we were supposed to meet up,’ to just call back and say ‘hey i’m checking my campus mail’ than call voicemail first.
If I do not know the person who is calling, and they do not leave a message, I go home and google their phone number. Or I facebook search it. Or I check my Outlook contacts. Then I harass everyone I know ‘do you know xxx-xxx-xxxx?’
I’m an odd duck
I don’t call unknown numbers back if they don’t leave a message. Just thought I’d weigh in.
Hey Laura!
I am so with you on the bluetooth headpiece thing! We have a woman at our church who wears hers during the service. The whole time! Ugh. I just want to ask her if she’s expecting God to contact her via cell phone or something.
Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
i don’t think they have a clue how funny it looks and how it seems to make everyone else, who is there “in person”, seem inconsequential.
If someone does not leave a message, even if I know them, I do not call them back. People make so many unimportant calls, so if they do not leave a message I assume they just wanted to chat or make a last minute plan that I have missed or they were bored. If it is important, they will leave a message. The one exception to this rule is if someone in my immediate family calls more than once and does not leave a message.
Blue tooth devices: They are not jewelry, they make people look ridiculous, and unless you are the President of the United States of America your calls are not so important that you can’t call them back when everyone else doesn’t have to listen to you. (See comments above.)