Question: The Phone

Max Warasila

Max Warasila

Graduate
Feb 20, 2013
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Richmond, VA
Is it just me, or do people actually get kinda freaked out when you call them on the phone? Maybe it's just my particular high school age group, but people just seem to be weirded out the first time I call them; after a few times, they get that I call more often than text.

Just looking for a social thermometer outside of the tech laden teen generation.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

I know lots of people, too many perhaps, that straight up don't answer their phone. I don't get it but to each their own.

In my time spent on the phone, I find that about 50% of the people I talk to have any awareness of telephone etiquette. Back in my college days I worked various customer service jobs, you learn how to deal with "those" people, but it can still be aggravating when someone doesn't seem to get what I consider to be basic conversation skills.

FWIW, TMs usually get a pass if they display shitty phone manners, for obvious reasons.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Call me old fashioned-but I feel you can so much more done so much faster with a quick phone call.

You can go back and forth with emails/texts etc for awhile before you get done what could be done quickly with a phone call.

I hate hearing "Well I sent an email". How do you know the person received it? With a phone call you do.

Of course there is no "paper trail" with a phone call-so it depends on the situation.

A phone call is so much more personal.

At least to me
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Ivan Beaver said:
Call me old fashioned-but I feel you can so much more done so much faster with a quick phone call.

You can go back and forth with emails/texts etc for awhile before you get done what could be done quickly with a phone call.

I hate hearing "Well I sent an email". How do you know the person received it? With a phone call you do.

Of course there is no "paper trail" with a phone call-so it depends on the situation.

A phone call is so much more personal.

At least to me
Click to expand...

I agree 100%, you can cover so much more ground during a phone call. A few emails prior to and a follow up email or two after a one on one phone for a recap and to create the "paper trail" is what I generally do, just did that very thing yesterday advancing a show.

I don't text, you will have to make an old fashioned phone call to get a hold of me.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Well, I sit both camps. Conversations are better on the phone. Sending an address, phone # or email address is MUCH better in a text as you can click on it and go.
I don't answer the phone when in recording sessions or mixing a show but I may still need the basic information of the communication. I am on a different schedule than many of my contacts so phone conversations are not always possible.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

I thought texting was silly until I had it.

It's nice to be able to ask someone a question, and they can get back to you at their leisure (and vice versa).

Many folks seem to be more likely to answer a text than a voicemail.

One can have a text conversation whilst listening to tunes or watching the tube.

Having it in writing is nice, especially contact information. And if it's wrong, it's because they screwed it up :-)
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Max Warasila said:
Is it just me, or do people actually get kinda freaked out when you call them on the phone? Maybe it's just my particular high school age group, but people just seem to be weirded out the first time I call them; after a few times, they get that I call more often than text.

Just looking for a social thermometer outside of the tech laden teen generation.
Click to expand...

Great question. My answer is of course unique, both from my end (mid 50's) and the people I communicate with.

I like text, a lot. But only for nut and bolt things. So no intro/goodbys.
EG, "please package up 4 xxxx for shipping", "I am at the grocery store. Do you need anything?" "What time is the XX?" "Walkies?"
"Can you give me the phone number/tracking number for xxxx?"

Discussion, I want a phone call. If we go back and forth more than twice, that's a call. If it takes three pages of texting, that's a call. Or email.
Texting is not a paper trail. They disappear fast. If I want a paper trail, it's email.

Two weeks ago I had a very important discussion that would not pick up, finally did and was exacerbated at me.
"I sent a text!!" I am sure it went to my land line. I never got it. We are still at odds.

I have a problem with cell phone etiquette, or lack thereof.
I also have a problem in general with cell phones, I would rather talk on a land line. But back to cell phones.
Yes I have caller ID. No I don't use it all the time. A lot of the time when the phone rings, I am pushing boxes, walking the dog, or hiking.
As such, I will have on my polarizing sunglasses and can't read the ID, or just cause the phone is in the sun, I can't read it.

Introduce yourself!!

The worst offender is a friend of mine in his 60's. So annoying to me that he will not just say, "Hi Jack, this is ......"
Just starts talking. As if him and his question is the only thing on my mind. This is a weekly occurrence. We don't talk daily.
Which to me makes it even worse.
So the conversations get off to a rocky start. I know he thinks that his casualness is part of his charm. But to me, I want to be able to shift gears to talk to him (or anyone) and want that one line intro.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Jack Arnott said:
Introduce yourself!!

The worst offender is a friend of mine in his 60's. So annoying to me that he will not just say, "Hi Jack, this is ......"
Just starts talking.
Click to expand...

He's assuming you have Caller ID and already know who is calling.

I find it equally disturbing when I call someone and they answer "Hi Dave..." I'd at least like to get through the standard ritual of introducing myself.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

My Dad has an irrational fear of talking on the phone. I guess it comes from a lifetime of living pay check to pay check and dodging bill collectors.

He is actually much more comfortable with texting. In fact he was the reason that I had to upgrade to an unlimited texting plan. We will carry on whole conversations through out the evening through text instead of talking on the phone. And yes he does use that abbreviated texting language that is so popular with the kids these days (I do not, however).
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Ivan Beaver said:
I hate hearing "Well I sent an email". How do you know the person received it? With a phone call you do.

Of course there is no "paper trail" with a phone call-so it depends on the situation.
Click to expand...

I find it routine to undertake both about any given business-related topic. Lead with a phone call, and follow with an email that includes "Per our conversation [date, time]" near the top of the email. Business transactions need the paper trail and certainty that information was received/processed, which is often better served by a phone call.

Texting also has advantages for conveying information asynchronously, and in a manner that someone can get the information in the middle of a presentation and/or meeting a manner discrete to the other participants. Bailing out a colleague via text on a question in meetings is quite useful.
 
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Re: Question: The Phone

Eric Cagle said:
Texting also has an advantage of providing a written record. Usually I prefer a phone call but texting has its place.
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Texting may provide a written record for the sender, but not for the receiver- yesterday a guy (primarily Spanish speaking) sent a text to my home phone, all I got was an incomprehensible string of robotic Spanish, since my land line phones do not have text features.
He thought he'd given me the information I requested (the name of a band which I had mixed for him) but I had nothing.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Art Welter said:
Texting may provide a written record for the sender, but not for the receiver- yesterday a guy (primarily Spanish speaking) sent a text to my home phone, all I got was an incomprehensible string of robotic Spanish, since my land line phones do not have text features.
He thought he'd given me the information I requested (the name of a band which I had mixed for him) but I had nothing.
Click to expand...

His phone should have told him he had texted a land line almost immediately.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Art Welter said:
Texting may provide a written record for the sender, but not for the receiver- yesterday a guy (primarily Spanish speaking) sent a text to my home phone, all I got was an incomprehensible string of robotic Spanish, since my land line phones do not have text features.
He thought he'd given me the information I requested (the name of a band which I had mixed for him) but I had nothing.
Click to expand...

Depending on the wireless provider, they may also record transcripts of text messages which can be used in legal situations.

I've really enjoyed reading the opinions so far. There seems to be a lot of support for phone calls, as well as for almost everything else. There is also a surprising irritation with emails, but it is definitely founded. Fun stuff.
 
Re: Question: The Phone

Right tool for the right situation at the right time. text, email, voice mail, telephone call, face to face, registered mail, and via the lawyer.
All have advantages and disadvantages as most above have so eloquently stated.
Also as previously stated, the "audience" matters.
 
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