To be considering turning up at this womans office

[dilemma456]

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do you know who her boss is?

if you do or can find out I'd think about calling them

is it the sort of place that you could actually get into the office? or is it one of those huge places with a fierce receptionist?

is it work related?

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I wouldn't actually turn up, but I would threaten to. Call her again and when they say she's not there just cheerily reply that its not a problem, you're in the area so you'll pop in in an hour. Bet she calls you back then.

Email her, cc-ing in her boss, and state very clearly 'I need to speak to you urgently; this is what I need to speak to you about; I have left messages for you on this date, this date and this date. Here are all my numbers. Please call me now.' If you don't have the email addresses, just call and ask to speak to her and if/when you get the brush off, say 'Oh, I'll just email her - do you have her address?'

Gatekeeper! Don't you just hate them.

I usually up-the-ante and phone a manager higher up than her (and her boss) or get one of my senior managers involved. BUT I like LaBella's suggestion better.

Any chance that the office is old fashioned and has a fax machine?

Send a fax saying that calls not returned. Other people in office might read it and shame her into calling you back.

Try ringing another number in her office and from a phoneline that does not show up on the screen. They she can't screen your calls.

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Is it a contentious issue that you wish to discuss? Could there be a reason why she would be avoiding you?

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I don't think you should turn up to see someone at their office without an appointment.

Don't know what else to suggest apart from perseverence.

I used to get this quite a lot in my job.

After about the 4th time of ringing without actually being able to talk to the person, I would make this phone call

ME "can I speak to X please"

THEM "she's not available at the moment can I take a message"

ME "oh OK then. Would you tell her that I've rang 4 times now and that I would appreciate it if she had the courtesy to return my phone calls"

always worked. try it

I like LaBella's idea.

When you ring, do they ask who you are? If so, I would try saying you are someone else.

How did you get on in the end?

try asking to be put on hold until they are available - have done this sometimes and even if I've had to wait about 10 minutes, they're eventually embarassed enough to pick up the phone. nb. if you put it on speaker phone then you can carry on with doing something else whilst you are waiting. if that doesn't work then try the email/ fax route to someone more senior than her advising that you've tried to contact her several times and she has not had the courtesy to return your calls.

Might just be worth an e-mail saying that "Since you've tried to contact her so many times over past XX days and been told she would ring back, but never does, you can only assume she is looking for alternative employment and her heart isn't in it at this organisation, so you will be contacting someone higher, once you've dealt with a few other calls."

It might shake her into accepting that she needs to respond, or you will be questioning her abilities directly with someone higher, and painting her in the worst possible light!

It gives her an hour or so, in case she really is at lunch, but then you have every right to ignore her and contact the organisation at a higher level. I suppose you could do one last call, and if she's 'busy' then ask for the extension and name of "someone more senior" ... Why should you waste your time (and money) chasing her any further.

If you are asked to 'hold' before getting a name and number, then it will be because whoever is taking the calls knows it is Trouble with a capital T if this avoidance routine continues.