To not answer "withheld" phone calls

[Mistressmiggins]

Why should I answer the phone? I don't know who they are. Or do you all answer out of curiosity?

Evans that was a bit tongue in cheek but you people who make a big thing of number withheld do cause extra work. It's not money- grubbing. Law firms frequently fee on time and line basis. If I've spent extra time trying to contact you caused entirely by your refusal to pick up the phone you might get billed.

The nice police person on here simply gives up trying to reunite you with your lost property; the NHS person unfortunately hasn't the option of billing you or giving up; she just has to waste time keeping trying.

Because it is perfectly possible for the switchboard number to show up rather than an extension number. All 4 universities I've worked at have managed to sort that out so I'd imagine the NHS and the police could do.

peggyundercrackers - what's "ignorant" about not answering your phone - I genuinely don't understand why the person who's calling feels that they other person has an obligation to answer the phone. If you're calling someone how do you even know they have their phone with them or have heard it ring if they do?

Same here. Never answer our landline now as it is always a recorded message or overseas call centre. I have registered with TPS but makes no difference. I could pay BT to block withheld numbers but I begrudge being charged for that service. Everyone uses my mobile n

Almost all number withheld calls are DH calling from work. His company hide all outgoing numbers.

The only ones I don't answer are international calls as they are always cold callers.

Oooops. Bloody phone!
Everyone uses my mobile number so the landline is only there for broadband.

I've turned my voicemail back on because of this thread so a message can be left. My son's nursery, the gp, police, and hospital don't use a withheld number, so I've not missed a call from them, although I don't often get withheld number calls anyway

But even if police/nhs show a number people still won't answer as they have said on the thread they don't answer calls with numbers they don't recognise.

Calamitous if I phone you from my office if it were to show the switchboard and you were there to see it- then fine. If you were not there and you dial 1471 you will get the switchboard number. If you don't have an answer machine so I can't leave a message then the telephonist can't possibly find out who of several 100 people called you. That is why the number is withheld.

If I call you it is from my direct line but as far as the telephone system is concerned all outgoing calls route out through the main switchboard number.

It's not that the police, the NHS or my office are trying to hide our numbers, we simply don't want our telephonists walking out because Ms Calamitous is insisting they check every single employee because someone called.

As an nhs worker I waste so much of my time trying to contact people who don't answer phone to witheld numbers- it's infuriating, especially as I might only have ten min between patients so then if they don't answer I do my next call which invariably means that when the original one rings me back after having listened to answer machine message my phone is engaged and they have to leave a message for me! Then when I try and ring them back they dont answer again!!!' Aargh! Writing a letter instead isn't always appropriate and takes so much longer!
Also husband works for police and he often has to use his own mobile phone to ring victims etc so withholds his number - again when people don't answer it means his job is ten times harder.
Personally if I answer and it's someone selling me something I just say- no thanks and please take me off the list, or if automated automatically put phone down- no biggie.

Sorry "who out of several 100 people might have called you" This used to happen. That is why businesses started using number withheld as people did use 1471 and would not believe it wasn't possible to identify the specific employee who called.

Most of the time I answer them, I hate leaving the phone ringing.

If DD is not with me I wouldn't dream of not answering.

Anotheronesoon thank you, thank you. You get it!

What is the big deal about not answering? If you don't want to speak then just hang up. Whoever is calling already has your number.

But it is incredibly useful for the person calling back to know that x hospital or x police or x university called. Within the context of their lives they'll probably be able to work out who was calling them and have an idea of why.

And, if they weren't in any way expecting a phone call from the police or hospital or whatever, they'll be likely to answer if you call back.

Our local hospital did leave an actual number when they last called me (during a lecture when I wouldn't answer anyway). I called back, got the switchboard and could work out that it would be the appointments confirmation service for my appointment that week.

I never answer withheld on the landline or my mobile phone. My DP says I should as it could be school/Dr, but I'm of the thinking that if it's important, a message will be left.

And I'd never expect the switchboard to know who called me. That would be stupid.

In fact. It doesn't even need up go back to anything mor than a record message saying 'someone from x hospital phoned you'. Then the switchboard people don't need to be irritated by arseholes demanding they check with every employee on their behalf.

Schools always seem to have with held numbers, hence I do answer them esp on the mobile.

I never answer them. Our docs, schools etc all display numbers. I never answer a number I don't know on the landline or mobile.

I work in a hospital and often have to call patients. Our system automatically withholds the hospital number and it drives me nuts when people don't pick up as I am usually trying to let them know that clinic has been cancelled or changed and stopping them making unnecessary journeys.

PeggyUndercrackers - what on earth could be ignorant about not answering my phone? It is my phone, in my home, I will choose whether or not to answer it. I think someone calling me in my own home on my own phone with a withheld number is the ignorant party. To my mind it is the equivalent of an unwanted door-knocker. If you wish to be known, then make yourself known. Otherwise, don't bother me (or leave a message and I will call you back). Large companies who "have to" have withheld numbers are still capable of leaving messages, surely?

Not everyone is always able to answer their phone - people are often busy doing other things, often not even at home. How can that possibly make someone ignorant?

I always answer withheld calls, they are usually from the GP, or one of ds's consultants - it is bloody impossible to get hold of them so they always call back (usually whilst I am out on the school run) and never leave a message.

yabvu, where i used to work we had to withhold number as it was a VoIP phone system that only assigned numbers to inbound calls (or some shite) apparently it would have cost money we didn't have to stop the withheld number business. (voluntary org.)

the amount of people that had been told they would be getting a call at (x time) from a withheld number, failed to answer or check their voicemail then rang back to complain no one had bothered to phone them!!

the only withheld numbers that ever phone me are the doctors, dentist, and automated PPI calls none of which are particularly back-breaking to deal with... the real arseholes don't bother withholding their number!

I never answer withheld number calls, or any number I don't recognise actually.

If it is important they will call back.

My GP/DC schools and local hospital doesn't have withheld numbers and all have left messages on my non personal/generic answering service.

Also, the police have called me and left messages too. I don't understand all these callers who are too important to leave a message. I used to work for a debt collection agency and we were allowed legally to leave messages saying it is XYZ company, please call us on "number".

YANBU we used to answer withheld phone calls as a friend of ours withholds his number for some reason. Then one Of my DDs started getting stupid phone calls from her peers at school who were bullying her. So we stopped answering them and haven't done for years. If it"s importent then people can leave a message