For wanting callers to default to calling my landline first.

[slowrun]

I prefer receiving calls on my landline. There is much better confidentiality. Sound quality is better. I can hear the ringer better. We also have a good quality answering machine. I also have a pen and paper handy, can write dates down and check diaries.

When I take my mobile out, I could be anywhere. I could be running or paying for something in a shop. So I cannot always give full attention to the call. I'm ok with a quick question and of course in an emergency I'm happy to be reached by my mobile.

However! if I give my mobile number out people seem to default to that. Hence I don't often but then end up ringing up to chase appointments if I'm going to be away from home.

AIBU? How do other people manage this?

Slarti, do you have a million hands though? Switching between screens whilst taking a call and making notes. All whilst you are out on a run or shopping or something. The old way is more relaxed. One thing at a time. And no worrying about phone reception.

I am in agreement with the OP. I work full time as do probably most of you, I can't pick up calls when I am at work and my mobile voicemail is much less clear than my landline answering machine. What particularly annoys me is my sisters ringing my mobile in the evening for a chat and then being annoyed that I don't take the call. My phone is more or less permanently on silent (because of work and because I DO HAVE A LANDLINE) so I don't hear it. They both have my landline number. The sound quality is better. So don't get bloody arsy about it if I don't answer - RING THE LANDLINE!

I always used to default to landline telephone calls to customers would try them twice then ring their mobile

my main requirement of a mobile phone is to be able to hold a battery charge for a 52 hour weekend shift without needing recharging, if necessary.

Ah, yes, the beauty of a brick!

I always used to default to landline telephone calls to customers would try them twice then ring their mobile

Now that's good customer service!

Not good customer service for us, we don’t have a phone plugged in to our landline

^Need an answer phone? Mobile.
Need to make notes? Mobile.
Need to check a diary or save a date? Mobile.

Are you getting the message OP? Come on, join us in the 21st century^

Tell that to the mobile networks. Many, many areas of the UK have little or no mobile signal.

We are in a mobile blackspot so phone calls can only be on landline. I never give my mobile number unless forced but some websites won't let you register without a mobile number.
My voicemail says "don't leave a message, ring my landline".
If I hang out of the window I can sometimes get a text.....

Can't you just ask people to ensure that they use your landline and contact your mobile in emergencies only?

Personally, I get really irritated when people call my landline instead of my mobile. I never listen to voice mails on the landline anyway, and mostly just ignore it when it rings. I never give out the number now, but a few people still have it from ages ago.

So I would hate it if landlines were the default option. FWIW, I'm also in my forties!

Can't you just ask people to ensure that they use your landline and contact your mobile in emergencies only?

That's what I would like. But many forms don't have an option for preferred number.

Haven’t had a landline in years. The only people whose landline I would ring is my PIL as they have one very rarely used mobile between them.

Not good customer service for us, we don’t have a phone plugged in to our landline 

Well, I am guessing you don't give the number out.

The only people whose landline I would ring is my PIL as they have one very rarely used mobile between them.

Has this thread made you reconsider, at all?

I probably did give it out when I registered for services to be honest as we used to have a landline plugged in to it. Calls were always spam though so unplugged it and gave the phone away.

I much prefer the landline too (& I'm in my 30s). Better call quality, privacy etc as others say. I don't give out my mobile number and it costs me credit to check the voicemails on it (so I don't).

We have pretty much no spam calls since the new stricter data laws. I just used to answer them and cease the call ASAP.

Just tell people and if they ring your mobile say 'I'm busy right now please call my landline later on 01....' ? I don't have a landline but I prefer to be at home when answering calls so I tell people to call back when I'm home if it's important

I'm busy right now please call my landline later on 01....' ?

I'd feel uncomfortable doing that with public services. And it is just a bit stressful. Then you arrange to ring them back and have to remember names and extension numbers.

I am with the OP, I much prefer being called on the landline.

I assume if my mobile rings when I'm out, that it is something urgent. I don't like it to be assumed that I can just drop everything to answer a call.

If I'm at home, I don't usually answer my mobile anyway(because it is in my bag in the cupboard and I won't hear it.)

I've trained my friends to call my landline as I never answer my mobile when their numbers come up. On the rare occasion one catches me (if I'm waiting for a call from a colleage or something and don't recognize the number) I ask them to call me back on the landline. And I don't answer texts either unless they're urgent. I will normally reply by email. Keep at it and people will get the message eventually.

I prefer my landline too. My mobile reception is rubbish at home and as you say I don’t want to be fielding non important calls when I’m out. I do also prefer a calendar I can put on the wall so I like to look at that for appointments. I think we might be a bit old fashioned though...

also prefer a calendar I can put on the wall so I like to look at that for appointments.

I really don't get how people can be taking a call and checking and entering dates a calendar all on one phone whilst out. I'd be just one big faffing fumbling wreck. Hence me avoiding this.

I agree totally OP. I find this mentality to always call the mobile lots of negative things!

I could be at work.

In a meeting.

On holiday.

Driving (particular issue and even if you (illegally) pick up the phone and say you are driving, they say "well can i just..." AAAAGH! NOOOOO! My fault for answering of course but in my defence both times I was actually expecting important calls from other people (in one case hospital).

I was on holiday a few weeks ago and had contacted someone by email. I asked for them to reply by email. But they phoned my mobile. Multiple times. I eventually blocked the number, and when I got back, gave them a roasting for (a) ignoring my wishes as a customer and (b) phoning me about 15 times in the space of half an hour.

If it is urgent, call the mobile. Urgent to me means eg the school calling because your child has banged their head.

Anything else, call the landline and wait until it's convenient for someone to speak to you. My landline shows missed calls, I can see who's calling on the display and I can ring back easily. My voicemail is switched off. There is no advantage to calling me on my mobile whatsoever.

People default to it because they think they are so important that you must speak to them NOW.

Put a message on your mobile answerphone saying please ring my landline number, easy!

I can't stand it when people ring my mobile in the evening. I switch it off and there's no voicemail, so if anyone complains they get the short shrift about it. I'm even less likely to answer the phone if I see a number starting with '07' on the caller ID because I know it will inevitably be some distorted, crackling sound quality and endless "can you hear me?"

When I spent two years working in a call centre, I used to dread taking calls from people on mobiles for that same reason.

It's bad enough that people can actually be reached anywhere now because of the pervasiveness of mobiles, and I just find it spectacularly intrusive. I don't get these idiots I see who wander about with their mobiles held out Apprentice-style, blithely walk out into traffic and will ignore people like cashiers because their conversation is obviously so important that it can't wait until they get home.

Even worse is when you're sitting in a hospital waiting area, typically A&E or radiology (but anywhere else I've been, hip fracture and urology wards excepted) where people can't seem to sit in silence or contemplation without feeling the need to Facetime their friends and family, because we're all so enthralled to here their conversations.

Oh, if only mobile phone blockers weren't illegal here. I'm in my 30's but can remember a time when few people had mobiles, and shockingly enough the world still managed to function.

BUT I don't want everyone to ring my landline. I want to be contactable on my mobile for emergencies or quick queries such as, 'I'm in town, do you want to meet up?'. I just want people to ring my landline first for appointments or chats etc. Granted, I'm wanting callers to use some discretion which seems to be too much.