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?

I understand it but you really are getting bothered by nothing here.
If you were getting phone calls daily then I understand but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Is it really worth all the stress it seems to cause you?

Can you set your phone to do not disturb? Then one off calls don’t get through but someone repeatedly calling, like in an emergency, will do.

Can’t even remember when we dumped our landline, or more correctly, the phone plugged into it - it was so long ago.

It absolute honesty, the only people I know who use a landline are in their 80s. Taking actual notes with pen and paper, checking an actual diary? Seems a terribly old fashioned faff. But each to their own 😁

If you have a business landline as I do if you miss a call they you basically are burning pound notes so it's a slightly different issue. Quite a lot of businesses and offices do still have some kind of landline set up still.

Far more people would be angry if a message was left on a landline answering machine and no attempt was made to call on their mobiles.

Angry?! I don't know anyone who'd be angry about that. Why would they, unless the message was left during unsociable hours?

and let us not forget the new statistics out recently that the NHS has more fax machines used week in week out than I think anyone on the planet! Largest purchaser of fax machines www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/Health-Care-News/digital-doldrums-nhs-remains-worlds-largest-purchaser-of-fax-machines

I got rid of my fax machine - a sad day - and fax line about a year ago. Some UK courts (I am a lawyer) will accept fax but not email even now.

Simon, I'm not unduly stressed, just defending my position. I'm satisfied my way of doing things works. The reason for the thread is that this has been questioned on more than one occasion. I am pleased that I am not that unusual or old before my time!

OP i understand you completely. Its not about how many calls a day you receive etc It about it being intrusive and less confidential.

Yes, thank you, ItsHot.

One extra field on a form which would allow someone to be contacted much more reliably?

Some of these companies have millions of customers. Inputting an extra field in a form and checking it every time is a huge amount of extra admin for something that's not an issue for the majority of customers.

I prefer a landline OP.

Inputting an extra field in a form and checking it every time is a huge amount of extra admin for something that's not an issue for the majority of customers.

What is that conclusion based upon? An increasingly huge amount of data is collected. Forms are changed all the time. This thread demonstrates I am by no means alone in my thinking. This would be meaningful data which would save time in the long run because if people are contacted in a way which is convenient for them it is simply logical they will be more amenable to making plans and mistakes are less likely to be made.

Specifying a preference wouldn't help because if you weren't in they would just call the mobile anyway.

Sounds like you want to be able to write some sort of flow chart. "If the call is URGENT or TIME-SENSITIVE then go to step 4; else, continue to step 3"...

You might as well just give out the mobile number but only answer it if you want to take the call. Set up the voicemail and learn how to use it. It shouldn't be unreliable. When at home divert calls to your landline if you want, but it doesn't really make any difference.

malmi makes a difference to me. Mobile voicemails can be unreliable if reception is not good. My home phone answer machine is excellent. Added to this I aim to always answer my phones (in case it is important). Lots of people with old their number automatically, It makes sense to field the less urgent calls out, at source, if the caller will not use their own discretion in terms of what is urgent.

Withhold.

I use my landline/provide this number for general use, but the i spend actual real time with people i like so am clearly a young old fart

What is that conclusion based upon?

That I've never heard anyone in RL claim to have an issue with this.

That most people nowadays use their mobile's predominately and often don't have a landline or use it very infrequently.

A handful of people on MN agree with you, but that's hardly overwhelming support for the cause.

But if you want to lobby companies to introduce a preferred contact channel then knock yourself out. I just don't think you'll get far.

because if you weren't in they would just call the mobile anyway

Evidently. Though why, I don't know when I've a perfectly good answer machine.

Set up the voicemail and learn how to use it.

I do know how to do this and use it. I have chosen not to for the reasons I have already given. And why give your mobile number out if you are choosing not to answer it? What does that achieve? I do answer my mobile hence I am careful concerning who I give the number out to. If I am busy and digging around for my phone I don't want to take the extra time to decide if I am going to answer or not. The caller might cease their call before then.

That I've never heard anyone in RL claim to have an issue with this.

Well, my life is real so you have now.

The land-line feels oddly invasive to me now, because you can't put it on silent so it means people can always bother you to talk to them RIGHT NOW. I don't always want to talk. I might be bathing or napping. My mobile can be put on silent and notifies me if someone's called when I'm ready to look at it. I can also tell who's calling. I don't really get why anyone would prefer a land-line but they increasingly seem to be the preserve of the very elderly...

And why give your mobile number out if you are choosing not to answer it?

It's not choosing not to answer it, just choosing not to answer it RIGHT NOW...

Well, I answer because some important service providers automatically withhold their number. Caller ID doesn't work for that.

It's not complicated. Give your mobile number out, then answer it if you're at home or you're out and want to take the call. Otherwise let it go to voicemail.

Can you describe this 'unreliability' with the Voicemail? It doesn't rely on any mobile signal to work, so that doesn't make sense.

Can you describe this 'unreliability' with the Voicemail?

The sound quality is not as good as my answer machine.

It;'s the extra hassle for me of having to pick up a voicemail on the mobile as well as the usual voicemails on my work and home landlines - one extra task. If everyone just emailed it would all be a lot easier.

Give your mobile number out, then answer it if you're at home or you're out and want to take the call. Otherwise let it go to voicemail.

No thank you. I prefer my landline so like to use it for the reasons given above.