To think "who the fuck do you think you are?"

[CrotchBurn]

Okay I need to rant its friday and I have done 3 x 10 hour days back to back, I need wine and to release my anger

FYI this isnt for when its friends or family.

It's about people calling you: banks, clients or colleagues, insurance wanting to check something, whatever.

Its 2020. I'm sorry if you dont like it, but when you call me, you are intruding. We have WhatsApp, we have email. I get instant notifications on my phone. When you call me, you drag me out of whatever I'm doing (working usually) to demand my attention.

If it's about my bank account then guess what? Use your fucking fancy messaging system on the platform I'm assuming that's what it's there for and that way you will have a record.

If it's about work, guess what? I'm fucking working right now. On something that doesnt have to do with you. So send me an email and wait your turn. It's not all about you. And again: I would prefer to have what you say in writing.

Ooh and by the way you know voice messages? Yeah I dont listen to those. So you chat away but just FYI I listen to my voice messages except I dont, I just dial in and then hit 3 or whatever it is repeatedly until they are all deleted.

So dont waste my fucking time and stop jostling into my personal space. Seeing the missed call icon on my phone puts me on edge. If you are bored during lock down and need a human voice then I suggest you call a relative or friend. I AM BUSY. Oh and also: please dont email saying "would it be possible to arrange a call to discuss?". It wouldnt actually, see above.

Am I abnormal to hate this this much??

I work in an industry that is very tight deadline oriented. So I just dont understand why you wouldnt send what would literally be a two line email

YABU to expect everyone to communicate in the way it suits you to communicate because of your job.

I prefer to be emailed too, but not everyone does.

missing point of the thread...

My voicemail app transcribes the first few sentences of the message. It's not perfect but it's good enough to decide whether I want to listen to the message now, later, or just delete it.

@VinylDetective

I never answer my phone unless I recognise the caller. I’m not even slightly bothered by the missed call icon if the call’s from an unknown number. Maybe try not being on edge, it’s liberating.

Yep, me too. I often don't answer my phone even when I do recognise the caller. If I want to talk to them I call back when it's convenient. I also always have the ringer switched off so it just vibrates and doesn't disturb my peace and quiet.

Goodness, people.

OP wants to have a rant on a Friday night. If I were her, my next rant would be about people posting po-faced responses to something heartfelt but evidently lighthearted.

for you, OP.

I'm with you, I hate phone calls. My mum's the same!

"Chill the fuck out a bit". Someone needs to take their own advice.

I find emails far more onerous and time wasting, usually a phone call can sort issues really quickly and just take one email to firm up in writing if needed. Rather than going back and forth, no idea how long it will take someone to respond. I would find the bank whatsapping me so much more intrusive !

Turn off your notifications? Switch off your phone? Use airplane mode? Get rid of your phone? Plenty ways to manage the stress of getting phone calls, notifications etc.

with you 100% OP! I hate talking on the phone to anyone other than my best friend. and sometimes even then I cant be bothered. I'm also a big fan of the paper trail so prefer to have important discussions via email or text.

I get you op! Domestic and General called me the other day wanting to basically sell me some more insurance.

But they asked for my personal info - and were taken aback when I said 'no, you called me'. You know who I am as you called me on my personal number!

MNetter in 'Person Is Enraged When Their Phone Rings' shocker!!!

Woe betide anyone who knocks on your front door...

@DishyPyrex

Goodness, people.

OP wants to have a rant on a Friday night. If I were her, my next rant would be about people posting po-faced responses to something heartfelt but evidently lighthearted.

for you, OP.

I know tone doesn't always come across well in written language but lighthearted is certainly not the vibe I was getting!

I delete all my voicemails un-listened to as well. Life is too short to listen to people rambling on about whatever.

I pay for my phone for my convenience and not for that of other people. Calls are annoying - just because it's convenient for you to call me now doesn't mean it's convenient for me. My friends now trained to send me a text message first to ask if I want a phone call.

[quote CrotchBurn]@UnconsideredTrifles
I agree sometimes they are crucial but so often especially with work they are people calling to express quite literally EXACTLY what they wrote in their email. I honestly think a lot of people use phone calls to make themselves feel busy or something.

Maybe I should actually start responding and then at least save the numbers in my phone because right now I'm getting like 3 phone calls a day from numbers I dont recognise and its stressing me out.

I will hold my hands up and admit I had a gruelling work week though where it was basically work, come home, eat, go to bed. I've been working to ultra tight deadlines where a 20 min phone call would actually significantly delay me so admittedly it was a bad week. I do tend to feel like this generally though but to a lesser extent[/quote]
If you work a 10 hour shift then surely you have more time than to just eat, sleep and work? If you work 8-6, come home, eat and then you go to bed at 7/8pm?

I hate when people ring and dont leave a voicemail!

I just nicely ask if they can call back later or if it's something spammy like an accident I just say no I haven't, sorry I'm not interested, thank you for your time, have a nice day.

Why be nasty to someone just doing their job.

To think "who the fuck do you think you are?

Huh? They are people working, as you are, whose job during the work day is to call people. Don’t like it, don’t answer it.

I'm with you all the way when it comes to phone calls - when I'm busy it's much easier to deal with emails or texts that I can respond to in my own time rather than interrupting what I'm doing to answer the phone. Also, as you say, phone calls always take longer than emails anyway. However, I don't get that worked up about it because I work on the basis that I'll have a quick look at who's calling and will answer if it's someone I want to talk to and if I'm available at the time.

What I don't understand, however, is what you have against voicemails. I'm perfectly happy to deal with those because I can do so when it's convenient to me. It doesn't take long to go through those, particularly on loudspeaker, so I can make a quick note of the ones I actually want to respond to and can delete the spam calls very quickly.

[quote CrotchBurn]@thepeopleversuswork
You've hit the nail on the head.

I think what I struggle with is understanding the WHY of it and how that relates to time. I work in an industry that is very tight deadline oriented. So I just dont understand why you wouldnt send what would literally be a two line email, rather than force me to engage in a 15 minute conversation that involves you repeating the same thing, with different turns of phrase. I'm actually very good at what I do for people sniffing at me - I just find it stressful when people eat into my time for reasons that only they know. That's not because I think I'm special. It's because I have limited amounts of time available to me in a working day.

I just listened to the first voice mail on my list which was from my bank saying she had seen I have requested my other bank transfer my savings over to them and wondering if we could talk. NO!!!!! I dont want to have a conversation about why I am changing banks!!!!! Your fees are too high, YOU are too unavailable and you have also sold me shit loads of products I dont need (that's on me for accepting, I get that), and now I am LEAVING YOU. Please do not try and call me!

Still, seems like a quarter of people agree with me. I guess for the time being I need to change my mindset towards phone calls somehow or else this will keep stressing me out. Maybe it's a generational thing too[/quote]
I hate this sort of thing too, which is why I try to conduct as much as possible over email.

I generally only answer my phone to a very small group of family and friends, or e.g. if I'm expecting a call from a company. My answer phone message asks unknowns to leave a message if they expect me to get back to them. Most don't as they're just trying to sell me stuff.

I don't process information well over the phone, so prefer to have arrangements etc. in writing anyway. That way there's a record of what's been agreed.

I'm with you @CrotchBurn. Fuck 'em. We can have a 'bad attitude' together. I don't care.

btw I love my fitbit for the fact that I can set up which phone apps I want to be connected to it and then leave my phone in another room while Im working. I can silence the calls I dont want to take, answer the ones I do want to take through my bluetooth earphones and if an important text or whatsapp comes through I can go and get the phone. but Im not constantly disturbed by buzzing from app/ facebook notifications.

OP I'm like that with my mother as well 😂 and a couple other family members that repeatedly call without consideration for the time of day.

I tell my mother repeatedly to first message and ask if I'm free for a chat (and that just because I'm at home doesn't mean I'm free) and she does it for a bit then goes back to just ringing. And it's ALWAYS a video call too.

You ticked every box for me on why I don't like phone calls.

THAT being said, I do answer phone calls from unknown numbers in case it's the doctor's etc, I don't subscribe to that 'don't answer the phone or door' group on MN

Yanbu.
Fuck off . I do not speak to randoms
Have no problem ignoring unknown callers
Always ignore numbers I don’t recognise
I look them up on who called me and usually block.

I hate the fact that people think because you have w phone. You’re contactable 24/7. I had someone message me 47 times in a 24 hr period. Because it was my child’s birthday!

I mean come on. I also don’t listen to voicemails. But it doesn’t bother me. I also don’t answer my home phone. Ever.

I regularly don’t even go out without my phone! For days! Gasp!

@Harrisismyparadise

You dont work do you?

If working a ten hour day stresses you out to this extent, you need to look at whether you should keep working. You’ll give yourself a heart attack getting this worked up about nothing.

Oh and I email so mr shit wicks can’t say “you said I would have .. whatever by Tuesday“ when I did not.