Questions tagged [phone-calls]
For questions that involve talking on the phone with someone.
45
questions
1
vote
1
answer
363
views
How do I lovingly end conversations without being rude?
I get overwhelmed with social interaction very quickly and can only handle so much at a certain time. Is there a socially appropriate way to initiate a conversation with a time limit?
When I'm ...
7
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Is it customary in the US not to say "bye" after a phone call? [closed]
I am French and we end our phone conversations with the equivalent of a "bye".
I noticed however that in most of the US movies or TV series (especially the police/action ones), the callers ...
- 2,514
5
votes
3
answers
836
views
How to calm a panicking grandmother over the phone?
My grandfather is having health issues. Last week, he was complaining about being tired, sleeping a lot and acting confused (can't find his way to the bathroom, that kind of stuff). He had a very ...
- 33.8k
2
votes
1
answer
413
views
How do I regain rapport with a recruiter whose phone screen meeting I missed?
Background
Today I had a scheduling mishap for a phone screening with a recruiter. She had the meeting scheduled at 1:30 p.m., and I sincerely thought it was scheduled at 3:00p.m. I work in an area ...
- 564
0
votes
1
answer
559
views
How to ask a C-level executive to fix their smoke detector?
A c-level executive at my company (US, ~300 employees) has a low battery in their smoke detector. While this person is on calls the periodic beeping is extremely distracting and annoying to me. There ...
- 115
14
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How to ask my mother to stop giving me unsolicited (health related) advices?
I have a lot of mental health issues and my mother tends to think that fixing my life is her duty. As such, she will often give me unsolicited health advice so that I could get "better".
She would ...
- 17.2k
4
votes
1
answer
628
views
How can I approach the situation where I feel I’m neglected?
I’m the youngest child out of three and I’ve felt passive and alone most of the time since I was a kid. My oldest siblings were and are closer to each other (now even physically since I’m abroad). ...
- 141
19
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to stop people from assuming I am female on the telephone?
Despite being male (both genetically and self-identified), I sound like, as a friend once stated, "an 8 year old girl". My voice is very high pitched and child-like due to brain cancer.
This is ...
- 293
13
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How do express my condolences, when I couldn't show up at the funeral?
Two days ago, one of my old relatives passed away. His family lives 900km away and due to my job, I couldn't show up at funeral. Where I live it's important to show up.
I've thought of calling his ...
- 131
8
votes
1
answer
367
views
How to approach someone who keeps interrupting conversations?
There's a person whom I think is genuinely my friend. He's showed a consistent willingness to help me out and talk to me in a friendly manner, and even sometimes calls me to start a conversation. ...
- 81
8
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Contacting a friend when I haven't heard from them in weeks
Background
Online I got some friends who I regularly play games with, these aren't just people on the internet you meet for me. I know a lot of things about them and we've been friends for a long time....
- 1,136
1
vote
1
answer
213
views
How to ask a 3rd party to tell someone to contact me?
I am looking for information on my estranged father of 20 years.
I found the sister of his old best friend on Facebook. Her name is Lily. Lily told me her brother George lived with my father for many ...
- 1,965
3
votes
2
answers
905
views
How to tell my SO to limit our phone conversations?
My girlfriend rings my phone each and every day, and I have to talk to her 30-60 minutes.
I'm kind of sick of the phone as of yet. How can I tell her that without hurting her feelings?
Additional, ...
- 133
8
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How can I end a phone-call with my aunt without sounding rude?
I'm terrible at phone calls. I don't know how to put an end to them if the other person doesn't take the initiative to put an end to them themselves. This is generally not a problem except with my ...
- 17.2k
9
votes
4
answers
4k
views
Friend's controlling girlfriend is always listening to his phone calls with me. How to stop this?
Every time I call my friend he puts me on speaker. I don't know why but I know his girlfriend is controlling and is always in his life 24/7. How do I get a private conversation without sounding like I'...
- 774
39
votes
4
answers
36k
views
How can I get my friend to stop calling me every day? [duplicate]
I have a close friend who I have been very supportive of each-other and it's been a relatively decent friendship but lately it's gotten out of hand.
My friend calls me 3 to 4 times a day and texts me ...
- 351
2
votes
0
answers
174
views
How to act more politely despite of beng mixed up? [closed]
Today again I called up a colleague and potential boss to ask about my application status to his department but totally forgot to greet him and ask how he is doing etc.
Partly in our nerdy ...
- 227
3
votes
3
answers
367
views
How to ask estate agents to postpone property visit? [closed]
Background
I am the sole tenant of a rented apartment. Periodically the estate agents managing the property perform visits to check the state of the building.
I work away from home for extended ...
- 141
6
votes
3
answers
516
views
Giving notice via the phone [closed]
I am aware that it's more polite to give your employer notice in person, however the office I work in is not the same as my Line Manager. In order to give notice in person I would have to travel some ...
- 1,763
15
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How to end a work conversation on the phone?
I was recently hired for this awesome job. My boss is in another location in the country which requires me to teleconference with her. Her time zone is a few hours behind mine and since she is so busy ...
2
votes
4
answers
837
views
How to keep passengers off the phone
I am often the driver for friends and family whenever we travel, whether short or long distances. This is mostly due to the fact that I have the best track record, reflexes, judgement, etc. on the ...
- 3,260
32
votes
3
answers
16k
views
How to ask a casual acquaintance for phone number without being awkward?
I commute to work every day and there is a woman I talk to every day because we take the same train. I've been talking to this woman for a few months (4+). We chat for a few minutes before the train ...
- 1,965
23
votes
4
answers
3k
views
A stranger keeps calling and is confused that my phone number is his friend's old phone number
A man called me a few times today- I'll refer to him as "Bill". He was looking for a man named Wayne. He is pretty upset that Wayne's old number happens to now be my number. He explained that he has ...
- 1,906
3
votes
1
answer
966
views
How can I cancel an appointment politely? [closed]
I have never gone to a dentist, maybe just one or twice in my entire life. I found a dentist who has his office next to my home and in my desperation for my dental hygiene, I made an appointment for ...
- 724
-2
votes
2
answers
316
views
How To Have Better Outcome After Speaking on the Phone [closed]
I have anxiety using the phone to ask for information. Somehow I end up forgetting something and then have to make at least another call. Or I get rude service (which I don't have time to complain ...
- 1,045
55
votes
13
answers
18k
views
How can I ask (or determine) if someone on the phone is human without offending them?
I recently saw a doctor about a minor medical problem. This is the first time I saw this doctor . After the appointment I asked my doctor a follow-up question via my insurance company's website. I got ...
- 593
4
votes
3
answers
719
views
How do I get people to stop excessively calling me on the phone without alienating them
I am not good with phones. Never have been, and likely never will be.
Part of this is due to my severe hearing impairment, which makes spoken communication difficult at the best of times.
Part of ...
- 41
2
votes
2
answers
746
views
How to introduce a serious/difficult discussion in a first time phone call?
The context:
I have a situation with a guy who now moved to a different country, him and I are very close however I've never spoken with him on the phone. We text and I see him in person but calling/...
- 575
6
votes
3
answers
980
views
How can I politely interrupt someone on the phone when I have questions about what they're saying?
I often make and receive phone calls in a business context where the other person talks with too much jargon. Occasionally I need to interrupt them with questions to get a better understanding of what ...
- 161
3
votes
4
answers
626
views
How to get our families and friends to get in better contact with us or cope with the situation [closed]
My spouse and I left our hometowns more than 10 years ago and got to know each other in the city where we are living now. The distance to our hometowns is about a 3 and a half hours drive in opposite ...
- 131
6
votes
1
answer
98k
views
How can I politely ask someone to call me? (As opposed to me calling them)
I recently contacted a restaurant where I had a bad experience, and a manager got back in contact with me. At the end of the email, they said:
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to speak ...
- 163
27
votes
5
answers
68k
views
How to contact a girl whose number I got from somebody else?
Situation
Some days ago I went to a concert of the band of a good friend, let's call him Alex. He and his bandmates, invited a lot of friends to support them.
I know Alex pretty well since we've been ...
- 281
53
votes
18
answers
21k
views
How can I convincingly communicate to a friend that I don't have a 'personal' mobile number?
I dislike telephone communication in general, compared to face-to-face interactions. I am not interested in communicating with anybody with mobile phone, for socialising or professional purposes. I ...
- 10.4k
57
votes
10
answers
20k
views
How to politely interrupt recruiters who keep cold-calling me during my work hours?
About a year and a half ago I was waist deep in a job search. Having found a new job, I've since attempted to remove my resume from the internet. However, this hasn't stopped recruiters from finding ...
- 22.7k
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to ask for calls and deal with my SO's reluctance to calling?
I'm in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend Alice. We often text every day from the moment she wakes up till I sleep (time difference, not constantly because we have work, school etc.).
We ...
- 4,669
2
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Long Response Times Before Texting Back [closed]
I am a male in my mid-twenties. A female friend of mine sent me a text saying that one of her friends (female) came across my profile and thought that I'm "really cute". I joked around with my friend ...
- 37
27
votes
6
answers
26k
views
How to tell people that I don't like answering my phone?
I simply don't like video/voice calls. I feel I am not comfortable with them, except for emergencies. Most of my co-workers and friends try to convince me in a voice call, because text messaging is ...
- 473
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
What to answer when thanked for calling
When I call my parents or grandparents, they sometimes thank me for calling shortly before hanging up. Sometimes after a mutual "Good bye!" (well, German equivalent of it anyway ...), sometimes ...
- 225
6
votes
3
answers
3k
views
How to politely ask someone to repeat themselves
I work at a restaurant and have to take orders over the phone all the time. My hearing isn't the best, and a lot of times I have trouble understanding what the customer is saying. I often have to ask ...
- 163
45
votes
7
answers
14k
views
How to avoid "who are you?" as a response to "how are you?"
Last week, I got a phone call from an unknown number, and the conversation went this way:
Her : How are you?
Me : Who are you?
To put things in context, she turned out to be an old ...
60
votes
15
answers
28k
views
Who should identify themself first on the phone: the caller or the person called?
This may be a generational thing. I was taught that the caller always identified himself first. The person answering says "hello", to establish that contact has been made, but is under no obligation ...
user1760
4
votes
5
answers
2k
views
How to stop unwanted commercial phone calls? [closed]
I receive unwanted commercial phone calls around two or three times a week, where they want to sell me things, which of course I never want.
I live in Belgium. We have a law that forbids commercial ...
- 187
8
votes
6
answers
809
views
How can I get out of a phone appointment for a service I no longer feel comfortable in having?
Last week I was contacted by a financial planner who was affiliated with the tax accountant firm I go to and they talked about reviewing my Superannuation. When offered an appointment I told them I ...
- 81
16
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How do I become better on the phone? [closed]
Admittedly this is a primarily business-related question, since I'm about to enter the workplace, but it spans personal life too, so I am asking here.
I hate making and taking phone calls. Whenever I ...
52
votes
11
answers
8k
views
How do I politely end a cold call I've received?
I've kept my phone numbers out of the public domain now, as I really do not like being cold called by businesses or charities.
I have found that I used to try and be polite, but then the person ...
user57