Office Gripes: Telephones

Has anyone ever noticed that the moment you're knee deep in something and chugging away contentedly at your job, the phone starts ringing off the hook? it's put me off my rhythm!

How does everyone (especially bosses) know when the least appropriate time to call is, and WHY must they call right at that moment!?

I have a fairly large office and a phone with a cord. i listen to music while I work because it makes it more pleasant, and it won't bother anyone else. AS SOON as I've got my music going and am on the other side working on the accounts and files someone has to call

Some days are just a waste of body wash.

I know how you feel.

In my office the phone will be quiet until my boss walks in with a pile of work that he wants done while he watches! bleh

I totally understand. My phone never rings unless my boss is walking by!

Ha, don't even get me started on that!

Usually I am in the office alone, and when the boss is in here with me, its so quiet, but once he gets out in the shop, BOOM, phone calls, customers, estimates, everything all at once!! It always happens to me as well on payday, I will be knee deep in payroll accounts and then the phones will start ringing off the hook and I get so frusterated!!

I really know how you feel, I feel your pain, totally!!

I'm lucky ... last year I got a headset for Christmas. We have an incredibly antiquated phone system (I work for a religious organization, so we're pretty poor), and the only BAD thing about it is, I have to be sitting by the phone to put calls on hold and announce them over the intercom in the person's office -- but it is nice to be able to run around my own office without being lashed to the phone cord. LOL

But I do get majorly annoyed when this happens:

Someone calls and asks for John Doe. I say he's on another line, and they ask, "Do you know how long he'll be?" Oh, sure, I'm psychic! LOL Boy, the raise I could ask for if I claimed an ability like THAT! Twenty years as a secretary and they STILL do it, though. lol

And then they say they will hold for the person and hang up because you made them wait on hold for a whole minute!

Yeah, and when you're super busy that person that calls talks really slooooooowwwwly....and wants to make an appointment ANYTIME we have open, and when you suggest a time, they say "Oh! Not then, I have to take Jack to soccer at 4 and Julia needs to go to piano lessons on 54th and Lincoln and my mother is coming over later that day......." WHY do they need to tell us their whole life story? Don't call unless you KNOW a specific day that works for you, don't wait for me to suggest 20 different times that you've rejected, after telling me ANYTIME is good for you! Can you tell this is a major source of irritaion for me on a daily basis!? Rant, rant!!! Um, so yeah, I guess you could say the phone irritates me just a little bit too!

I'm a supervisor, so I will let you in on a secret...don't tell anyone though. We are monitoring your keyboard strokes and the ambient noise level in your work center. Once we see that you have gotten a quarter of the way through that important document that will be late if it isn't in to us in two hours, we start flooding you with calls. We also call all of our other supervisor friends to spam you with supposedly business related calls and questions.

When that doesn't work we will come see you in person and tell you stories about things that happened on the job more than fifteen years ago to people who retired long before you were hired.

Don't worry we just do it because we are bored LOL!

Yeah - the people who need their job done yesterday - but can't have it done at 10am because thats what time they take their dog for a walk, or the baby is sleeping, or they like to go for their midmorning walk at the same time... blah blah blah

Originally Posted by lakeriedog

I'm a supervisor, so I will let you in on a secret...don't tell anyone though. We are monitoring your keyboard strokes and the ambient noise level in your work center. Once we see that you have gotten a quarter of the way through that important document that will be late if it isn't in to us in two hours, we start flooding you with calls. We also call all of our other supervisor friends to spam you with supposedly business related calls and questions.

When that doesn't work we will come see you in person and tell you stories about things that happened on the job more than fifteen years ago to people who retired long before you were hired.

Don't worry we just do it because we are bored LOL!

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Oh my!.... ......... .....




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Originally Posted by Vibiana

But I do get majorly annoyed when this happens:

Someone calls and asks for John Doe. I say he's on another line, and they ask, "Do you know how long he'll be?" Oh, sure, I'm psychic! LOL Boy, the raise I could ask for if I claimed an ability like THAT! Twenty years as a secretary and they STILL do it, though. lol

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I always want to ask, "And did you tell your receptionist exactly how long THIS call would take?" Idiots! Same with meetings - like I know how long it's going to take!

\t

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

And then they say they will hold for the person and hang up because you made them wait on hold for a whole minute!

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Oh yes - and then call back immediately all huffy: "I was holding for John Doe and I got disconnected." Yeah, it's called hitting the disconnect on your end. Don't blame me for your impatience!

And one more for the books:

Receptionist (R): Good afternoon, XYZ Company. How can I help you?
Caller (C): What company is this?
R: XYZ Company
C: Well, what do you do?
R: We offer xyz products and services.
C: Never heard of you.
R: Um, OK
C: Well, someone called me from this number. Do you know what they wanted?
R: I would have no idea.
C: But it's on my caller ID! Obviously someone called me. Don't you know who that is?
R: Sir/Ma'am, we have over 20 people in this office, I have no idea who called. I can do an overhead page, but it may have just been a wrong number.
C: Well I'm not telling you my name. How rude of someone to call and not leave a message!
*click*

What I REALLY LOVE... is when a customer will call and say "Yes, I was wondering if my car was finished?" And then they will stop talking and they won't tell me their name or anything! So then I ask who's calling, and they get all mad like I should know who they are! Okay I talk to about 200 people a day, am I supposed to memorize everyone's voice?!

I usually get a good feel for most of the people on the phone by their voice, but some people get SO mad when I ask them! HELLO! I'm not psychic!!

I screen all the calls that come thru my office for my boss cuz he's usually running all over and doesn't have time to talk to everyone, and most people get so mad if I ask if they wanna hold for a minute (which, like most of you posted, ask how long they will be, and again, I say, I'm not psychic!) or leave a message on his voicemail and they get upset!

Sometimes being a receptionist isn't the easiest job in the world! Dealing with people is well...very interesting!

Or the people who can't read! My BF has an insulation company, its amazing how many calls he gets for insurance and the people swear that his yellow pages ad says insurance. I have even gone around and checked the yellow pages in different cities to make sure it says insulation because we get so many.

But once you tell them you don't do insurance they still keep you on the phone for 10 mins asking dumb questions about their insurance policy UGH

I like this one...
Caller: "I need to make an appointment for my dog."
Me: "Ok, and your last name?"
Caller: "Mine or my dog's?"
Ummmmm...........

Originally Posted by menagerie mama

I like this one...
Caller: "I need to make an appointment for my dog."
Me: "Ok, and your last name?"
Caller: "Mine or my dog's?"
Ummmmm...........

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I'm a receptionist and if the person the customer wants is on the other line some of them say " How long will he be?!", and i would love to say either " How longs a piece of string!!!", or " Hang on until i get my crystal ball out!! "

Numptys!

Originally Posted by valanhb

And one more for the books:

Receptionist (R): Good afternoon, XYZ Company. How can I help you?
Caller (C): What company is this?
R: XYZ Company
C: Well, what do you do?
R: We offer xyz products and services.
C: Never heard of you.
R: Um, OK
C: Well, someone called me from this number. Do you know what they wanted?
R: I would have no idea.
C: But it's on my caller ID! Obviously someone called me. Don't you know who that is?
R: Sir/Ma'am, we have over 20 people in this office, I have no idea who called. I can do an overhead page, but it may have just been a wrong number.
C: Well I'm not telling you my name. How rude of someone to call and not leave a message!
*click*

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That just really cracked me up!

I had calls like that when I was working for admin in a bar - but I was the only person in the office! I really couldn't work out who could have called them!!

Originally Posted by rosiemac

I'm a receptionist and if the person the customer wants is on the other line some of them say " How long will he be?!", and i would love to say either " How longs a piece of string!!!", or " Hang on until i get my crystal ball out!! "

Numptys!

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I feel the same way!

Originally Posted by menagerie mama

I like this one...
Caller: "I need to make an appointment for my dog."
Me: "Ok, and your last name?"
Caller: "Mine or my dog's?"
Ummmmm...........

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Thats hillarious!! How do you keep from laughing?