This is a pet peave of mine. In the last several weeks I have called both personal and business acquaintances and have left messages to call me back. To my disappointment, I do not receive a call back. I'm starting to think it's me, that people are either that rude or they think I'm an a**h**e and don't deserve a return call. I have to say that 99.9% of the time I return calls even if it is someone I don't want to talk to, like my mother in law :D All kidding aside, does anyone else feel this way? or is it just me? Thanks for letting me rant. BTW I really do try not to be a a**h**e :D

Bill

This makes me mad as well. My wife is TERRIBLE at returning calls then it makes me look like i never gave her the message to call them. I couldnt agree more its a pet peeve for me as well.

Andy

That's funny, I was just talking with my wife about this during breakfast this morning...I am self employed, and as the only employee, when you call me during the day on the phone number listed in the book, you obviously get my answering machine. My routine is, I get home each day, and the first thing I do (well, usually, unless I've stopped at Dunkin Donuts several times!) is check my messages...I write them all down, and either call them right then, or before I go to bed that night. My machine says that I will return all calls within 24 hours. As a self employed contractor, one of the biggest complaints I hear from customers is exactly what you said...what's so hard about just returning a call?? If you have too much work, at least call the person and let them know, so they know that they can either wait for you, or find someone else. I have lost business before because I waited only a day or two to return a call. This is a major peeve of mine too. I dont care who you are, everyone can find a minute to return a phone call. Business or personal, doesnt matter. John

That gets me too, everyone seems too busy to pick a phone up nowadays, friends or family, my wife sometimes rings her sister, her sister will say i am busy can i ring you back in a minute, that can be a week later,perhaps they get lost on there way back to phone:D

I agree, I think it is true for e-mails also. I really hate phone trees also. You spend 10 min. doing all the selections and either get a voice mail message or " all customer service representives are busy" consider using out web site!

Always, but those I work with on regular basis know I get about 40 a day and am usually running behind based on priority. They also know that I have my email on all the time and that will pop up on the screen if I'm at my desk.

I always try to return calls as soon as I get them, livelihood depends on it .Do it in my personal life, too.
To answer your question, yes it bugs me.

I have a brother, and some freinds that have a machine where they can screen thier calls. I know sometimes that they are home but won't pick up. I have one buddy that never picks up his phone, but when he calls if I don't call him right back he gets po'd. :sad: I think that the screening is just as bad as the no call back people.

My pet peeve is people who actually think I want to talk to them just because they have my phone number. Just because you have a phone and I have a phone doesn't mean I have to drop whatever I'm doing to answer the phone and talk to you. Write me a letter.

My pet peeve is people who actually think I want to talk to them just because they have my phone number. Just because you have a phone and I have a phone doesn't mean I have to drop whatever I'm doing to answer the phone and talk to you. Write me a letter.

I agree, but if you feel that way then you should tell them. I guess if you don't answer me then I'm one of those people :D

have one buddy that never picks up his phone, but when he calls if I don't call him right back he gets po'd. I think that the screening is just as bad as the no call back people.
Lol, funny how that one works...I dated a girl for years that almost never answered the phone, was terrible about returning calls. But boy, when she would call if the response was instantaneous youd never hear the end of it. :clonk:

I will call back unless it is late, or If I don't want to talk to you.

I agree, but if you feel that way then you should tell them. I guess if you don't answer me then I'm one of those people :D

he aint calling you back yet :D

he aint calling you back yet :D

That's ok, he did run my engine combo on his desktop dyno, so in fact he did get back to me when I really needed him to !!!! LOL :D

That was the dyno request letter you wrote me....

That was the dyno request letter you wrote me....


he must have lost your number :D

I always call back but what -really- irritates me is people who call and don't leave a message but expect me to call back because they know I have caller ID and will have seen that they called

Forget that - if it wasn't important enough for you to leave a message, it's not important enough for me to call you back

Well, sometimes it takes awhile to call back, but I do call back and answer email.

In my opinion, those that do not are full of self importance and socially inept.
Same with email, if you can't respond within two days to an email, then do not bother me, and if I am soliciting business and get no response, I follow up with a nasty note condemning their lack of respect and cc everyone I can so they know I am letting others know of their incompetence.

It is common courtesy to pick up a phone and return a call, whether you like the person or want to talk or not. Anything else is rude and assenine

That was the dyno request letter you wrote me....

I got it, you want a letter not a phone call. I can handle that. :clonk:

I ALMOST always return phone calls, the only exception to that rule is people who are trying to sell me something...... I get about 5-10 V/M's a day of people who want me to buy something from them & I REFUSE to take their call & will not call them back....

I always return personal and business calls in a very timely fashion unless you are an undesirable person :D

After reading the last two responses, I will agree, telemarketers and sales people will not get a return call from me either, but if it is someone I know or has to do with important business they do and in a timely manner.

An example of what pisses me off to no end is, I recently sent an email to a business in regards to an engine. I got an auto response that said we will follow up in the next 24 hours, well after 5 days I sent them a very nasty email basically stating that they need not waste their time responding now as I have seen their customer service and if that is how they do business then they are not worth the time or trouble.

I have guidelines that I really hard to follow:
-Business calls are returned within 30 minutes of receipt. (yes, I also answer all calls by second ring when I'm near the phone)
-Personal calls are returned within an hour.
-emails are returned daily with the exception of non-pending items. They are kept in inbox until dealt with in my spare time, then deleted.

I figure business calls are there for me to make money. They are opportunity waiting. Personal calls are from my friends, and therefore shouldn't be put on back burner. I treat them with respect, they treat me with respect. When I have to leave a message, I give them an idea of when I need them to call back by, or how late. They do the same for me.

I have guidelines that I really hard to follow:
-Business calls are returned within 30 minutes of receipt. (yes, I also answer all calls by second ring when I'm near the phone)
-Personal calls are returned within an hour.
-emails are returned daily with the exception of non-pending items. They are kept in inbox until dealt with in my spare time, then deleted.

I figure business calls are there for me to make money. They are opportunity waiting. Personal calls are from my friends, and therefore shouldn't be put on back burner. I treat them with respect, they treat me with respect. When I have to leave a message, I give them an idea of when I need them to call back by, or how late. They do the same for me.

Good guidelines to follow.

Here is the story that lead me to write this post. I get a phone call from a friend. he has a friend in his own business looking for someone with my skills to come work for him. I call him, we talk and he ask's for me to call him Thursday. I call Thursday we agree to meet on Friday. I show up on Friday and have a good job interview, he wants to hire me. I ask to talk it over with the wife and I will call him Monday. I call Monday, leave message, same thing Tuesday. I call Friday leave message. Three weeks later no return call. What a disappointment !!!! Not to mention how unprofessional he is. Glad I found out before I went to work for this A$$H0le. :( Sorry so long.

P.S. My friend is not very happy with this guy now, he feels responsible. I told him this is not going to come between us !!!! He had nothing to do with this guy being a idiot.

Here is the story that lead me to write this post. I get a phone call from a friend. he has a friend in his own business looking for someone with my skills to come work for him. I call him, we talk and he ask's for me to call him Thursday. I call Thursday we agree to meet on Friday. I show up on Friday and have a good job interview, he wants to hire me. I ask to talk it over with the wife and I will call him Monday. I call Monday, leave message, same thing Tuesday. I call Friday leave message. Three weeks later no return call. What a disappointment !!!! Not to mention how unprofessional he is. Glad I found out before I went to work for this A$$H0le. :( Sorry so long.

P.S. My friend is not very happy with this guy now, he feels responsible. I told him this is not going to come between us !!!! He had nothing to do with this guy being a idiot.

These types are out there. Like you said though, it is good to have learned that now before you quit your current job before going to work for him.

On a funny note, what if you left your messages on a wrong number and he is thinking the same of you? :D

He should have called you right back. What an a**

[QUOTE=gb70;1138773]These types are out there. Like you said though, it is good to have learned that now before you quit your current job before going to work for him.

On a funny note, what if you left your messages on a wrong number and he is thinking the same of you? :D

LOL :D luckily he states his name on his message. I should know I've heard it several times :D

[quote=gb70;1138773]These types are out there. Like you said though, it is good to have learned that now before you quit your current job before going to work for him.

On a funny note, what if you left your messages on a wrong number and he is thinking the same of you? :D

LOL :D luckily he states his name on his message. I should know I've heard it several times :D

Considering what happened it was for the best. Still I can understand how frustrating it is for you.

Greg

You would think, that with all the people walking around with a cell phone permanently attached to their heads, it would be easier to get ahold of someone....

What a lot of people dont understand is this, I have a phone in my house for MY convienence, not anyone elses. Just because the phone rings doesnt mean that I HAVE to answer it. I look at the caller ID and if it is someone I want to talk to I will answer right away or return the call ASAP. If It is someone that I dont want to talk to then I just forget about it.
Ron

Agreed.. it is just rude! In this day and age with so many forms of communication, it takes two seconds to return a call, an email, a text message...even if to say.. " sorry, I am swamped, but will get back to you as soon as I can "

I have recently had a new pet peeve.. I get emails from total strangers that say something like...

" I have a 66 SS I am restoring and have some questions I'd like you to answer.. please call me " with number there..

Sorry, but I have no idea who you are, you live long distance, and I am just supposed to call you and give advice on how to restore your car :clonk:

I always call back but what -really- irritates me is people who call and don't leave a message but expect me to call back because they know I have caller ID and will have seen that they calledKind of along the same lines: With business messages, it irritates me to no end when you just leave your name and number for a callback, but not why you're calling. I could save everyone a lot of time if I could research what you were calling about BEFORE I returned your call.

Another problem could be the message you leave. I always get messages that are long, with the number read off real fast at the end, as if the person knows they are pushing the max voice mail size. If I miss it, and have to listen to the long message again to try to decipher the number, you might not be hearing back from me. Leave your number at the begining of the message.

Another problem could be the message you leave. I always get messages that are long, with the number read off real fast at the end, as if the person knows they are pushing the max voice mail size. If I miss it, and have to listen to the long message again to try to decipher the number, you might not be hearing back from me. Leave your number at the begining of the message.


I'm with you there.. I usually state my number in the beginning of the message & finish it with "again, my number is"..

I'm with you there.. I usually state my number in the beginning of the message & finish it with "again, my number is"..

I do that as well, but sometimes, just to screw with 'em, I leave 2 diffferent numbers ;)

..all I know is I just roll my eyes when I see I have a business call message from someone I don't know and the message is 2 minutes long...

I always return calls but it takes me a while sometimes. Today I started on the messages from 1996.

What a lot of people dont understand is this, I have a phone in my house for MY convienence, not anyone elses. Just because the phone rings doesnt mean that I HAVE to answer it. I look at the caller ID and if it is someone I want to talk to I will answer right away or return the call ASAP. If It is someone that I dont want to talk to then I just forget about it.
Ron

I agree with that statement, but I think the rant was about him calling a business and then not getting any call backs.

When I was shopping around for a car shipper this past Aug; I would say 2 out of 10 picked up and gave me quote. I left messages for the other 8, and two weeks later, I got 1 call back. She was astonished that I had already hired a different shipper and I had the car already. The other 7 must be doing so well that they can turn business away. Must be nice. Next time I guess I'll try begging them to take my money...

seems to me that there are a lot of posts that say i ALWAYS call back........i wish i could say that, but i can't. the truth is i sometimes forget, accidentally delete the message with your number on it, etc... sometimes i don't even check my e-mail for a week or two. do i try my hardest to return calls and e-mail's? ABSOLUTELY! i personally think its rediculous to say you always return them.....