How do you introduce yourself over the phone?

S

steve_k

CAGiversary!
I just got another phone call from someone with a really irating habit. The phone rang, I picked up, asked 'Hello', and the person on the other line also asks 'Hello'. This really irates me.

When I call someone and they pick up the phone and say 'Hello', I usually say something like 'This is (my name) and I'm calling for (person or purpose).' I never call someone, allow them to answer with 'Hello' and reply to their 'Hello' with my 'Hello'.

The person picking up the phone is supposed to ask 'Hello'. It's not the other way around. Am I right, or have I been mis-informed on proper telephone usage my entire life?
 
I think they're just being courteous, as long as the "Hello" is followed by them telling you who they are and the reason for their call.

A hello followed by a hello and an awkward silence is probably reason enough to hang up.
 
When I answer the phone just hello. If I don't know the person they generally ask is this Alex Foster....and I'll say either this is he or yes it is.

If I'm calling? If I know the person that depends. If I don't, I'll generally say hi this is Alex Foster ...... If I'm calling a person I know but they don't know my number: Hi "insert persons name" its Alex.....



When someone answers with hello, it's just weird to answer back with hello. Hello is used when asking "Hey jack hole, are you on the other end of the phone?" Hi is used to reply back.

If someone calls me and I don't get an answer, well then: Hello?....Hello?...Hello? and I hang up
 
I think them replying "Hey" or "Hello" is fine if its a friend calling. And then maybe "Hey its so and so".

I hate when someone calls you, you answer and say "Hello" and they ask "Who is this?" I just hang up on anyone who does that now.
 
depends on the person.

Really it's a greeting, shared by both parties.

Simply getting into the who you are could be interpeted as rudeness.

that's like getting waved, and not waving back. Or smiling and simply ignoring it.

Say how are you? and getting no response.

plus this is nothing.....

I've got a 'friend' that his 'thing' is saying Hello as a goodbye... makes me want to scream, it's freaking english and not aloha/hawian !!!!!111!!

Anyways I say Hey, Hi... bye later...

[quote name='musha666']I hate when someone calls you, you answer and say "Hello" and they ask "Who is this?" I just hang up on anyone who does that now.[/QUOTE]

You should respond.... "What fucking number did you dial?"

If you really don't know them then... give some wackjob location... like Feces eaters annonynous or something.
 
[quote name='musha666']...

I hate when someone calls you, you answer and say "Hello" and they ask "Who is this?" I just hang up on anyone who does that now.[/QUOTE]


Haha, I hate that too. I'm like, "Who are YOU?"
 
[quote name='Darrith']I think they're just being courteous, as long as the "Hello" is followed by them telling you who they are and the reason for their call.

A hello followed by a hello and an awkward silence is probably reason enough to hang up.[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I frequently have to put up with the scenerio below:

My phone rings
Me: Hello?
Person calling: Hello?
(a moment of silence passes)
Me: Who is this?
Person calling: either says something a dumbass would say or asks for someone by name
 
It depends. If it is a personal phone call, the person calling should give a proper greeting after hearing, "Hello." They obviously know who they are calling and owe the other party the same courtesy.

If you are calling a business, the business should answer with a formal greeting and obviously you, as the customer, have no need to introduce yourself. Just get down to business once you hear you've reached the correct place. On the other hand, if you are answering your work phone, you need to pick up with more than a, "Hello." It is terrible service to do otherwise. If someone is calling a business, they expect to be informed upon pickup that they have reached the correct phone number. You have no idea how annoying it is to call someone you expect to receive service from and hear nothing more than, "Hello?" That puts off a customer right away.
 
[quote name='musha666']

I hate when someone calls you, you answer and say "Hello" and they ask "Who is this?" I just hang up on anyone who does that now.[/QUOTE]


I've had that happen to me also and agree it is very rude. I have never called someone and immediately asked who they were without a proper greeting or explanation as per the purpose of my call.
 
[quote name='MorPhiend']It depends. If it is a personal phone call, the person calling should give a proper greeting after hearing, "Hello." They obviously know who they are calling and owe the other party the same courtesy.

If you are calling a business, the business should answer with a formal greeting and obviously you, as the customer, have no need to introduce yourself. Just get down to business once you hear you've reached the correct place. On the other hand, if you are answering your work phone, you need to pick up with more than a, "Hello." It is terrible service to do otherwise. If someone is calling a business, they expect to be informed upon pickup that they have reached the correct phone number. You have no idea how annoying it is to call someone you expect to receive service from and hear nothing more than, "Hello?" That puts off a customer right away.[/QUOTE]

I'm talking about when I'm at home. When someone calls me when I'm at home, I answer the phone either with 'Hello' or 'This is (my name)'. Of course I would be more formal for a business call, but this is for a personal call from someone you most likely do not know or do not speak to very often.
 
I think y'all are missing an important distinction between "Hello" and "Hello?" To avoid this, I just usually say "Hi. How are you?"

If someone calls me, I will say "Hello?" and generally expect them to introduce themselves. If I'm calling someone and they say "Hello?", I will say "Hi. How are you?" if they know who I am and if they don't, I'll introduce myself.

If I call someone and they also say "Hello?" then I just say "Hi. This is..." and go about talking.
 
i've had some lady call my phone for the past month about once a week from IL (i'm in sd). The first time she called, she goes: "Who is this? I know this is my grandma's house, so who are you and what are you doing?" I was like...O_O and hung up.

from there on out, i pick up with a "WRONG NUMBER" and hang up (she's currently saved as "psycho") I thought you could block one number, but guess not.

oh...and when piucking up, "Hello." or "what up?"
if i'm calling someone I know, "sup mang" or "yo" usually suffices.
if i'm calling someone I DON'T know, or someone else may answer, "hi, this is ____. is ___ there?"
 
[quote name='musha666']I hate when someone calls you, you answer and say "Hello" and they ask "Who is this?" I just hang up on anyone who does that now.[/QUOTE]

agghhh!!1

I forgot about that one. I can't believe people are so impudent sometimes. I've gone to confronting people about that. Now when people say that I say, "No, you don't call someone and ask 'Who is this'! You call and introduce yourself properly, then ask if the person you want to reach is home." Some people are flabbergasted that someone would confront them on being so rude. Others are just flabbergasted because they are too stupid to understand what etiquette is and don't understand what the problem is.

Sorry, but when someone is answering the phone, they are effectively letting you into their home. You don't go into someone's home and start demanding things of them! Sometimes I wish stupid people would just die...

[quote name='steve_k']I'm talking about when I'm at home. When someone calls me when I'm at home, I answer the phone either with 'Hello' or 'This is (my name)'. Of course I would be more formal for a business call, but this is for a personal call from someone you most likely do not know or do not speak to very often.[/QUOTE]

I don't think the person answering the phone has an obligation to tell you what their name is.

Hello, is ____ there? This is ______.

Reply with either:
No, he isn't can I take a message?
Yes he is, just a minute I'll get him.
or
This is he.

I call for Dave, I don't care who the heck is answering unless it's Dave. If they want to tell me who they are, whatever. I don't care. But there is no reason under the sun for someone to call into someone else's home and demand to know who picked up.

Also, I don't care who it is calling me. I expect an appropriate greeting. I hate it when my friend Dave calls and when I say, "Hello" he just says, "Hey". I know it's him because of Caller ID, but that isn't the point. It's just plain rude to greet someone that way when you are calling. Also, I know most people in this age have gone to screening their calls and only answer if they want to. I think this is also rude (in most situations). Half the time, I don't even check who is calling and just pick up. I'm being courteous to answer someone's call. The least they can do is be courteous and greet me properly.


This whole conversation reminds me of a childhood friend's father. Telephone etiquette was a pet peeve of his. And if someone called his home and asked if so-and-so was there, he would answer, "Yes." And then just sit there. I was about 12 years old. I called and asked if my friend Marcus was there once. When his dad just answered, "Yes." I busted up laughing. From then on I always asked, "May I speak to Marcus?" if his dad answered. Some people thought he was rude. I found it funny that he was so literal and was able to get his point across to anyone beside the most primitive of beings by being so.
 
[quote name='Darrith']I think they're just being courteous, as long as the "Hello" is followed by them telling you who they are and the reason for their call.

A hello followed by a hello and an awkward silence is probably reason enough to hang up.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. I always say Hello or Hi back and go immediately into introducing myself and why I'm calling.
 
[quote name='mooshie78']Exactly. I always say Hello or Hi back and go immediately into introducing myself and why I'm calling.[/QUOTE]

You're confusing 'Hello?' with 'Hello'. People call me, and when I pick up the phone and ask 'Hello', the person on the other line also asks 'hello' with a question mark, as if they don't know who I am or the purpose of the call. They are the ones who call me! This isn't an 'Oh, Hello. Is Dick Gozena there? (my real name isn't Dick Gozena). THis is someone who calls me and then acts like I just called them and they want to know who I am and the purpose of the call.

I suspect they're all a bunch of dumbasses.
 
[quote name='bardockkun']Sup bitches?![/QUOTE]

This. In Dom's voice.

Also, when it is time to bid them farewell, I say "Get back in your hole bitch!"
 
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