Do you answer your phone?

[Haven]

I only answer my phone if I want to speak to whoever is calling at the exact moment that they call, so typically I don't answer it. I only even have my phone on me and turned on if I'm waiting for a specific phone call, such as when DH is flying somewhere for work and I haven't yet gotten the "I'm safe and in Denver" call. Otherwise, the phone stays at home or in the car where I won't be bothered by it.

I return calls when the time is right for me. I don't believe that I need to be available for anyone on their schedule. It may sound harsh, but it's the truth.

We have a land line for outgoing calls only. We never answer incoming calls on it, and we don't have an answering machine or caller ID hooked up to it or anything. It's just there for calls we need to make from home.

 

[Dancing Fire]

texaskj, What's a party line?

that's how people have parties back in the olden days... way before your time..

 

[mary poppins]

I usually check caller id first, but if I am busy doing something I let the answering machine take it and will only pick up if it is an emergency. Otherwise I will get back to the caller when it is convenient to me (this is both for landline and cell).

Same. I don't feel compelled to answer the phone.

 

[mary poppins]

I sometimes try to listen to my voicemails but people tend to leave all these long winded basically meaningless messages that I usually delete them all halfway through...

DH forwards his cell phone voicemail to Google Voice for exactly that reason. GV transcribes the messages so he can read them quickly instead of taking more time to listen to the ramble.

 

[marcy]

I picked other. Caller ID shows up on our TV so unless it's someone I want to talk to the answering machine can get it.

 

[jas]

I find this so timely -- I was on another site the other day talking about how much I loathe talking on the phone. I only answer my phone (a cell) if I know the number or if I'm expecting a call (which is almost never.) I always look up unfamiliar numbers on the internet to see who it is.

We do have a landline, but it's primarily for DH's work (he works from home), although it's also for personal use. I have never answered it.

But, again, I have phone anxiety!

 

[Kaleigh]

No.

 

[Gypsy]

Not unless it's my husband or one of my close friends (and their number comes up on the caller ID).

 

[platinumrock]

If I recognize the number and feel like talking, yes. Otherwise, it goes to voicemail. If it's important, they'll leave a message.

Sometimes it's more fun to text when I don't feel like talking.

 

[bee*]

I'm the same as the OP in that I don't really answer our landline-we get it as part of a package as well but everyone who knows us rings us on our mobile phones. I only answer my mobile if I recognise who's calling me. Otherwise I just wait to see do they leave a voicemail.

 

[Imdanny]

We have caller ID and do not answer it if we do not recognize the caller.

It is kind of sad the 1950s are over when everyone answered their door and phone and wore a lovely freshly-ironed cotton dress and pearls when vacuuming the house or cleaning the oven.

Time marches on.

I was taught "phone manners" when I was a kid. Really different world today, and no, I have only cellphone(s) and of course caller ID, so I don't answer a call unless I know who it is. If it's important enough for someone I don't know to call me, they can leave a message. BTW, I might be the only one (I'm the only one I know of) but I miss the as in "the" phone company. I thought the customer service was superior (just dial "o") and the price was a lot cheaper. Yes, cellphones are great, but customer service is all based on what a computer says about your account and there's no real "service"- just kind of process. They should call it customer processing. Like widgets. You joke but the 50's-70's were kind of a great time for how businesses treated customers and how people had manners. This is the perspective of someone who grew up in a middle class bubble so I will give you that. Leave it to Beaver was probably a big illusion on the whole. BTW, I don't think *everyone* answered their door wearing a dress.

 

[lyra]

We bought a new phone set for our landline a week ago. It has this fun feature that announces out loud who is calling. "Jane Doe is calling...Jane Doe is calling...". It's great. Now we know who we are ignoring without having to look at the Caller ID.

 

[zoebartlett]

I picked other. Caller ID shows up on our TV so unless it's someone I want to talk to the answering machine can get it.

We have the same caller ID thing that pops up if someone calls our land line (which we've never used and have no idea what the # is). It's so annoying but I can't figure out if there's a way to turn this feature off.

 

[jaysonsmom]

I picked other. Caller ID shows up on our TV so unless it's someone I want to talk to the answering machine can get it.

We have the same caller ID thing that pops up if someone calls our land line (which we've never used and have no idea what the # is). It's so annoying but I can't figure out if there's a way to turn this feature off.

To cancel the display on the TV you press the "c" button on the TV remote (give by cable company). I guess you could ask the cable company to turn this feature off. I personally love that the coller ID pops up on my TV screen. I don't even have to walk to the phone to decide if I want to anser the call or not.

 

[tammy77]

I guess I'm the minority, but I always answer my phone and I enjoy talking on mine because 95% of the time it's someone I WANT to talk to. I also can't ignore mine because I have shared custody of my kids, and they're school aged. I'm not going to ignore my phone because I don't feel comfortable with the possibility that the call is regarding an emergency with them. I have no problems saying "take me off your list, goodbye" to telemarketers and hang up before they can get another word in. So far it's worked out well for me.

The only time I'll ignore a call is if I know it's my ex and we're fighting or I have the girls with me and I'm busy. I think that's to be expected though.

 

[Amber St. Clare]

Not too often. Unless it's a dr. or a day I'm supposed to meet someone and I think plans may change I just let it go to voice mail. My husband did something so when the house phone rings called ID shows up on the tv so most times I don't even have to get up to check the phone.

 

[Rhea]

No, not usually. I can't hear it ring and constantly have missed calls. I should just change the ring tone, but I like that it's not obnoxious and doesn't startle me like some ring tones do.

 

[yssie]

No. I'm notorious for it - people have just kinda given up, and they call DH when they *really* need to get through to me right away. Which is hardly ever. Otherwise I'll listen to the message and get back - by the end of the day, usually. The only ones I pick up right away are from DH, my best friend, or work.

I got a cranky call the other day, demanding to know why I hadn't replied to a text message. I'm quite happy without a data plan... and I'm sorry, but since when is texting an appropriate medium for professional communication - with neither followup call nor email, no less?

 

[zoebartlett]

I picked other. Caller ID shows up on our TV so unless it's someone I want to talk to the answering machine can get it.

We have the same caller ID thing that pops up if someone calls our land line (which we've never used and have no idea what the # is). It's so annoying but I can't figure out if there's a way to turn this feature off.

To cancel the display on the TV you press the "c" button on the TV remote (give by cable company). I guess you could ask the cable company to turn this feature off. I personally love that the coller ID pops up on my TV screen. I don't even have to walk to the phone to decide if I want to anser the call or not.

Thanks for the tip, Jaysonsmom! I'll have to do that. If we used our land line, I'd probably like this feature more.