phone etiquette

[The Vector Doctor]

I have noticed this recently... When i talk to customers on the phone I always feel like they are interrupting me or talking over me.

Is this becoming more commonplace? Or is there a delay in cell phones that causes this and not so much on land lines?

I try to give the caller a chance to speak and no sooner do I sense a break in their talking, I begin and as soon as I do they are talking again right over me.

It happens sometimes on every sentence. Here I am thinking they are talking over me and maybe they think the same?

Maybe it's just me.

 

[Marlene]

it may be that people text more than talk on phones these days and forgotten how it works

 

[Mark S. Adams]

I've found that most people have forgotten the art of saying "GOODBYE" to end a call . . . . they just stop talking and hang up! Urrg - I hate that!

Mark S. Adams

 

[Pro Image]

Its a new world.....everyone is in a hurry and its all your fault they are behind cause they waited till the last possible minute to have you do something for them even thought they have known about what they needed for 3 months......LOL

 

[ThinkRight]

It is not you.
It is the "New Amerika"
We have turned into France...
A lot of people are arrogant,selfish,rude and have no manners.
They all know all of the American Idols contestants by name but can not tell you who is thier congressmen are.

 

[David Wright]

From others that I have talked to regarding cell phones, the lag creates this problem.
Ever since I switched my land line at the shop I have experienced a lot of this along with other problems I didn't have before.
Progress?

 

[SD&F]

I do experience lag time as well. It is sporatic and not on every call. I also feel that when I speak with kids, they do speak over me. They must think they are at home.

 

[Team Valhalla]

Another vote for the lag time.

If/When I leave the office, I forward calls on my land line to my cell - it gets even worse then.

SP

 

[ChicagoGraphics]

It is not you.
It is the "New Amerika"
We have turned into France...
A lot of people are arrogant,selfish,rude and have no manners.
They all know all of the American Idols contestants by name but can not tell you who is thier congressmen are.

Why use France as an example when America has it's own share of arrogant,selfish,rude and have no manners people?

 

[Fatboy]

Why use France as an example when America has it's own share of arrogant,selfish,rude and have no manners people?

Lol

 

[signswi]

It is not you.
It is the "New Amerika"
We have turned into France...
A lot of people are arrogant,selfish,rude and have no manners.
They all know all of the American Idols contestants by name but can not tell you who is thier congressmen are.

The French tend to be very politically active so your metaphor has a few...problems. They also have very good manners they're just very different from American 'nice', and by-and-large the perception that the French are jerks comes from Parisians (and is pretty accurate...just like it's pretty accurate that new yorkers are jerks). The non-Parisian French hate Parisians for that reason.

As to the OP, younger/internet age people are used to asynchronous communication, phones are synchronous and interruptions are sometimes a sign that the listener is actively engaged in the topic you're discussing, not that they're dismissing you. Sometimes people talk way too damn slow . And yes, there's cell lag. The signal is going from you to a tower, via radio signal, then into complicated digital switching systems which often include a loop where the signal goes INTO SPACE and BACK, then to the other person via radio signal. A touch of lag is hardly something to complain about.

Reminds me of the Louis CK sketch about being in an airplane and people complaining about the plane being late or whatever. YOU'RE ON A CHAIR, IN THE SKY! IT'S AMAZING! SHUT THE F UP! </derailleur>

 

[rfulford]

I think it is a cell phone thing. I notice that if I make a sound while talking on my cell, the the receiver cuts out and I can not hear the person on the other end. I do not think it can all be accounted to lack of manners. This was happening like crazy between my mother and I yesterday and its not due to my mother being rude or my lack of respect for my mother. Its just not always possible to hear the other person talking.

 

[Colin]

I have noticed this recently... When i talk to customers on the phone I always feel like they are interrupting me or talking over me.

Is this becoming more commonplace? Or is there a delay in cell phones that causes this and not so much on land lines?

I try to give the caller a chance to speak and no sooner do I sense a break in their talking, I begin and as soon as I do they are talking again right over me.

It happens sometimes on every sentence. Here I am thinking they are talking over me and maybe they think the same?

Maybe it's just me.

Me too buddy, I feel your pain. The problem is the lack of the old skill of "listening". Listening is not merely keeping your mouth shut until it's your turn to speak, it's truly listening & digesting what the other person is saying. I find that more & more people now have terrible listening skills, and couple that with a lack of humility for an area of expertise that we may have (signs/design/colour etc), and you have a recipe for a most frustrating conversation. I find it worse on the phone than in person.

 

[Bly]

I try and get people to email me rather than phone.
Of course initial phone calls are a necessary part of doing business and we need them.
Emailing forces them to focus on their point instead of having to go through pleasantries first, and then they start to think about what they want to say.

And yes, some people are just plain rude.
A delivery guy yesterday sitting in his truck outside called up to ask for a hand carrying some sheets of board in. Easier than hauling his fat arse in the door and asking I guess. Thing was my leg is damaged from surgery last week and I had to limp down from the other end of the shop to answer the phone.
I was a little less than pleasant.

 

[Colin]

I try and get people to email me rather than phone.

I find that even with emails, people seem to have A.D.D., answering about half of my questions. Whatareyagonnado?

 

[qmr55]

I find that even with emails, people seem to have A.D.D., answering about half of my questions. Whatareyagonnado?

I hate that more than anything! If you're going to respond, why not just answer everything at once! It's because they read the first part then reply without actually finishing reading the email!

 

[Jillbeans]

I hate people in general whether it's by phone or via email.
Everyone is only concerned with tire kicking for the cheapest price, and people are so bad at replying to emails yet expect you to jump when they contact you.
With the "real" job I have to answer the phone there, and I can feel the veins sticking out in my forehead at the multiple times I have to repeat the exact same thing to someone calling to see what's on our dinner menu.
I have to repeat everything twice, then they wanna know what the vegetable is, then the price...and then they never order the damn dinner anyway.
Kind of like the sign business!
I catch myself talking over a client these days just because my time is so limited.
"How much do you charge for them plastic yard-"
"$25 each with a stake single-sided"
Usually after that they just hang up and call the local hack.
Lately in the store, people will reach across you right in front of your face to grab a can of coffee or a blouse off the clearance rack.
I do try to be polite as much as possible.
I open the door for the person behind me.
I let the car out into traffic in front of me.
I take back the shopping cart that some lazy c*nt left in the parking lot.
I say please and thank you.
Everyone is in such a hurry these days.
Love....Jill

 

[Colin]

Of course this raises the question as to why we see a decline in social interaction skills. One book written in the last few years addresses this. I haven't read it, but I suspect that it has some good insights as to why people can only deal with short jolts of information, as opposed to deeper thought and critical thinking.