Does Anyone Still Answer Their Phone?

Today I did my weekly cleanup of phone messages. I change my phone number every two years but the nonsense calls build up to an intolerable level after about 14 months.

Today there were 27 saved messages from unanswered calls, some from humans (sort of), a couple from someone speaking Hindustani, and some from computers, all from three companies selling things I would never buy.

I live in the country and we know what to do with door-to-door salesmen. Between large hungry dogs and shotguns paired with a backhoe.

If I ever answered one of these calls I would still be cursing the caller as my BP went up and up so I never, NEVER answer my phone.

There were 7 non sales calls, all from my insurance company, UPMC which is a great insurance plan EXCEPT FOR THE VOLUME OF NONSENSE CALLS they force on me almost daily.

No, I do not want to join your conference call about "how to make the most of staying at home" OR the very latest news about COVID or COVID vaccines, only about 4 days behind the press briefing I get every day from the WHO, or the latest issue of The Lancet or today's email booklet from the NE Journal of Medicine.

34 totally nonsense phone calls not a single one of the slightest interest to me.

Is it any wonder the ringer is shut off on our phone and that it is an internet phone?

Is it any wonder that we NEVER answer the phone?

So, my question is, what idiot is returning these calls and thereby encouraging these bastards to keep calling people?

If no one responded by using their call back number they would stop and Americans could use their telephones again. As it is we all pay hundreds of dollars each year to get a few important calls

I do what I can, I copy down those urgent phone numbers and routinely post them on sex hot lines, I hope they enjoy.

Comments

Unknown said…
Although on the order of 95% incoming calls are spam of some sort, I usually answer them, in the sense that I pick up. If I don't recognize the number, i wait about 5 seconds before saying anything and then usually say "Anyone there?" Very rarely is anyone there, but occasionally it turns out to be a call that is important for me to take. I believe telephone etiquette should change so that it is up to the calling party to initiate interaction.

I have not changed my phone numbers (landline and cell) in years and don't intend to soon.
March 24, 2021 at 4:47 PM
siliconsamurai said…
I have all my important contacts trained
to use IM or email. I still get hundreds of
emails but there are powerful tools to
filter them.

Even Alexa sends only critical alerts - she
listens in and hears alarms including smoke
carbon monoxide and even breaking glass - I get
email alerts when she hears something.

I just don't like the idea that I am forced
to pay money so people can annoy me with
surveys, sales calls, etc.

I never did accept the idea that I was a slave
to an electronic device jumping to answer
every call.
March 24, 2021 at 6:31 PM
Unknown said…
I made a list of caller numbers that were spam and stopped answering them.....it's getting a little long......it's amazing how many and how rude they are (I usually tell the ones that are clearly fraudulent — e.g., pretending to be Social Security or some other agency — that I'm asking to be removed from their calling list and that they are violating the law. Most of those don't call back!).
March 26, 2021 at 5:28 PM
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