phone etiquette

[Goodbook]

Is there a christian way of handling phone calls?

I'm just wondering for example

If someone calls you and they want to talk but they go on for ages who is the one to end the phone call and what is a polite way of ending the conversation?

What do you do if its YOU calling someone but they don't want to talk to you at the time.


What do you do if you find the person who calls, keeps asking you question after question, that is none of their business, to keep you on the phone just say you not going to answer? Do you have a time limit on calls?
Because theres some people that just want to stay on for HOURS and then I find out they just mining me for gossip. (me, or people that I know) OR maybe its they want me to tell them everything, but then I'm thinking why is this any of their business, they not a counsellor. I've had counsellors (before I was a christian) try to get me to talk to them about stuff thats personal, just so they can feel good hearing all bad news and they don't even respond with anything helpful its just 'oh ok' I mean what is this??? Then they might tell someone else or make judgments on me.



I don't know I don't want to suspect ppl of doing this, I am naturally trusting of people but feel now that I shouldn't share so much, esp if the other party isn't sharing with me.

Its one thing if you WANT to share something and talk about it but another entirely if someones subtly trying to dig something out of you for who knows what purposes. Does anyone understand what I mean?

 

[mina]

If you don't want to talk to someone, for whatever reason, you can either not take the call or answer politely, be courteous in greeting, and if they start in on things you would rather not talk about then tell them that you are not going to talk about those things or get into those things and politely end the call. You can literally say something to the effect of, "I am not going to talk about those things-I have things I need to be doing, thank you for calling, have a nice day!" I mean , you have to be pro-active in setting limits with some people. If they are being nosy, then I don't think it's impolite to tell them that you are not comfortable discussing things with them and that you are keeping some things to yourself.

 

[EmmaCat]

This is why I love my Smartphone. I have few contacts and program them in. These are folks I really want to to speak to, like my fiance Ben, my sister, my Mom, Rev. R and his wife, and a few others.

Others who are not programmed in can call, and I may or may not answer. I usually keep these other calls to a minimum.

I like to be in control of certain devices, and I'm not susceptible to long conversations and gossip junk.

My phone is just that: Mine. And I rule.

 

[Goodbook]

What if you on landline. I hate it when people call and Im busy. But my parents just shove the phone at me and yell at me to answer. They get kinda annoyed when im outside and someones calling for me and i dont come running right away. I didnt know they would call?!

I had this horrible dentist and doctors keep calling me wanting me to make an appointment on the spot and they always called me right when I was going out. They did this several times even on my mobile and left messages. Cant they just write a postcard like normal dentists and doctors do or just txt.

 

[Goodbook]

I dont ever use the mobile for long calls because it costs heaps of money.
Also with landlines you shouldnt talk for hours if someone else needs to use the phone so i. Thinking there has to be a time limit just wondering what a good limit would be.

 

[Goodbook]

Im ok with telemarketers i just tell them im busy can i call you back and they dont call me anymore. They dont bother to even leave a number. Lol

 

[Goodbook]

Usually they ask can i speak to the bill payer...well the bill payer will always at work paying the bills arent they? But thankfully our phone has caller ID its just being on the phone with someone who calls just wants to talk about nothing or make demands. I have to think of some polite way of saying, I have to go now.

If its my sister its ok because shes overseas but we facetime. But im thinking, its really not healthy to chat for hours on the phone which is what some friends do, BUT maybe they are lonely and just have noone to talk to. I have to think of a way of suggesting they have some better way of filling their time, like reading a book, but it seems certain type of people are the kind who just watch tv passively and read magazines go on facebook and just have nothing better to do. They might comment on something on the news but i dont bother watching tv so have no idea what they on about or why they angry about something thats not any of their business lol. Some people just have no OFF switch. You go to their house, they have tv on all the time and they ask you if you want to watch it and you go no...and then they just sit and stare at it even with loud commercials blasting away and taking all that junk in.

You ask if they had read anything and they will say no and its because they spend all their time watching tv! So annoying. Anyway.

Maybe i just will limit phone calls to 15 minutes and then say, hey i have to go read my book now. Bye.

 

[Goodbook]

I found this article.http://www.wsj.com/articles/what-children-learned-from-the-shared-family-phone-1460482749
I dont have a smartphone actually.
I thought maybe there would be something in the bible about talking too much.

If that friend starts talking too much then I can just remember that scripture and hang up.
I dont know why she continues talking to me when her brother is yelling at her to get off the phone. I dont know if its her or her brother thats being the annoying one. Or why if its that important he cant use his cellphone or she use hers.

It just makes for a whole lot of awkwardness is she using me to get at her brother by blocking his use of the phone?!

 

[Goodbook]

Also a really strange thing if she rings when im out she sometimes sounds quite annoyed that im out and not hanging round to answer her call. That i didnt even know she was going to call me.

Actually i havehad several ppl imply this like why werent you home?! Do they think i just sit round all day at home waiting for people to call me? Or again if on mobile and they get annoyed i didnt answer straight away well maybe it was because i was driving. I just dont understand the mindset of some people.

Another annoying thing is when people txt right in front of you or have a conversation with someone else and dont even apologise.

Im thinking it might be good to have a timer on the landline phone so that you can see how a call goes for or something or maybe a voice over that automatically picks up the phone for you and screens it by saying if you a telemarketer, push 0 if you just ringing to gossip press 2 , these two will be automatically deleted if the call is urgent the dial tone will scream, if you have a prayer request press 3 and if you saying encouraging words then you have won the telephone prize, leave a message after the tone.

 

[mina]

Is it really that hard to say, "Thanks for calling, but I don't have time to speak right now! I'm on my way to............... or I'm in the middle of ................."? If you don't want to talk to someone for hours, don't do it! You don't have to be rude to them. It is possible to be polite, Christlike in behavior, and graciously decline a phonecall. Polite and to the point is probably best to avoid drama and to keep you from having to listen to someone for hours.

 

[Goodbook]

thanks well of course there were no telephones in bible times but I found these scriptures on conversation.

Ephesians 4:29
Matthew 12:35
Colossians 4:6

Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

 

[Sketcher]

Part of my job is answering phones. Most of the tools they gave us in training to deal with abusive customers is rooted in Christian teaching. I have to show them more grace than I want to in that moment. I have to not retaliate. I have to keep on being patient and kind, no matter how bad it gets. At the same time, I need to be unyielding when they ask or demand that I do something inappropriate.

No calls in my personal life get that bad, but if any ever did, you can bet I'd be re-evaluating that relationship.

 

[Goodbook]

Yesterday was out with a friend BUT she kept txting on her iphone all the time i was with her to someone else, and actually her phone needed to be on silent as we were in a recording studio. I put mine on silent.

I asked her what was so important that she had to keep txting and she just said it was her friend had some scandalous gossip to tell her. I said why is that any of your business and she just said shes my best friend we tell each other everything.

Hmm.

Two things. Well shes kind of implying she not MY best friend, which is kinda rude

Her friend is a gossip, and she also cant say no to this person, or turn off her phone. In a recording studio!!!

 

[Goodbook]

I was seriously annoyed and sure the radio techie wasnt that impressed when her phone keeps buzzing and she keeps answering her gossipy best friend. Arrgh!

 

[Goodbook]

Well God showed me a book at the library and am reading it now its called

Keep it shut
What to say, how to say it and when to say nothing at all

By karen ehman


It has good biblical advice. The lady said she was a former gossip and had to learn how to shut her mouth. I dont have that problem she had but as a former public librarian that has a whole section in the library related to talebearing (we just call it 'fiction') gossip was hard to avoid.

but i have decided if anyone starts gossiping to me just say sorry I dont want to hear that. (Or read it) and not particpate by changing the subject or hang up.

 

[Goodbook]

am seeing my friend today, I just pray that all the issues with her phone 'friend' don't come between us.

Another thing I find embarassing or awkward is being the one to ring someone and they are just going out, in the bathroom or having a nap.


I have got that some ppl ring me and the first thing they ask every time is now, did I wake you up? lol. Even if its like 10am in the morning or 3 in the afternoon.

I am handling phone calls a lot better these days but I'm sure theres some kind of etiquette you can learn that makes it easier for everyone to get along. One of my friends has her phone set to 'meow' so everytime it rings it meows, actually that is not a bad idea.

I should set my phone to 'meow' if its a friend call and 'bark' if its an unknown caller. But my phone isn't that clever.

 

[Goodbook]

Yesterday had a phone call from this investment companty from someone Uknown on my mobile, i was suspicious as it showed restricted call. Anyway i answered and they said i enquired about something in June and im going I dont rememebr that. I never made an enquiry how did you get my number?! (And why are they ringing me in november?! )
So I just said and I had to repeat to this person no sorry I dont remember ever making an enquiry, and hung up.

If its an investment company they just want your money anyway. They will take it, promise you a return and then prolly not follow through, there are all these scams out there.

 

[All4Christ]

If it's gossip, you certainly have Biblical reasons to decline discussing that...that may help with some friends

 

[Goodbook]

Friend rang me last night I dont know how long we talked for must have been about 15 minutes but was doing dishes at the time, we had a chat then i hung up and realised i still had the dishes to do and the water had gone cold.

The thing with the phone is sometimes you never know when the right time is to ring. Its not like you a call centre and just sitting by the phone all the time, waiting.

I have ring a friend sometimes and they havent even got up. And it was about 9:45 in the morning.

 

[Goodbook]

People talk about televangelists meaning ones on tv but what about ones by phone?
If theres telemarketers surely televangelists must be christians sharing the gospel by telephone.

I would rather a televangelist call me than a telemarketer.

They could say, im calling on behalf of Lord Jesus. How is your relationship with Him today? may I pray for you?