Caller ID manners?

Question

I work in a law office and phone plenty of people everyday. Today I received a call that went like this:

Caller: "WHO IS THIS?"
Me: This is ___ at ____law offices.
Caller: Why did you call me?
Me: I'm sorry, who are you calling for?
Caller: This number is on my caller ID, you called two hours ago, why did you call me?
Me: I'm sorry, what is your name, then I may know why we called.
Caller: Forget that...you don't know who you've been calling? Why did you call me, how can you just call a number and not know why you called.

And so on and so on...and prior to them hanging up they instructed me never to call them again...lol.

Has this ever happened to you? Or do you ever call back unknown numbers on your caller ID?

Yah...I suppose it could seem weird for a law office not to leave a message, but there are often times where there is no machine..or I dial the number and realized I misdialed and hang up, or someone walks in that needs attention etc...

And well to be truthful I always call the 1-800's back, because they are normally telemarketers and then they have a nice automated system to get on their do not call list.

Answer 1

This happened to me yesterday! I work for a major airline. There are 70+ employees in my station. Guy calls and gets mad at me because I have no clue as to why someone called him the day before...unbelievable!

I do not call back numbers on caller ID unless it is a call I have been waiting for and know WHO was doing the calling! I think to call back like what happened to us is very RUDE!!

Answer 2

I have called back to unknown numbers, someone might have been borrowing a phone to call me, you never know. Mostly, they were wrong numbers.
I was reading a Miss Manners column, and a person asked what they should do when they know they have dialed wrong, stay on the line and apologize, or just hang up. Miss Manners said just hang up. I do not agree! Let the person on the other end know it is a wrong number, so they will not be concerned about the call. I just apologize, and tell them I am sorry, and no one has ever yelled at me.
In a situation like yours, I would say hold on sir, I will try to find out who called you, and why. Peope want to be treated as an individual, not as a nameless number, and get upset when they think they are being lumped in with the rest of your customers.
Inform the caller that this is a business office, and does not make telemarketing phone calls. And ask if they are a client at the office. If they say no, apologize, tell them you do not know why the call was placed. And if the employee who called really had business with that person, it is up to them to clear up the communication problem.
The worst on was the state Children and Family Services social worker kept calling me, wrong number, and telling me they were going to take my children away if I did not show up for the next court date. I do not have children. She gave lots of info about the situation. I called her and told her, after several calls, and she was very rude, telling me she did have the right number, and why was I hiding the family, and I was lying, all kinds of stuff. I finally told her that she was breaking confidentiality laws by leaving those messages on my machine, and if it did not stop, I would be forced to speak with her superiors, I do not have children, I do not know these people, I live in the town of____, not____. she really did not back down, and asked me why I called her to tell her this, why did I not just ignore the call. I told her that it was the polite thing to do, and I was concerned that the children might be being abused while she was calling the wrong number. She hung up.

Answer 3

The caller should have ID'd himself. had I been in your shoes I probably would have said something like " Well there IS that recipient of a multi-million dollar award I've been trying to contact, then there's the other 70 people I've needed to contact today, which one might you be?". If they still refuse say I'm sorry I can't help you unless I know to whom I am speaking. Apologize for the inconvenience and hang up on the idiot. I call back numbers all the time. Especially if it's a business. I begin by stating my name and that I saw their number on the caller ID and inquire about the purpose of the call. I've received calls for the person that had the phone number before I did. I inform them that the person no longer has this number and they update their files. Caliing a business and expecting them to know who you are is just stupid.

Answer 4

Yes, And then I realized it was someone else at my house that has called that person. But after the first line like that I hang up. Those type of people I don't like to mess around with or I think they are pranksters. I never call them back cause #1 they have a bad attitude in the first place and I never want to mess with that again. #2 there not worth it.

Answer 5

I DO NOT CALL BACK PERSONAL NUMBERS THAT APPEAR ON MY CALLER ID

I WOULD HAVE CALLED BACK IF AN ATTORNEYS NUMBER SHOWED UP. I WOULD HAVE WONDERED WHY THEY DID NOT LEAVE A MESSAGE THOUGH.

WHEN YOU ASKED MY NAME I WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU THE PROPER INFORMATION AND WOULD HAVE BEEN POLITE. HOW ELSE DO YOU FIND OUT WHY OR IF THEY EVEN DID CALL YOU FOR A LEGITIMATE REASON.

IF I KEPT GETTING HANG UPS FROM A NUMBER WITH NO MESSAGE I MAY CALL AND SAY R U TRYING TO CALL ME IF THEY SAID NO THEN I WOULD LET THEM KNOW THEY KEEP DIALING A WRONG NUMBER.

A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY!!!!!!!

THE GUY YOU SPOKE WITH WAS SOO RUDE!

Answer 6

No, I never call back unknown numbers, if they do not leave a message, Oh well! I just assume it was either a wrong number or if they really wanted something they would have left a message. God bless* That is funny, someone had entirely to much time on their hands and is obviously paranoid. LOL

Answer 7

I don't call back unknown numbers on my caller id; the way I see it, if they want me bad enough they will call back and/or leave a message; otherwise, what they have to say or need can't be too important

Answer 8

I did once, but it was immediately after they called me. Turns out it was a kid screwing around with the phone. I never call back unknown numbers anymore. It would be strange that a law office would call someone and not leave a message to say why they called.

Answer 9

I never call back unknown numbers, but have had it done to me at home. It is very confusing, and I don't think people should do this - they don't know what they are getting into. There is always the possibility that it was a wrong number.

Answer 10

I once got a man who called about five times till in the end he said he was trying a conference call. He was sorry so I wasn't annoyed one bit just amused. I only have caller id on my cell phone. It's a great way to avoid talking to friends who are too nosy.