When you call a person and someone else answers the phone, is it rude not to speak to that person?

Question

As in saying hello to the person who answers the phone before you ask for the person you were calling for.

Answer 1

It depends on whether or not you know the person answering the phone. If you don't know them, it's perfectly acceptable to merely ask for the person you are calling for. If you are acquainted with the person who answers, it is polite to say hello, and acknowledge them before asking to speak to the person you are calling for. Failing to "acknowledge" someone you know is rude.

Answer 2

Usually, even in work related phone calls people will at least say hello before asking to be transferred to the person they really want to talk to. In a social call, I think you need to talk more than that to the person who answered such as if it's the person's girlfriend, husband, etc. It's polite to show that you care about the person your friend cares about.

Answer 3

Yes, it's rude - it dismisses them completely, and although they're not the person you were hoping to speak with, there is no reason to be demeaning to them. Taking three seconds to say "Hello, how are you?" I'm fine, thank you, and then, "May I speak with *****?" is not going to hurt you at all. I've known people who will actually hang up the phone if they don't get the person they were calling for. That's just creepy.

Answer 4

kinda... it depends. if your calling your boyfriend or significant other and a female answers, obviously u are well within your right to not say anything, and just hang up.

also, if you call a friend, and a person answers that you don't like for some reason (hopefully for a good reason), then you may choose not to say anything.

but, if its just a friend and a random person answers the phone, and you don't say anything, it is kind of rude. if u just sit there while the person keeps saying "hello" and then hangs up, u might as well have cranked called them, and that is rude too.

Answer 5

You should always say hello or greet the person on the other end of a phone call. You don't have to get chatty but it really is rude not to say hello.

Answer 6

I think its best if your part of the call goes like this " Hello, may I speak to Brandi please? " Its to the point, yet acknowledges them politely. Smile when you speak so you sound friendly and chipper. I find that garners cooperation from the person answering the phone in case you have to rely on them to leave a message.

Answer 7

Yes...first off you have to say hello then I hate it when...and women do this a lot...speak to other people while you are on the phone...it's really rude and I just hang up on people if they don't show courtesy.

Answer 8

not unless you know the person..than do the natural thing and check up on the person first..."hey how's it going..small talk for like 30 secs..." then when u appear to taper off into a silence he /she will get the hint ..naturally and transfer the line to the person you really want to talk too....if u hardly know the person or have no clue who u talking to then...i guess u won't have much to talk abt and the person will just pass you on to whoever it is you are looking for...so yes...it's rude in a way if you know the person and avoid talking ..

Answer 9

Yea it is rude. Once this guy called for my sister. Once he figured out it wasn't my sister he just hung up in the middle of me saying she was at school. How rude, but whatever. I've never even met the guy, so it doesn't matter.

Answer 10

no its not rude
you can say hello may I speak to _______
and thank the person but that is all.
Now If you calling eg: your sister and lets say her husband answers the phone and you just ask for her and not have a little conversation like how are you and whats new little things,
then I think its rude, you should say something.
hope that helps.