If you have caller ID, do you only pick up the phone if you know who the caller is?

Question

I have so many debt collectors after me, that I only pick up the phone if I know who it is.

Answer 1

I feel your pain...and yes I do that...If its unknown or a 1800# I NEVER answer the phone.

Answer 2

Aahhh, for the good old days of the butler!!!

I might even suggest to you to turn OFF the ringers on your phones and allow ALL calls go to your answering machine instead.

These days, the Caller ID and accompanying Answering Machine are the equivalent of the butler of olden days.

You see, the butler knew (or was told) who the lady/gentleman of the house were willing to "entertain." If Mrs. Jones came calling to the door, the butler would know that Mrs. Jones was welcome, to greet her, and show her to the drawing room to await your arrival to visit with her. However, if Mrs. Anderson came to the door, the butler would politely inform Mrs. Anderson that you were unavailable, but that she could leave a "calling card" if she wished.

The telephone is an appliance which is at the "service" of the OWNER of the phone, not the caller on the other end. Some people seem to think that JUST because the phone rings, you MUST answer it.

The Caller ID allows us to know who (at least SOMETIMES it does) is calling, and if we are willing to talk to the caller. For those times the Caller ID fails to specify (i.e. "UNAVAILABLE" or "PRIVATE" or some inane company name, like "PRO GENERAL" that you've never heard of before), the answering machine takes over. Personally, my philosophy is, "If THEY are UNAVAILABLE to me, I am UNAVAILABLE to THEM!"

The answering machine is the ever attentive butler who screens your calls and takes messages, and in my particular case, it is on 24/7, whether I'm home or not. In fact, this afternoon, as I was outdoors hanging my laundry up to dry, I heard the answering machine taking a message. But I was not about to frantically RUN into the house JUST because the phone rang. If the call is important enough to the CALLER, THEY will leave a message. Otherwise, the others are not worth your attention.

With the exception of family and other "intimates," callers must realize that they are not the most important thing in the lives of the people they call... and if they are, the call-EE will respond. The Caller ID and Answering Machines are part of our lives and to deny it or despise them for their existance, is a waste of time and effort.

Have a great day!

Answer 3

Well this may be blunt but pay up to the debt collectors. But anyway, in the time being, answer the phone when you know who it is. That's the safer side!

Answer 4

Actually, a lot of my friends/family will call my cell from different numbers so I almost HAVE to pick up the phone. Plus, I stay pretty paranoid that something will happen to someone and they won't be able to reach me so, unless I'm really really tired, I try to answer my phone everytime.

Answer 5

I verify the caller identity. So if it incredibly is somebody i do no longer understand, i understand a thank you to start up out speaking. occasion:Ring ring "hiya HOWS A GOING!!!" What if that became right into a incorrect variety? Lol =)

Answer 6

I only answer the phone to recognized numbers OR if I'm expecting a call from someone not in my phone list.

Answer 7

Sometimes I don't pick up the phone even when I know who it is. There are times you don't feel like talking to anyone.

Answer 8

I have caller ID.
Sometimes I dont pick up even if I DO know the caller.
Its called prerogative.


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Answer 9

Well, If I were you I would pay my debts, or will stop buying more that I can afford, and about to answer or not calls identified or unidentified, that's up to you, sometimes you'll find out that the call you don't answered could be someone you were expecting to call you, like one of your friends.

Answer 10

This is normally what goes on in my house...

It sucks though when people call you from a different number that you don't recognize so it goes un-answered, then everyone gets mad because you never answer their calls, but they have yet to realize all they have to do is say "Hey it's me" on the answering machine.....lol.