Talking on the phone

Include me in the "dislike phone calls" group. As much as I hate having to type out a text it is preferable to picking up the phone and talking. I used to also jump when my business line rang at home. I managed 13 salespeople and they always knew I preferred emails to phone calls. Besides, it provided written rather than just discussed conversations. Now that I'm retired I have very little to talk about with anyone on the phone.
 
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I prefer to text. When I talk on the phone, I often forget to ask or say things that need to be asked or said, when I text, I have time to think of those kinds of things. Also, a phone call can be inconvenient, for both parties, a text can be replied to when convenient. Anyway, I prefer to text. Don...
 

I like talking on the phone, especially now. With my crazy sense of humor and my family and friends who follow suit, most of my calls wind up featuring belly laughs. My son and youngest grandson (16) don't talk long when on the phone. I can have conversations with my oldest grandson (32) for 30 minutes or more. My honorary son (also son's BFF) and I have been known to talk on the phone for an hour or more but granted, we don't speak on the regular. Since COVID my BFF, who lives in another state and tends to be quite busy, and I are talking more often. Sometimes we have longer conversations than we used to.
 
I used to be a customer service rep, so I rarely talk on the phone that much, and never answer it.

The exception is when one of my gfriends call or my cousin, then I can talk for an hour at least to catch up.

I prefer to text to let people know I'm thinking of them.
 
OneEyedDiva said:
I like talking on the phone, especially now. With my crazy sense of humor and my family and friends who follow suit, most of my calls wind up featuring belly laughs. My son and youngest grandson (16) don't talk long when on the phone. I can have conversations with my oldest grandson (32) for 30 minutes or more. My honorary son (also son's BFF) and I have been known to talk on the phone for an hour or more but granted, we don't speak on the regular. Since COVID my BFF, who lives in another state and tends to be quite busy, and I are talking more often. Sometimes we have longer conversations than we used to.
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I have a feeling I would actually ENJOY talking with you if you have a crazy sense of humor. ;)
 
i can't stand robo call surveys or scammers, cold call sales who try to make you think they are actually from Medicare when they are just from an insurance company trying to sell you on their medicare maintenance plan. i'm not as good about necessary phone calls as i once was and now days the only calls i like getting are from my sons and/or grandson.

One of the things i like about texting with businesses or service people is you have a record of what they've told you, without taking extra steps to record or having to inform them they are being recorded. i can go back and double check what they agreed to do or when i'm due somewhere, and there's no excuse for them not contacting me if something delays them.
 
dseag2 said:
I have a feeling I would actually ENJOY talking with you if you have a crazy sense of humor. ;)
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i know you would, have known Diva for well over a decade, we've had private online conversations and talked on phone a couple of times. She is one of several cyber friends i treasure for a variety of reasons, and i dearly hope we will be able to meet in person one day.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I got big fat fingers, and a tiny phone keyboard, plus I type so slow that texting doesn't work for me. Also, I don't have that much to say. I doubt my brother is dying to hear what kind of stool I had this morning. I can say that my brother never discussed his, either.
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Count your blessings, discussing the daily constitutional is highly overrated.
 
I can easily talk to anyone at least a little while, phone or face to face, though if busy with something may keep a call brief. Being able to hold conversations is a complex talent with many non-verbals requiring empathy and listening skills. On a phone that is more about subtle tones of voice. Skilled communication was a key reason I was so successful working in high tech electronic engineering groups, where as a team, one must interface in a professional manner with a long list of talented others. Note my last 8 years, I worked for a VOIP phone system manufacturer repairing telephony media gateway switches.

One reason I'm a decades old Tahoe skier is because it is one of the few situations in life where as a single solo, one rides chair lifts with people A to Z in life, young to old, from across the world. I enjoy joining chairlifts rides with all these strangers, most of which tend to be in excited happy spirits, some interested in talking some not. All is good, I'm easy.

After retirement in 2017, I have not been receiving many phone calls. Well, I was receiving robo spam calls for that expired car warranty scam but I just always instantly hung up so never receive any more. My family and I had been 2000 miles apart since the early 70s so am glad for modern phone technology. Far far better than what our ancestors living apart had to sadly deal with. My mother and sister (both diceased) would phone a few times each year like on this Thanksgiving day and sometimes calls would go over an hour catching up with living. Today am driving 100 miles to one of 4 brothers that live regionally and expect to phone up a few people on this 2021 Thanksgiving.
 
I really don't like to talk on the phone. Can't really explain. I used to teach high school so all day long I talked and talked and talked with students, other teachers and parents. Now, I often use hearing aids so many that has something to do with it. However, I think I am a person to person type of a guy. I like to see someone's faces; whether they are smiling, shocked, surprised or whatever. Can't really do that on the phone. When the phone rings it really bothers me. I wish it wouldn't! I used to have a mother-in-law that could talk on the phone for 4 hours standing up. Maybe that turned me off phone; not sure!
 
When the phone rings I check the caller ID. If I don't see the name of someone that I know, I don't answer it.

I only give out my landline number except to family.

I prefer texting with the cell phone because if the callee is busy I can still communicate.
 
I don't answer calls if I don't know the number.

I don't carry my phone around with me all day. You would not believe how many people nowadays act like that is a sin!

I don't mind talking to friends and relatives, but so many of them are super long-winded. You may think "pot, meet kettle". But it is different when a phone call lasts more than 15 minutes. I have things to do and can't be tethered to a phone. It makes me antsy. The speaker phone idea is good if you live alone or the person can still hear you.

The above is not true of a couple of my friends and one of my sons. He is autistic and I like it when he says "do you mind if we get off the phone now"? I never mind because we've already been talking for at least an hour. It's the directness I like. My best friend has been a dog trainer for 30 years. We are really into dogs, so those conversations are fun. Instead of talking about what our friends are up to, we talk about their dogs. It's always a positive conversation because a lot of our friends are dog people. Unless the pooch is sick.

It is also not true of people who need the contact, like my friend who lives alone and has been in a wheelchair for 5 years. I can spend hours on the phone with that friend and that's fine.

I like texting. It saves time. Right now, I am not speaking to one of my relatives. She started texting me, and I respond because it is polite.
 
Nathan said:
Some people love to, people like myself do not. Why? I don't know, it kind of bothers me, makes me think I've got some kind of "hermit DNA"...maybe I do. 🤔

When the phone rings I jump like there was just a gunshot, I can tell you why that is: back with my ex who trashed our(MY) credit, and then having non-stop bill collectors calling and making threats and harassment. That was almost 30 years ago, but I still jump to this day. 😐

But yea, I just loathe calls, except from my son, who only calls maybe once a month, and talks 10 minutes or so.
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My phone is always off unless I wish to call someone. I check for messages occasionally. I refuse to be controlled by a phone.
 

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