Five Types of Annoying Callers

Working in an office has its advantages . . . climate control, Internet access, luncheons, comfy chairs, etc. However, there are some things that are seemingly unavoidable that make working in an office annoying and even unbearable. Whether you're in customer service, a receptionist, or a chief executive, office pet peeves are universal and far reaching in the business world. These annoying and often disruptive behaviors can occur while dealing with customers, clients, or even the co-workers themselves. Since there are so many aspects of office life, I will be tackling the subject of phone etiquette and the pet peeves that are encountered through everyday telephone usage. Fortunately, there are very simple solutions to dealing with annoying callers.

Phone Etiquette
Every desk is equipped with one and some of us have to use them more than others in order to accomplish the tasks that we set out to do in our offices everyday: a telephone. When customers, clients and even co-workers use improper phone etiquette, I find myself sighing loudly (practicing the ancient art of Tai Chi, breathing) and rolling my eyes or simply just shaking my head. Using manners when speaking on the phone, a.k.a. phone etiquette, is a simple way of conducting business with out getting on someone's nerves. Here they are . . . the phone pet peeves I , my co-workers, and people in offices all over the world deal with daily.

Suzie, The Soccer Mom On Her Cell- Phone. If you answer the phone at the office, there's a good chance you know who I'm talking about. If you don't know, she's the woman that calls, and when you pick up the phone to say "Hello, thanks for calling____, this is_____, may I help you?" you instantly hear children screaming, car horns honking, and no one replies. If you are patient and not used to these calls, you might repeat yourself and wait until she gets her children under control before she asks "Who is this?"(Which, by the way, is another annoying pet peeve, having just stated your name and business). So, politely you might respond again in vain, because she's too busy driving, watching the kids in the back seat, and holding the cell phone between her shoulders and her cheek to hear you. The best solution to this, if you haven't already hung up on her, is to politely ask her to call back at a more convenient time or from a different phone because you are getting bad reception.

The Whisperer. I'm not sure what motivates these people to make phone calls or even speak for that matter, because unless you have K9 ears, they are impossible to hear. After asking the person several times to speak up, they are still inaudible and fraying your nerves like the steel guard rail on a balcony frays the ACME rope that is tied to the one ton piano being hoisted up into an apartment, over a crowded cartoon colored street. My solution: ask them to yell or come into the office because it is impossible to do business over the phone with someone you can't hear.

The Obsessive Speed Caller. Almost every office has an employee or customer that seems to have their fingers surgically attached to the speed dial button of their phone. Or maybe they have no job and nothing better to do but call obsessively. They call entirely too often and in a short period of time. When you tell them that you will call them back, they call you back five minutes later. I try my best to just not answer their calls until my nerves are in order and I am prepared, but that's not always possible. Sometimes the best thing to do is just to be blunt and tell them the truth: "You are calling me WAY TOO MUCH! I will get back to you when I can, but right now you are just being disruptive and interrupting the job that I am trying to accomplish." If that doesn't work, pass them on to someone else until they get tired of them and pass them on as well.

The Forgetful Freddy. These callers can be annoying but can also be quite amusing, depending on what state of mind you're in. They call, and with in seconds, have, for some simple distraction or reason, completely forgotten why or who they have called. If the day has been hectic and there are about one hundred other things to do, you'll probably feel like banging your head against your desk. However, if you've got a moment, have fun with it . . . ask them what kind of pizza they'd like, or tell them the special soup of the day. Laugh with them because they'll probably feel pretty stupid or confused. My simple and professional solution: take the time to start a conversation with them, they might remember why they were calling after a moment of small talk, or just tell them to call back later if they don't.

Bitchy Bob and/or Betty. Anytime of the day or night these callers can strike and leave you feeling annoyed, pissed off, or even infected with the bitchiness. For some reason or another these callers are upset, stressed out, pissed off, and want to bitch at the first person who answers the phone. It doesn't matter whether you have any bearing on whether what happened to them was your fault or not, they're off and bitching or yelling at you after "Hello, this is____, can I help you?" These are the kind of callers that are just begging to be hung up on. Sometimes, however, the best thing to do is to just pull the phone away from your ear until they stop yelling, take a deep breath, and try to remember a time when you were pissed off. Put yourself in their shoes and try to appease them by saying what they want to hear: "I understand how you feel. I've felt that way before. What can I do to resolve your situation?" If that doesn't work, and they continue to bitch, let them know that their tone is offensive and until they can calm down and speak professionally, you will be unable to assist them, and then hang up the phone.

The five most annoying callers are: Suzie, The Soccer Mom On Her Cell- Phone, The Whisperer, The Obsessive Speed Caller, The Forgetful Freddy, and Bitchy Bob and/or Betty. They exercise terrible phone etiquette and can annoy anyone working in an office atmosphere. Their annoying and disruptive behaviors are universal office pet peeves that will get on your nerves, but are easily dealt with if you follow my simple solutions. If all else fails, become a pet peeve yourself: The World's Fastest Hang Up Artist.