Why is it so hard to connect with my friend for our recipe discussion?

[kam]

I have a host for next week's show. She works nights and I work days so it has been hard to connect!

She wants to see some of the recipes we have been discussing (won't go there-long story) so I email her the recipes and tell her I'll call her on Tuesday (her next day off so we can talk in the evening). She is planning on going to the store to buy the ingredients on Tueday - so I should really try to call her on Monday so we can go over the recipes.

So I tell her I will try to call her from work during my lunch break on Monday. I really don't like to make PC calls from work - as I am in close quarters with others - but I will make the exception.

I call at 11:30 when officemates are gone and her phone just rings. I am waiting for her answering machine, but none picks up - so I figure she has call waiting and is not picking up. No problem.

I call back at 12:30. Phone rings twice and hangs up?? Weird. So I call right back. Well, my host picks up the phone and starts yelling into it that THIS BETTER BE GOOD...THIS IS AN UNKNOWN NUMBER....YOU BETTER HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR CALLING...I DON'T ANSWER UNKNOWN CALLERS...on & on and I keep saying hello...hello...(host name)...

Well, apparently my work phone shows up as UNKNOWN CALLER. By the time I get her almost calmed down and tell her who I am (several times) - she still has no idea! So now I have to say "Your Pampered Chef Consultant" rather loudly since she is still upset. (Which now alerts my officemates I am making PC calls (ugh!).)

So now she is mad that our company shows up as unknown! I tell her I have no control over that and I was making a special exception and calling her from work!

This is one of the worst aspects of having to make calls. I was actually a little upset over being yelled at like that - and having to justify myself!

OK...vent done. Thanks for listening.

 

[rennea]

OMG, she sounds like she is going to be a handful!! How rude and crazy

 

[cathyskitchen]

WTH??? Who answers a phone like that?? She is in serious need of some anger management therapy!! Don't worry - it's her, not you. You did NOTHING wrong. Ick!!

 

[cathyskitchen]

Oh, and if I'm making PC calls from work, I use my cell phone for this reason. I try to use my cell phone all the time, since my name comes up. If I call from the home phone, it says my husband's name, and people just don't recognize the last name for whatever reason. I also leave the office and go to my car, b/c I work in cubicle city (NO privacy whatsoever!). So, I hear you on that - it stinks to make calls from work and I hate when hosts insist that I do. I try to tell them my "office hours", but they seem to think I'm on call to them at all hours

 

[kam]

I was really quite shocked. I really believe that in this business I see the worst side of people sometimes!

I will never make an exception and call a host from work again. See - just one person ruined it for everyone!

 

[pampchefrhondab]

Wow, what a nut! Good luck with the show!

 

[kam]

Oh, and if I'm making PC calls from work, I use my cell phone for this reason. I try to use my cell phone all the time, since my name comes up. If I call from the home phone, it says my husband's name, and people just don't recognize the last name for whatever reason. I also leave the office and go to my car, b/c I work in cubicle city (NO privacy whatsoever!). So, I hear you on that - it stinks to make calls from work and I hate when hosts insist that I do. I try to tell them my "office hours", but they seem to think I'm on call to them at all hours

Yes, people get upset when you can't call them back immediately!

I had thought about calling her from my cell phone - but I do not give my cell phone # out (only to friends and family). I keep it on at work during the day - for emergencies - if DH has to get a hold of me quickly. And I really don't want hosts to start calling that number during the day while I am at work!! haha.

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

OH MY ... she sounds like a pill!Do you have a cell phone? Because if you do, I'd reccomend taking your cel phone away from your desk and making calls there ... I'm following this advice especially now that my easy-going office mate has been replaced by someone who is historically passive-aggressive. If I make a PC call I have no doubt she will turn me in to the Powers that Be, and not very nicely.

 

[cathyskitchen]

Yes, people get upset when you can't call them back immediately!

I had thought about calling her from my cell phone - but I do not give my cell phone # out (only to friends and family). I keep it on at work during the day - for emergencies - if DH has to get a hold of me quickly. And I really don't want hosts to start calling that number during the day while I am at work!! haha.

I actually use my cell phone as my "business phone" and I'm able to write off some of my bill each year b/c I use it for that purpose. If I can't answer it at work, I don't! I keep it on vibrate most of the time, so if it's an emergency (DH, school/kids, whatever), I can get it, but if it's a host, I ignore it. I let them leave a message and call them back when it's convenient for me.

I also put on my voicemail my "office hours" and let them know that if they are calling at any other time, to please leave a message and I'll return their call during my office hours. That way, they treat it more like a business and less like I'm their personal servant

I give my work number to my closest family and friends, so they can call me there if needed, but I guess I'm the opposite - I would hate for PC people to know my work number and start bugging me there all the time! I have enough people bugging me all day there!

 

[GeorgiaPeach]

Who answers a phone like that??

Oh My!! I completely agree! While I might be TEMPTED to say that to telemarketers I never would. Especially, if you suddenly hear someone calling your name. Sounds like her show might be alot of fun

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I have Vonage - and for many people, my phone # shows up as "unknown". I would hate to be treated like that by anyone. Wow! I wonder what she did before Caller ID? Gheesh! I wonder how many other important calls she may have missed?

What a crank.:grumpy:

 

[laurichef]

I have Vonage - and for many people, my phone # shows up as "unknown". I would hate to be treated like that by anyone. Wow! I wonder what she did before Caller ID? Gheesh! I wonder how many other important calls she may have missed?

What a crank.:grumpy:

My number comes up as Private, and I often get machines, and then someone picks up when they hear it is me. And I'm sure, many times they don't pick up because it is me. I so hate caller ID for that reason. Seriously, does it truly matter that you know who is calling before you answer? Why are people that worried about who is on the other end? If it is a telemarketer, you say no thank you, and hang up. When did everyone get so rude?
I find myself hating CCCs as well, just because of that.

 

[Sheila]

See, my first thought was that she's accustomed to getting a lot of bill collectors & assumed that you were a collector. LOL

I used to work shift work and slept in late. Not that it excuses her behavior in the least ... but you may have been waking her each time that you called. If that were the case, she should have said "I sleep until 1-2 PM" when you mentioned that you would be calling her during the day.

 

[paigev71]

What is even more frustrating is that she was apparently supposed to EXPECT your call that day! I have one or two who tell me to call on a certain day or time but then they don't answer and don't return messages. Did she ever apologize for being so rude? Nobody should be talked to like that....even if it was a telemarketer.

Cathy - I agree. I use my cell phone as my "business" phone too. Much of it is that I am not fortunate enough to have high speed internet so if I am on the computer (which it is logged in frequently) then my home number will be busy. I am not busy enough yet to need "office hours" listed in my voice mail (although I do have a You have reached Paige with the Pampered Chef voice mail). I will keep that in mind when my business starts booming!

 

[chefann]

I have Vonage - and for many people, my phone # shows up as "unknown". I would hate to be treated like that by anyone. Wow! I wonder what she did before Caller ID? Gheesh! I wonder how many other important calls she may have missed?

What a crank.:grumpy:

Our caller ID has been number only since we changed providers (although that should change once we're switched over to Vonage). It's amazing the number of people who call us who assume we have caller ID and check it before we answer the phone. They just start talking without identifying themselves.

 

[kam]

I have Vonage - and for many people, my phone # shows up as "unknown". I would hate to be treated like that by anyone. Wow! I wonder what she did before Caller ID? Gheesh! I wonder how many other important calls she may have missed?

What a crank.:grumpy:

I am wondering if guests have been calling her to RSVP and she is not taking their calls...

See, my first thought was that she's accustomed to getting a lot of bill collectors & assumed that you were a collector. LOL

I used to work shift work and slept in late. Not that it excuses her behavior in the least ... but you may have been waking her each time that you called. If that were the case, she should have said "I sleep until 1-2 PM" when you mentioned that you would be calling her during the day.

No - she asks me to call her between 9 am and 2 pm - which I can't since I am working. We have had enough lead time that I could arrange to call her on her days off - but I made the exception this time since I wanted to be sure she had the ingredients right before she went shopping!


***
At our home, DH thought it necessary to have Caller ID. Which is fine. If I see it is a host I can pick it up in the office. But when we get UNKNOWN CALLER - he will just let the machine get it. No drama. But I will always answer no matter what. I figure if they are selling something - they will just keep calling so I would rather just take care of it and say No Thanks.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

I am wondering if guests have been calling her to RSVP and she is not taking their calls...



No - she asks me to call her between 9 am and 2 pm - which I can't since I am working. We have had enough lead time that I could arrange to call her on her days off - but I made the exception this time since I wanted to be sure she had the ingredients right before she went shopping!


***
At our home, DH thought it necessary to have Caller ID. Which is fine. If I see it is a host I can pick it up in the office. But when we get UNKNOWN CALLER - he will just let the machine get it. No drama. But I will always answer no matter what. I figure if they are selling something - they will just keep calling so I would rather just take of it and say No Thanks.

This seems to me what any reasonable, thinking person would do.

 

[Hathery]

I've had similar problems w/ my work phone. We have a network connected to our VM, so when I call it's the VM hub number that shows up and not my actual number. I'm always certain to leave my ACTUAL number in the message, but so often the person isn't listening and just redials the number they saw on their caller ID. They just get a weird message from the voicemail company. Then somehow it's my fault, and I must have given them the wrong number, etc etc

 

[BethCooks4U]

I've had similar problems w/ my work phone. We have a network connected to our VM, so when I call it's the VM hub number that shows up and not my actual number. I'm always certain to leave my ACTUAL number in the message, but so often the person isn't listening and just redials the number they saw on their caller ID. They just get a weird message from the voicemail company. Then somehow it's my fault, and I must have given them the wrong number, etc etc

Would it help when you leave a message to say: "I am calling from work and if you just hit redial you won't get me. Please me call xxx-xxxx" then leave the message and end it with "remember, to call me back use xxx-xxxx."

 

[Hathery]

It would definitely help! If I use my work phone again I'll have to do that. I know I'm guilty of just re-dialing w/out writing down the person's number, too!