Mrmf

Oct. 29th, 2009 02:26 pm
jadecat: (Default)
[personal profile] jadecat
For a secretary it's amazing how much I dislike the phone.

It's the silliest thing, but having to call people gets me all tense. I had to steel myself to call the owner of the cafe that's holding our NaNo kick off party. She's a wonderful lady, I've talked to her in person before, and have even called her before. Yet every time I have to call I need to rehearse what I'm going to say first(not that I ever end up saying what I plan to) and work myself up to it. Phones bad.

Yet I answer them all day long. So it would seem like I'm in the wrong job- but I'm really pretty okay with answering calls.

Hmm yes, screw loose. Anyone have a screwdriver?

Date: 2009-10-29 06:30 pm (UTC)
ext_61905: (Default)
From: [identity profile] shay-writes.livejournal.com
I have to do the same thing. I have difficulty making appointments too.

*snugs*

(our kick off party was a success! I hope yours is too!)

Date: 2009-10-29 06:38 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
Oh appointments are a whole different ball game. I used to strongly feel that I HAD to take the first time they offered... now I'm better, but still have difficulties...

Thanks. :) *hugs* We're a bit low-key this year for the kick off- but I'm looking forward to it.

Date: 2009-10-29 06:30 pm (UTC)
ext_80683: (Default)
From: [identity profile] crwilley.livejournal.com
I have more or less the same issue - although at least my job doesn't involve talking on the phone. :) But I hate calling people.

Date: 2009-10-29 07:25 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
Calling people for work stuff is a little easier, though I still have to 'gird my loins' as it were...

Date: 2009-10-29 06:34 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] robinskij.livejournal.com
I'm absolutely phone avoidant, too. I just hate to call people.

I have no idea why.

And I hate when the phone rings, also, except for when Mindy calls me, because I have Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure theme as her ring tone.

Date: 2009-10-29 07:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
I'm not entirely sure why I'm phone avoidant either, and I can't decide how much time to spend worrying about it. ;)

I tend to answer my cell when it rings- if I hear it. That last part is iffy. (selective hearing and all...) The home phone- if I'm home alone it's 50/50 whether I'll answer it, if hubby's home I try to make him do it.

Date: 2009-10-29 06:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] fitzjameshorse.livejournal.com
I also hate the phone.
Prolly as a result of working an average of about 30 phone calls for 30 plus years. I just let it ring at home here, never check answer phone messages (actually nobody in the house does). Nevr make calls.
And all the things that might actually be a reflection of my old job such as writing a cheque or filling in a form I just dont do.

There is actually an old saying that the shoemakers kids have the worst shoes.

Date: 2009-10-29 08:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
Quite frankly, I'm rather surprised when our home phone rings. If it does, it's a pretty good bet that's it's my hubby's mom on the phone. Possibly my mom or older sister. And the hubby and I do both forget to check for messages on the answering machine.

Yup, and doctor's wives die young.

Date: 2009-10-29 06:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] brujah.livejournal.com
[Beavis laugh] You said screw. [/Uhh huhuhh huhhuhhuh].

Date: 2009-10-29 08:32 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
Heh heh heh

The other thing is- did I mean the tool (heh heh heh) or the drink?

Date: 2009-10-29 07:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] alfabet126.livejournal.com
Same here. It's my "job" to call people to let them know we've finished their computer work. I HATE it. They ask me questions I can't answer or want to gripe about the price. Even though we don't get money if people don't come get their stuff, I put off calling as long as I can, then I'll gird my guts and call 10 or 12 at a time. I actually like getting people's voicemail, so I can just give them the info and not have to actually talk to them. I'll answer the phone when it rings, but generally they all want to go ahead and speak to my husband anyway, so what's the point. I don't call my relatives like I should either; I just dislike the phone so very much. I was well into my 20's before my mom put her foot down and wouldn't call and make my doctor's appointments for me anymore.

Date: 2009-10-29 08:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
I think this may be something I inherited from my mom! I can remember leaving notes in her briefcase reminding her to make doctor/dentist appointments for me. Not that it helped much... *laughs* Would have been easier to make them myself.

Though easier doesn't tend to play that much of a part here.

Date: 2009-10-29 07:19 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cherdt.livejournal.com
I don't consider myself a phone person, but I worked at a call center for a year-and-a-half and it never bothered me there.

I never really considered the difference between making the call and answering the phone, but you're right: one is easier than the other. Perhaps it is the difference between asking a question and answering a question. In the former, you're asking for something; in the latter, you have something to give.

My wife often hands the phone to me to order pizza/takeout, so I'd say it's a common aversion.

Date: 2009-10-29 07:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ziyda.livejournal.com
Met too; I pump myself up a bit just to order a plain pizza by phone : )
I'm afraid they'll tell me "Oh, it's you? No, you can't have a pizza!"

I worked in title insurance ~ a decade ago, and it was in that office that I realized
I'm not the only one. Good old bravado got me through.

Date: 2009-10-29 09:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] editgrrl.livejournal.com
I hate the phone, tend to ignore it if I'm not in the mood or it's not someone I know, and have terrible phone anxiety. So if you have a screw loose, so do I and you are not alone! :-) And I will not give you a screwdriver. *g* The phone phobia did start at my first job out of college where I answered the office phones though. Uh oh! LOL

Date: 2009-10-29 10:28 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] tanyareed.livejournal.com
I am the same way about talking on the phone. I put off everything!

Date: 2009-10-29 11:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] mr-spock.livejournal.com
I never really had a problem with phones, until two things happened very close together. First was I realized that my mom would NEVER leave a message on an answering machine - she'd call 20 times to force you to answer (if you were home) instead. The second was I got a temp job in a call center (and quickly learned to hate it). I've never been the same with phones since.

Date: 2009-10-30 12:24 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] starytraveller.livejournal.com
I know how you feel. I work in a call center and typically take 50+ calls a day without too much trouble. But let my supervisor hand me a voicemail message that needs to be returned and I tense up. The only thing that I can figure out is that when you receive a call, you are just waiting and the other person makes the opening move. But when you make the call, you have to decide on the opening move and what to say and that is what causes the tension.

Date: 2009-10-30 02:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] shinryou.livejournal.com
I use to love the phone, now I hate it. I make other people in my house hold call for me. Calling other people fustrates me and getting called annoys me cause its always at the worse time. I think its cause I have so much going on now, to me the phone wastes my time. I have been known to throw the phone across the room in fustration. So the household gets an answering machine, and no body answers the phone or checks the answer machine. I often wonder why we have ether.

Date: 2009-10-30 10:43 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] moondaughter20.livejournal.com
Maybe it's because at work the calls are not about you as much?

I know I was the same. I'm better with the phone. Carol isn't. But when she worked in offices she was great on the phone. Maybe it's got to do with professionalism and pushing through your fears at work, and not needing to do that at home.

Date: 2009-10-30 05:56 pm (UTC)
From: (Anonymous)
In other phone news, at work the other day the phone rang. I said, "not home" out of reflex. Remember growing up when Dad would say "not home" every time the phone rang?

Big Sis

Date: 2009-10-30 06:03 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jadecat.livejournal.com
Yeah, yeah... now that you mention it. *grins* While I hadn't thought of that in a long time, it does explain why I ask my hubby if he's home when the phone rings on his day off. The first time I did that he looked so confused...

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