Getting people to accept that I don't like to talk on the phone!!

[Peppergirl]

I work in a call center. I work close to 60 hours a week and more lately. Is it really that difficult to figure out that (because of this) I don't like to talk on the freaking phone much when I'm off?????

This is aimed at my neighbor in particular. I love her to death, but she's RELENTLESS with the phone. I rarely answer because, when I do, I am never, ever able to get off the damned thing.

She goes on and on and on. I've resorted to letting most of them roll to voice mail. She then leaves 2-3 minute long messages about the stupidest fucking shit. I listen and text her back if she asks me a direct question.

Look, I like texting - mainly because I try to preserve my voice on my rare off days, and also, I'm just burnt out on talking in general. I respect anyone who doesnt wish to text, but please - why is it so hard for some people to just accept and respect that I'm exhausted of the phone and just back the fuck off????

Ok - I know this is fratch and so fire away since I'm sure I sound like a huge bitch. I weighed the risk of posting this versus getting it off my chest, and I'm totally cool with getting blasted for my bitchy views.

I should also clarify that I don't ALWAYS let her calls roll to voicemail and then text back. I do answer...probably about 25 percent of the calls. Sometimes she'll begin the voicemail by 'I hate to text' - before rambling on for 2 minutes. Well, cool - guess what? *I* hate to talk!! My job sucks and you KNOW this...so why do you persist in calling constantly?

[Andara Bledin]

If you can, put in your voicemail message that if possible, you'd rather text, since you spend so much time on the phones for your job. Most reasonable people will understand and figure something out.

Also, is this woman literally a neighbor? Is there some reason why she couldn't, say, drop by to visit if she has such a burning need to chatter at you?

^-.-^

[blas87]

You're not being a bitch at all.

And by the weird hours you work, you shouldn't be expected, by anyone, to have to listen to someone dribble on and on and on.

[Peppergirl]

If you can, put in your voicemail message that if possible, you'd rather text, since you spend so much time on the phones for your job. Most reasonable people will understand and figure something out.

Also, is this woman literally a neighbor? Is there some reason why she couldn't, say, drop by to visit if she has such a burning need to chatter at you?

^-.-^

That is a great idea about changing my voice mail. Thanks!

She literally is...but the only thing I hate worse than the phone is people who drop by out of the blue. At least she DOES respect that.

You're not being a bitch at all.

And by the weird hours you work, you shouldn't be expected, by anyone, to have to listen to someone dribble on and on and on.

Right?!?

And I don't claim to be the only person with alot of stress, but most people know and respect that I've recently taken a position in this company that has amped up my already insane stress levels to 'off-the-charts' levels. Most people have backed the fuck off and given me the space I need to decompress during the rare downtime that I have. Not her.

I guess I'm going to have to eventually have to quit being passive-aggressive about it and flat out tell her to lighten up. Hints don't work, clearly.

[bainsidhe]

There was a time where I was utterly burned out from working retail. It was at Media Play and we were required to "engage" every customer and sell sell sell. I was so tired once I got home that I barely grunted at my roommates. I didn't want to interact, I just wanted to veg out and watch Law & Order.

[Racket_Man]

I hear ya Pepper. having been doing phones for the better part of the last 25or 30 years (food places, IT and long distance tech support) I can understand your situation.

there were times many moons ago before cell phones, Caller ID, and widely available cheap answering machines I dreaded the phone ringing during my off time. the good thing was the ability to turn off the ringer and turning down the volumn of the greeting tape and speaker.

[aurelemsrealm]

I can relate to what you are saying. I work in retail, so there are times that I don't want to go out in public or talk to anyone once I get off work. All I want to do is go home and retreat into my shell. My wife often accuses me of being anti-social and passive-aggressive. She has an office job in which she has limited contact with the general public, so she just doesn't get why I'm sick of everyone and everything by the time I get home.

[telecom_goddess]

I can totally understand. I'm on the phone a lot at my job and I really hate answering the phone at home or being bugged by phone at all when I'm not working.

Also because of a flea market I run and because of work I am forced to be social for long hours when I'm NOT a social person and when i get done I'm completely burned out on people and talking to them and just want to watch tv or do something SOLITARY. I'm used to being solitary my whole life and this new social shit is draining.

[Akasa]

10 years after being tech support for 6 years and I still hate the phone.

[Jack T. Chance]

Those of you that have put in YEARS working on the phone get mad props from me!

I put in a little over 2 years working on the phone at a market research firm (we were the people that did customer satisfaction surveys over the phone) and I was DONE. After putting up with the office politics and attitudes from the people on the phone for a little over 2 years, I went BACK to retail.

[Food Lady]

I can relate to what you are saying. I work in retail, so there are times that I don't want to go out in public or talk to anyone once I get off work. All I want to do is go home and retreat into my shell. My wife often accuses me of being anti-social and passive-aggressive. She has an office job in which she has limited contact with the general public, so she just doesn't get why I'm sick of everyone and everything by the time I get home.

It was the same with my best friends and me when we were roomies. She did have customer contact, but not face-to-face, and not the crazy hours I did. Then she got a retail job. Her reaction was "FL, NOW I understand you!" This was after 3 years of living with me.

[DrFaroohk]

I hate talking on the phone. at my old job I was always e-mailing my boss with this or that and she'd bitch and say "just call me"....I mean reallty what's the difference. Well, I can call, and it might not be a convenient time, and you might be busy, and you might only pick up half of what I said because you're distracted. Or you can have a nice, well thought out paragraph in front of you that you can read at your leisure, and if you don't get it, can read it again.

[aurelemsrealm]

I don't care much for talking on the phone unless there is a specific reason. I don't have the attention span or desire to just chit chat with anyone and everyone. About the only people I talk to on the phone just to chat are my parents or sometimes my sister. Once in a while, I might talk to friends just to catch up with them, but usually use e-mail, IM, or Facebook for that. I prefer texting over talking on the phone, but don't even do that unless someone texts me first or there is a specific reason. I use my phone more for things like the clock/alarm clock, calendar, notepad, and song ID app.