Comments on: I hate the telephone

By: Karin

Karin — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 20:50:39 +0000

If the phone is for my convenience, why is it that I’m always the one having to leave messages on people’s answering machines because I can’t reach them when I need them? I had to carry a cell phone in my last job – as manager I was always to be available. I retired and am so glad that I could get rid of that phone! On our land line we have call display only. We don’t answer if we don’t recognize the caller. No answering machine either – and we love it that way. E-mail is still my first choice – but not everyone answers promptly! Oh well, that’s life!

By: Ray Pennings

Ray Pennings — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:45:52 +0000

I appreciate your note and variations on the six tips you provide are present practice for me. However, I much prefer the phone to email for anything more than straight factual information exchanges. The nuance, intonation and humanness of voice interaction is much preferred over the deadness and often misunderstood nature of email (which requires four return back and forth emails to clarify.) I find phone is usually a much more efficient way to advance an issue and an agenda, allowing me to know not only that the required information has been communicated, but also to give me a sense of how it has been received and what is likely to be done with it.Most of my colleagues (especially those who are younger) prefer email (they destest voicemail as ‘trapped data’) but count me in the camp that prefers to talk on the telephone. I hate the acuumlation of literally over a hundreds of email that enter my in-box each day (when planning a phone call, you make your list of talking points and put them all in one call as opposed to the stream of consciousness communication that email encourages.) I actually finds the short banter that is part of a phone conversation an enlivening part of my day and makes the other person more real rather than an email address. That being said, I doubt either the phone or email are going to disappear, regardless of how many cords we pull out of the wall. If you want to discuss the matter further, feel free to give me a call.

By: CBeute

CBeute — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:13:29 +0000

These are pretty much my sentiments about a phone. Trying to come across without sounding self-centered, I think the phone is here for my advantage, not someone else’s. Lately we have been inundated at home with political calls, surveys, etc., like others I am sure, and this has made me think of getting rid of the land line. Our kids don’t understand why this antiquated piece of equipment is still in our house. I must confess that I often let the answering machine do its thing, which minimizes unnecessary interruptions and allows me to call back when it is more convenient.

By: Seth Getz

Seth Getz — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:12:02 +0000

I on the other hand love the phone and use it constantly. I will be on the phone between 2-7 hours in a day. But that said I agree with each of those points and have used them extensively. I should explain that 95% of my time on the phone is scheduled meetings where I am dialing out to them. My favorite feature on a cell phone is the OFF button. This may sound terribly one sided but in my opinion the reason for me to have a cell phone is so that I can get a hold of others when I want to. It is not so that they can get a hold of me when they want to. That is what voice mail is for. These and other things like it are some of the things that I go over with my clients to boost their personal productivity and it is amazing how it works. So, if you want to boost your productivity then turn off your phone, just don’t do it when I need to get a hold of you.Seth Getz

By: Brad Evangelista

Brad Evangelista — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:36:16 +0000

A kindred spirit….this was helpful.