Do you take the time to call?

[FreeMe]

I once had a person call me on a "private" number. I nearly didn't answer but she turned out to be an excellent renter. I just cannot (and will not) operate my business via text. I'm just like Andrews Custom Leather in that regard and always enjoy talking with him as he takes my order. If I didn't answer all calls, I'd go out of business.

I don't run a business, so I don't have to worry about that (expect I'd have a separate business phone anyway). I've talked to a lot of people about this, and have seen almost universal agreement about not answering unknown numbers. My system makes life simpler, and it goes like this.....

Unknown number calls. If it's important, they leave a message. Then I call back. Immediately after the exchange, I give the number a name and add it to the contact list. If it wasn't important enough to leave a message, I dismiss it and never give it another thought. A lot of people use this same system with their personal phones.

When I advertise to the public, I specify text for first contact, but if someone calls and leaves a message, that works too.

Guess how many times I answer spam or scam calls.....Never.
How many times do I miss an important call? I don't know of any, and frankly, I don't care.

I give others the same courtesy. If I call and no one answers, I leave a message. If it's not a business and it's someone I've never called before (such as answering a CL ad), I text. If I don't get a reply to either, I move on.

Technology is great if you don't let it own you.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business. When you don't answer that phone, they just call the next listing and you don't make a booking. Not many people leave messages these days.

Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY

[FreeMe]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business.

Nor would I want to be.

Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY

Looks like a fun hobby.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Rentals are actually very fun....short term rentals with the right kind of renters.

The longer we keep a scammer on the phone, the less time he has to scam others.

[Armybrat]

We owned an inherited duplex years ago, and it turned out to be such a PITA that I sold it ASAP.

[I_Like_Turtles]

Good friend called me today, number I had never seen before. So what if that had been another scam caller? I'd have hung up or strung the guy along as long as I could.

Great chat we had.

[skiflydive]

I call someone about every day. Today it was a friend who was a customer of mine starting back in 1980. We talk every year or so but it had been a couple. You'd never know we don't talk every day! Talked for half an hour. Fun!

[I_Like_Turtles]

Got a call from "Microsoft" today and decided to have some fun. Lee Lu, one of my alter egos, answered the phone. It was hard to keep from laughing as I strung the guy along. I don't have "cloud" or any Apple devices but hey, they think everyone does! I kept the guy on the line about 5 minutes but I had a leaking pipe to find and fix for a friend. I revered to my real voice and said "buddy, it's been fun stringing you along but I got to go." I hung up.

Let them call me, good times!

[340pd]

Speaking to calling, I believe it is time for all of us to start repeatedly calling our "politicians" and voicing our opinions on the allowing of looters, the tacit approval of allowing post offices, businesses, banks, and a police station to be burned, historic statues to be ripped from public places and endorsing the removal of such important things like the the images of kids on a box of Rice Krispies.
What really needs to be called for is the defunding and disbanding of the offices of so many of the mayors and city clowncils in this once great country.

[berettabone]

Well you haven't been in the vacation rental business. When you don't answer that phone, they just call the next listing and you don't make a booking. Not many people leave messages these days.

Personally, I enjoy when I get a live scammer....see I have an alter ego named "Lee Loo," a recent immigrant from China. His English is limited, he has a hard time understanding people, especially those with an Indian accent. Sometimes callers from India get made at Lee Loo, which is sad because Lee Loo really cares about what they have to say. Usually, the caller gets angry and hangs up on Lee Loo.....very bad manners! Lee Loo sad. Sad Lee Loo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ll_qnBNTY

Funny, my alter ego is Hadji....................at the end after the string along, I suggest that may a crazed camel squat in their rojak.