Two weeks ago I called a very fancy restaurant in a town near here to see if I could reserve a room next year for a class reunion. Last week I called an animal rescue group to check on a certain dog. I have not heard back from either. There have been others also. I don't text and don't know if that is part of the problem. I sometimes think that because I am a baby boomer, I will not say senior citizen, that is why calls are not returned.

I spent 40 years in HR and then sales for the same company. Returning calls was how I got my job done. I just never thought of not returning calls. I will admit, there were some I didn't want to.

I dislike change and this is one of the reasons why.

they don't reply to questions and asking for help on e-mails either

Voice mail and Email messages are the greatest thing ever for people that do not want to bother responding to something.
In the old days you got a human WITH A NAME and they knew if the message was not acted upon you would call again and then talk to their boss.

My frequency of returns when using voice mail or Email when asking questions of a company is less than 50%.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

This is not new. I have to make a lot of calls in my work and absolutely hate leaving messages. In 15 years I don't think I got more that a few calls back. I will call every 30 seconds if I have to before I even think about leaving a message

Customer service is one of the victims of cost cutting.

Yeah, I can't think of too many calls that have been returned for years now.

You really are better off to just call until a real person picks up. I don't think people even check voice mails anymore.

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

It ticks me off too. Sign of the times I guess.

Most calls I make, even to the gov. workers,(where I KNOW I am paying part of their salary,) go directly to a voice mail.

Apparently, then forwarded on to the great unknown "out there", where no response is required.

I am afraid I have fallen into the "eternal pessimist", when it involves the state of the human race.

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wanna do right-- not right now

Trying to speak to a "person" with a cable company, is a real "joy"..

I have found visiting the facility in PERSON is the best way to get a response. It is very hard to ignore someone standing if front of your desk! (Even though now, the ringing phone will be be answered while there is a living person talking to you.)

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Bill

if I call to inquire about your product/service and you don't call back.......it don't bother me.........you keep your stuff and I keep my $$$........lots of competition on the street.....

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There's nowt so queer as folk

A bit off-topic here, but I learned something while dealing with those infernal computer controlled phone menus.

Keep dialing "0". Even if they don't list that as an option.
Most of the time dialing 0 gets you a live person.

Persistence breaks down resistance.

I've found that the way for me to get things done is to be a royal pain in the ***.

I call, I show up, I write letters, emails, whatever it takes to make them tired/dread seeing my ugly face, hear my annoying voice and do what I want to just MAKE ME GO AWAY.

Lord help them if I get a name or an extension.

But I'm always polite when I'm pestering them.

It seems to work more often than not.

Wow! Does that mean you fly all the way to India whenever you want to talk face to face with customer service?
John

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

If they don't give the "0" option and dialing "0" does not work then simply be quiet and make no responses even if the system asks you multiple times to choose an option. Frequently you'll be forwarded to a real person.
John

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Scoundrel & Ne'er-Do-Well

Been hitting on about 50% on that method, it appears that many of the systems will disconnect.

It’s getting to be they give you a few options and if you did not hit one it would ask again and then CLICK- BUZZ!

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I've had good luck using this web site. It gives you the a way through phone system hell.
Find Best Customer Support Phone Number & Contact Info - any Company | GetHuman.com

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I might be wrong but........

Wednesday night I fell getting out of bed. Luckily I landed on my face. I'm pretty sure I broke my nose and I definitely wrenched my neck. I called and left a message for my doctor's assistant. I said I could come in if he wanted to see me but I knew they couldn't help me pains. My main question was, did he want to change my BP meds? That was Thursday morning, this is Saturday morning with no call back.

If I call a business and get the voice mail telling me to make selections, I keep pushing numbers that sound like I want to pay them money. I promise, a human will answer eventually. And if they want to transfer you ask for a direct number to call in case you get disconnected. My wife works at a call center (not in New Delhi) and I promise, 90% of disconnects are hang-ups.

Yeah, do you want to go that far to talk in person to a kid in Mumbai with a thick accent who says his name is James, or Robert?

In this town some of the worst offenders about not returning calls are attorneys.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Every company in the world has a business address..Even if it's a P.O. box number. What has worked for me is to send a Certified letter to the Co. President, stating my issue...A Certified letter gave me evidence it was received..

In the particular case I was P/O's about, I had also put CC. Better Business Bureau (of the city) in the lower left before my signature.

I did get my problem resolved (Even though it wasn't the President, who responded to my letter)

(It was a cable company..litenLarry)


WuzzFuzz

Obviously these businesses that fail to follow up on their messages have too many customers to worry about your concerns. (Many times top heavy with nepotism.)

Bureaucrats, well that a whole new level of "no one to really answer to when they're not doing their job." In fact I think ignoring us may be in their job description now.

Like many others, I see voice mail and automated answering as simply being directed to companies that still care enough to answer the phone.

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GOA
USA Shooting Supporter

Communication today is a reflection of society's bad manners. Not only when calls are not returned, but when is the last time you picked up the phone, and the person on the other end identified themselves, and then said, "May I please speak to . . ." I don't remember the last time.

if i cant answer the phone and you dont leave a message i dont call back

I had this issue with a guy who was going to replace my bathtub and do some work for me. He told me he wouldn't be able to get to it until this month when I called him last month. Every other plumber up here is booked until March so that would be fine. Last Saturday afternoon he was supposed to show up, so I waited. Never came, I was more than miffed because I missed an afternoon in the woods. So I called and left a message. I called and left another one Wednesday stating that if he didn't call back I was going to find someone who would. Thursday morning a friend of my wife's said they would do it and for me to get the tub I wanted and they would install it. The guy called back later and I told him someone else already had the job. I heard a story of how busy he was and he couldn't get to me etc. I told him that was understood, but that maybe if he would have picked up the phone and told me that, I wouldn't have found someone else. To me if my business is that important, than a return call would have been something you could have made.

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Vaya con Dios

Ain't that the truth. How about the obvious wrong number? Dead silence and a hang-up.

I've been in your shoes too Dave. Similar, but when I got the answer "I've been Busy"...Well I don't suck on the hind boob.

Take a number..."you're next"...I have green backs too. Having to wait on someone to come around when "They" aren't busy, I might be waiting till next spring...

Some of those that I have called for various reasons, and never showed, I wouldn't let them wheel my wheelbarrow now if they did finally show up, and pay me for the privilege to do so.

Calling me around the time they are supposed to be there, but letting me know they are running late is one thing...But not even bothering to show up, when they are supposed to....

That's why there are Yellow Pages in the phone book. There's usually more than one listing for a service or product a person needs.


To all...If that sort of scenario happens to show up after you had to contact someone else to do the job, I think I'd let that person come on over to the house anyway, only to tell them in person you got someone else...In fact you were so happy that other person showed up when you did call, you gave them a extra $50 cash tip for doing so. Or since they may not have called you back after leaving a message or sending a E:mail, Facebook or what ever, it would be more tempting to call one more time, and let them know that you did get someone else, and you gave them the extra for calling back, or coming to fix the problem.


WuzzFuzz

Had some storm damage on the roof this last summer which justified total replacement according to my insurance company. After chasing down some recommended firms I got one to actually come by and look and make a bid. I was going to go with him, but suddenly he was unreachable by multiple e-mails or phone calls. Went by his place; nobody home. Happened to drive by there once and he was in his truck, leaving.

I got tired of wasting my time and found another firm that does respond; I'm on their list for next spring.

Beats me what goes on with people like that.

Helluva way to run a railroad.

#1 - Doctor's Office Receptionist who DOES NOT check Voice Mail - WHY have Voice Mail If you do NOT plan on checking it. Was my first and last appointment with that Doctor.

#2 - Heating/Furnace repair - Did not show up or return calls for two weeks. "We got other calls during the cold snap." - I had called BEFORE the cold snap. After another two weeks of no service called another shop - furnace checked out and serviced - after another month the first shop called to see if I still wanted a service call . My response was neither polite or diplomatic.

Bekeart

A bit of thread drift..............How about when you let someone ahead of you in the checkout line at Wally World because they have only 1or 2 items, and................they don't bother to acknowledge or thank you? Yeah, I'm a crotchedy old geezer.................Ah.............I feel better now.

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gone

Had an issue with Palmetto recently and couldn't get any response regarding an order placed with them.Filed a complaint with the BBB and everything was resolved within a week.

Just got done with an insurance claim for hail damage.The claim was for a new roof,complete paint job and complete replacement of gutters and downspouts.The problem was with the contractor who while trying to accommodate me was out drumming up as much new business as possible.Saw the painter for two days while he was doing prep work then without warning didn't see him for five days. He said the Boss pulled him to do another job.Nobody told me anything.He then proceeded to treat my house like it was a blank canvas where he could use his imagination to paint as he wished.Had to then fight with the person installing the gutters to make sure that each downspout had an extension piece on it.

I have called landscapers to do work for me.When they say they'll call on a certain day and don't call me back I will call them once to see what is going on.When they say they've been too busy I tell them to forget it as I have someone else available that isn't too busy.

What Companies refuse to realize is that when they stiff you it not only involves that one job but also repeat business and also referral jobs.

Just had to get this off my chest!

Exactly what I was going to say.

Sad state of affairs in this country. Poor manners, damn few ethics. Seems if you don't have something THEY want or need ..... the sound of crickets is all you get.

I think it depends on the situation. If I am called, and no voicemail is left, then I most likely will not be calling back (unless it's a person I know). But I could see them being too busy to be able to get back. And depending on who received the message, it may have not been passed on, due to laziness.

If you call and get my voice mail I am running loud equipment, or have my hands full. If you say 'call me back' I know nothing. If you leave a question, I can get the answer, and call you back. If I call you back and get your voice mail
I still know nothing.
At least try to communicate.
tb

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frontsightnsqueaz

Reminds me of an old advertisement for some brand of pocket pager when those things were popular...went something like " I needed you, I couldn't reach you, I don't need you anymore."