One cultural nut I have made absolutely no progress in cracking is phone answering etiquette. No matter what I do I end up with a long confused silence. I have no idea what's expected of me. When I call people here they answer Yes? and wait for my response. I introduce myself and ask how they are before moving on to what I'm calling about. So far so good.
But when I'm on the receiving end, I answer Yes? and they say Hello. And then silence. I try to fill it with Hello, how are you? or Hello, go ahead. These responses are met respectively with Fine, thank you, and then silence--or Just Silence. Today I let this silence run a few seconds and he asked confusedly who he was on the phone with. Was I supposed to identify myself upon answering the phone? They never do. And the caller hadn't identified himself and it was a new number. What the fuck? So I identified myself and he said something to the effect of Oh, it is you...and then more silence. Then he switched to English and somehow that allowed us to go on with the normal conversation: he was so and so I had email him we could meet soon etc etc.
I have yet to receive a phone call from an unknown number that didn't follow this general pattern. Maybe I'll start answering Hello who is this?
But when I'm on the receiving end, I answer Yes? and they say Hello. And then silence. I try to fill it with Hello, how are you? or Hello, go ahead. These responses are met respectively with Fine, thank you, and then silence--or Just Silence. Today I let this silence run a few seconds and he asked confusedly who he was on the phone with. Was I supposed to identify myself upon answering the phone? They never do. And the caller hadn't identified himself and it was a new number. What the fuck? So I identified myself and he said something to the effect of Oh, it is you...and then more silence. Then he switched to English and somehow that allowed us to go on with the normal conversation: he was so and so I had email him we could meet soon etc etc.
I have yet to receive a phone call from an unknown number that didn't follow this general pattern. Maybe I'll start answering Hello who is this?
Funny.
ReplyDeleteWhen i lived in germany, i adopted the local custom of answering the phone by saying my last name. The caller would invariably respond 'hello, this is so-and-so.' it was a wonderfully crisp and efficient system. Everyone knew from the get-go with whom they were speaking, no guesswork or awkward silences. When i returned to America, i naturally continued with this phone etiquette, but soon dropped it when it was met with either bafflement or laughter from friends who thought i sounded self-important.