Do you ever call people if they leave you a msg by mistake?

[Opti]

Someone called three times in a row not too long ago and finally left a message. It appears
he called my number in error thinking he's going to see a car.


Would you call him back and let him know he has the wrong number?
Or would you ignore it? The voice quality was horrible and I'll have to
replace batteries in my phone to make sure I'm correct about the number.

[resolution]

I've only had that happen a few times but I call them back if they leave a name and number, just so they aren't thinking the person they called is ignoring them.

[vonna]

Mar 15, 2013 19:35:46 GMT -5 resolution said:

I've only had that happen a few times but I call them back if they leave a name and number, just so they aren't thinking the person they called is ignoring them.

[grits]

I have called one number more than once to get them to stop texting me.  One goofy boy kept texting me thinking he was cool and sexy.  Poor naive fool.  Poor girl he was attempting to woo.

[Peace Of Mind]

Yes, I will call them back to let them know.  Especially if it sounds important or it's a family member calling.  I've received ones like "Hi Tammy!  It's your aunt Cindy.  I know we haven't talked in awhile..."  I make sure they know they aren't being ignored and called the wrong number. 

[zibazinski]

I do, too.

[Tennesseer]

I've called back a few times-especially when they are a collection agency with the wrong number!

Someone once called my number and because my voice recording mentions the phone number they dialed, left a message apologizing for calling the wrong number but wanted me to know I had a radio deejay's voice. 

She left no number for me to call back and thank her for the compliment.

[busymom]

I've been left messages from doctor's offices a couple of times, & a text message from someone telling that "Aunt So-and-so's surgery went well".  Those types I do call back & let them know they've got the wrong number.

[steph08]

I don't - if people call and leave a message saying "Hey Ralph, give me a call," and it clearly states on the answering machine message that this is the home of "Jack and Jill," then they are dumb and don't deserve to be called back.

[mmhmm]

Yep.  I'll call them back to let them know.

[Peace77]

I do if I can figure out the phone number or if it shows up on caller ID AND it seems important. If all they say is call me, I'll ignore it.

[wvugurl26]

When I first got my new number, I got calls from a local school informing me my son or daughter was absent from school. I just deleted those voicemails as there wasn't much to go on for the school to connect my number to a name. When I got one about an IEP meeting for Bobby, I called the school back and told them they had the wrong number.

[milee]

If it's important, yes.

My mobile phone number in Phoenix turned out to be very similar to a non-emergency police phone line in Seattle.  If a person simply transposed two of the Seattle numbers, they ended up calling me.  After a few calls, it was easy to figure out what the problem was and whenever I'd get one of these calls, I'd just tell them the number.  My favorite call ever was from a guy who was very, very angry.

Me:  This is milee.

Caller:  I called and asked for some information on a case almost two weeks ago!  This is ridiculous!  I need...

Me:  Sir, sir, wait a minute.  You've dialed the wrong number.  Hang up, dial _____ and they can help you.

Caller:  No way are you transferring me again!  Whenever I call to talk to someone, they never help me and then just try to transfer me.  You are going to help me with this!!! 

Me:  I'm not trying to transfer you.  You've dialed the wrong number.  I have no way to help you with this.  Just hang up and call the number I gave you.

Caller:  You *#)@$ are incompetent!  I pay taxes, you work for me and you will help me!  I'm going to have you fired if you don't get me that ____ immediately!

Me:  I. do. not. work. for. the. police. department.  Really, I'm trying to help you here.  Dial the number.

Caller:  Incoherent screaming...

So I just hung up at that point.
Less than one minute later, my phone rings again.  It's Crazy Guy.

Caller:  I need to speak to your supervisor immediately!!!




BTW, the part about this story that my husband found most funny was the idea that anybody could "supervise" me...

[8 Bit WWBG]

Hahaha Milee!  A long time ago our home number was similar to a local Indian restaurant.  I was always tempted to take reservations, even though the restaurant didn't give them.

DW once had an interesting text conversation with someone.  When she said "who is this" the person said "<DW's name> ouch!.  It was creepy until she realized that the other person also had the same name.

We've each had our numbers for over 13 years at this point.  Though whoever inherited DW's old number back where she used to live got a lot of calls for her for a while.

[Bluerobin]

No, I don't call back.  I also don't have voice mail set up.  If someone I know calls, I have their number displayed and will call back.

[happyscooter]

Yes, it was a pharmacy telling someone that their prescription was ready.  I called home on my lunch hour to check our messages and got it.  So I called the pharmacy back to tell them they dialed the wrong number so that someone wasn't sitting there with a sick child for 5-6 hours or whatever.  The person that answered the pharmacy phone wanted to know why I was calling about Mr. Smith's prescription if I wasn't Mr. Smith and what kind of information was I trying to get, etc...

[grits]

Happyscooter, on that one, I do believe I would have written down the time, and date.  I would have contacted the corporate office, and filed a formal complaint.  I would also  let them know that if it happens again, I am contacting the local media.

[Deleted]

yes, if they leave a number.

what do phone batteries have to do with sound quality? 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

If they leave a message, I do call.

Awhile ago, I was getting messages for some kid's sporting events.  I heard all about practices, games and team pictures and unfortunately the person never left a phone number to return the call.

Finally, I broke down and changed the message on my answering machine to tell them that Timmy didn't live here and if you are leaving a message for his practices, etc. that they need to recheck their records for the correct number because he will not be getting this message.

It worked, I got a message apologizing and thanking me for letting me know, so I changed my message back to what it was before.

[kent]

Mar 15, 2013 19:41:02 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

Yes, I will call them back to let them know.  Especially if it sounds important or it's a family member calling.  I've received ones like "Hi Tammy!  It's your aunt Cindy.  I know we haven't talked in awhile..."  I make sure they know they aren't being ignored and called the wrong number. 

  It's the right thing to do IMO

[Deleted]

I've only had that happen a few times but I call them back if they leave a name and number, just so they aren't thinking the person they called is ignoring them.

[kgb18]

I have only called back one time. A hospital left a message on my mobile phone about rescheduling a surgery time for the next day. That sounded like a critical message (that should not have ever been left on my phone to begin with). I called the hospital back. Other messages not for me, I just delete.

And really, how does this happen? My outgoing message says, "Hi. This is kgb ..." Clearly I'm not Robert who is having surgery tomorrow.

[Jaguar]

Someone just left an important message on my answering machine. She called all the way from Vancouver, BC. I used my Yak long distance service, cause I'm in Toronto, ON and called her back to let her know that she left her important message at the wrong number.

[Opti]

Mar 16, 2013 12:00:24 GMT -5 @rockit said:

yes, if they leave a number.

what do phone batteries have to do with sound quality? 

Phone batteries have to do with seeing the display of the phone number that called.
He didn't leave a phone number so I didn't call last night. When I got a call this
morning from the same number with no message I decided I'd call so I wouldn't have to
put up with several rounds of three calls in a row with just one barely heard incomplete message.

I called fairly quickly after they had called, but whoever it was didn't pick up. All I could tell is it was a cell phone and their answering message was just an incomprehensible mumbled firstname lastname. Seems it worked because I think I got no more calls today from that number.


I wonder if some people with cellphones get lazy and assume all of us can see their phone number and would know who to call. The sound quality from his phone was one of the worst I've heard recently.


Thanks for all your answers!

[Opti]

Milee, that phone call sounds funny now. I probably would have tried telling the
guy you called my personal mobile number which is very similar to a police phone
number in another state.

I'm surprised though you didn't give him to your husband just for fun.
I think I would have even called hubby over so the guy could hear me.
"Darling husband, I think this phone call is for you"

[Deleted]

if its a chick and she sounds hot, then yes

otherwise the person is SOL

[Rocky Mtn Saver]

The only time recently that I called someone back was when a woman left a message in Spanish asking the recipient to sing at church the following morning. I called her back and told her she had the wrong number. I thought it would have been mean to leave some poor lady unknowingly in the lurch in front of a whole group of people.

[souldoubt]

No.  I've had my cell number for over a decade yet I still get a random call every so often where someone hears my voicemail message (states my full name and the number they called) and leaves a message for someone else entirely.  If they can't figure out who they're calling based on my voicemail message that's their problem. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Milee that sounds the guy that called me on my work phone and accused me of being a liar when I told him he had the wrong number.  I was happy to help until he called me names, then I hung up and refused to answer when it rang again.

Then I had a lady who launched into a VERY graphic description of her "lady problems" before I could get out that she had the wrong number.

I don't get it since I answer the phone "College of Pharmacy".  I make it pretty clear I'm not the hospital.

I'll help if people are nice about it, not their fault this number got re-assigned to me.

[Sam_2.0]

I get calls for Car Max all the time if the caller in this area does not add the appropriate area code before dialing. If I answer the phone I tell them they need to dial the area code first. If they leave a message I just ignore it (my message states my name and nothing about it would make you think you called Car Max).

I've been getting a lot of calls on my new work line for some lady. It must be close to a personal line in the area. I've gotten collections calls (where they were jerks when I tried to tell them it wasn't her number, so I stopped being helpful), and even family/friends (I was nice to those callers).

I guess the moral of the story is - if you dial a wrong number, and someone answers, be kind to them & they just might help you get the right number.