Telephone Conversations

[Pooky]

Does anyone find it is really difficult to process conversation when someone isn't looking directly at you?

[littlemadangel]

I hate using the phone.
In my job, I have to use the phone a lot and I seem to be okay if its me making an outbound call, cos then I'm prepared with all my information and what I'm gonna say. I often all the information wrote down on paper and the questions that they may ask me.

But if its an inbound call and someone is phoning up requesting information about their case, if its not a general enquiry, then it can all get a bit messy. We do have a complex computer system and it takes me a while to locate the information, then once I've found it, I have to find a way of explaining it so the client will understand-and this is where I find it difficult!

The client gets frustrated and starts getting annoyed (I know what I mean but they dont!), I get frustrated and want to throw a few things. Phonecall eventually ends. Relief for me.


As for friends and family, I'm usually okay, but I prefer texting as again, I dont really know what to say on the phone.

[Pieman]

Its refreshing to hear that im not the only one who has trouble with this. I have to speak with the parents of the students i work with a lot. But I get the administrator to ring them and then I see them face to face - Im not sure why but i can cope much better if they are right in front of me!
If i do have to use the phone in work i have to wright down what i am going to say. I hate when people want me to pass messages on because i can never write the message and the number down fast enough and sometimes i try and remember so i dont have to keep asking them to repeat it then i forget everything - even the persons name!

With my friends and family im not too bad exept i do tend to drift off while they are talking and then they think ive hung up on them lol.
I get very anxious even when phoning the people i am closest to. I force myself to do it though especially as i have lots of friends and family who live far really far away.

[SirDaveofDanger]

See the funny thing is with me, once i've spoken to someone for the first time over the phone i'm fine, but the first time I ring then i'm really nervous (but if i'm really stressed due to extenuating circumstances then i'm nervous dialing). However once i've started chatting, you sometimes can struggle to get me to shut up

[Vier]

I avoid picking up our home telephone. I rarely use my mobile to ring someone unless I have to contact them. I don't like small talk either. I find with most calls I may I have no idea what to say in what order and there are a few silence gaps.

[Loki]

I drive the Bf mad with the phone, if our house phone ever rings my general reaction is to look startled and stare at the phone as if I’ve never seen one before. No idea why…

I work with phones at work and I’m on usually 2 hours in the day and I’m ok with answering the... Although I tend to phase out if someone drones at me… which in car insurance is very… very common…

[Philip]

When we had all the heavy snow last year November/December 2010.

I got myself some temporary work, had a cell phone, my parents asked me to phoned them when I was on the way home on the bus, so my dad could go onto the bus stop to make sure I got back okay (this was mainly when the snow turned to ice.

I have to deal with a couple of call centres phoning at home the last few weeks, automatically ones, so I could just put the phone down on them (as we are ex directory)

I think it also because of my speech and frustration does cause problems.

As for the cell phone I rarely used it find it annoying to carry it sometimes, but since there are not many phone boxes around I am stuck with carrying one, as for texting I have not got a clue,

[Catwoman42]

I am happy to talk on the phone, ny job involves a lot of it. I could talk for Scotland. The only problem is geting the number right in the first place...hate mobile numbers, too many digits squashed together!

[Captain_Ludd]

I used to hate phone conversations but I kinda had to get used to them for my old job, now I'm fine with "official" stuff but I still hate making small talk by phone I find it really hard because their are none of the little social cues that you get when actually talking face to face with a friend.
It so bad one of my friends will point blank refuse to call me she'll text email or phone some else to phone me apparently I scare her over the phone because I'm so abrupt.

[Vespero]

I'm the same way. I have so much trouble understanding people when I can't see them.

[Elizsabeth]

Firstly, I'm so happy to hear that I'm not the only one with these problems. I always find it best face to face, ideally with the conversation directed at me. I find it interesting that more than one person mentioned about difficulties processing through the right ear. I'll try to use the phone on my left ear and see if it any easier (any trick to help is always good)! On the topic of speaking with people you know or don't know, I find that ones who actually know me (ie know my difficulties also) are the easiest as they'll understand when I ask them to repeat or slow down). Companies/professional calls are probably the hardest regarding this as it is doubtful they'll understand.

[capbiker]

Oh I hate telephones, and I do and avoid using them has much as I can. If I am at work, if I need to contact somebody I always prefer using email as it is easier for me and I do not have to sit there worrying about the other person on the other end understanding me or anything.

One of the worse things I find, is if you have got a foreign name and trying to pronounce it right. LOL. That is one of the jobs that I do try and avoid, anything where you have use the telephone a lot for work.

cap