ARGH!

[telophase]

Why is it that everyone who has BOTH our phone numbers calls me instead of Toby? The property management company, the electrician, delivery people, everyone who tries to call us regarding something professional, as opposed to friendly, calls ME. Even when we put special instructions on the sheet to call Toby!

Toby telecommutes, so he's at home 90% of the time and it makes sense for him to be the point of contact. Yet, *I* get called ... and not only do I not know the best time to deliver this afternoon, or when to come by and do some work on the house, or anything like that because I don't know when he has to take his lunch, but my work phone message light isn't visible except from a certain angle, so messages left there go unanswered until I notice them.

This frustrated post brought to you by noticing the message on MY work phone at 1:45 PM left by the electrician at 8:50 AM in regards to the work order that TOBY put in yesterday afternoon for the outlet that CRACKLES and the nonworking switch nearby. AAAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH!!

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

This is a form of sexism. They are assuming that you are available to handle such things.

Do not give people your number unless you want them to call you.

You could arrange to be a fallback by having the other number's voicemail provide it (so that if someone calls and there's no answer, they are instructed to call you). Frankly though the best solution is never to give out that number.

[emtigereyes.livejournal.com]

It could also depend on who is listed first. When I lived with my roommate, I was always the one that the office called, even if my roommate put the order in (giving name and contact info) or if it was they needed something from my roommate (again, I KNOW they had each of our numbers). When I pointed this out, they said they just call the first number on the list regardless. Became very annoying a few times.

I'll agree with the above poster though that it might be worthwhile to take your work number off of the accounts or make doubly-sure it's noted as secondary. If Toby is the better contact point, better that his info is all they have, when possible.

[chomiji]

This goes along with the doctors' offices and so on who call me on my home number during the business day. They have my office number and in some cases, my cell number - but what number do they call? Yeah, because a middle-aged woman in an un urban area is so likely to be at home between 9 and 5 ... .

[telophase.livejournal.com]

My stylist calls me to remind me of my appointment the next day ... after 5PM on my work phone. *headdesk*

[awamiba.livejournal.com]

I always get the phone calls as well. Even from the men at church calling specifically after work hours so they can speak to my husband (and calling from the directory, which very clearly states Nick's cell number and mine separately). Nick's doctor's offices, the school & mdo (where you have to leave the number daily handwritten on a sheet near the door), the pack leaders and parents for scouts, etc all have Nick's number as the primary and do they call him? NO.

Conversely, we cannot get Lowe's to call me (or even my parents cell number) when they're doing business on my parents house here in Tyler, which I inevitably must deal with, even though I am listed as their contact person and we've asked to have the other numbers removed. No, of course not. They call the house phone at my parents house in College Station...which does no good, as the reason I'm involved in their house issues here is because they are out of the country.

[xebra42.livejournal.com]

I get calls, but I think it's because my number is local while John's remains a Houston number.
I did rip apart a car salesman who looked up my info in the Honda database and called me last year when John was looking at cars. He just assumed I'd be *EAGER* to talk to him about what "we" were thinking about the "new Honda we'd driven". He never called again. And he called John to apologize. :-D