There is something about making phone calls that makes me queasy. I just don’t like it, and when I have to make a call I roleplay the possible scenarios in my head. Only to say something completely different when actually making the call. But that’s not really the point.
This feeling gets amplified when I am on the receiving call of the end. My first thought is always a panicked “WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!”
As of recently, I “inherited” the cellphone number my dad used for his job. As a result I’m getting a lot of calls from “unknown” numbers. I guess not everyone got the memo that he changed numbers.
Which lead me to my pet peeve of today.
If you are calling me and I don’t know who you are there is a big chance that I won’t pick up. It’s probably not for me, anyway. And if you are a company that got my phone number through my profile, you are better off sending me a mail. I swear I can communicate like a human being using e-mail. No, seriously, please send me an e-mail.
However, after I “missed the call” I will want to know who you are. Maybe it was important, like a call from a supplier or partner our company works with.
So why can’t I find your number online?
So I start Googling and usually find out who tried to call me. In a few cases I realized they did want to speak to me personally and called them back. Social Care company, dentist, company I just bought a product from? I should probably get over my anxiety and call them.
But there are still a lot of companies that don’t think it’s important to list their number online. And a lot of them are foreign companies. I am starting to believe that they don’t want to be called by me. Of course, there is a real chance that a few of them are “marketeers”. I’m using that word lightly.
If I can’t find out what company is attached to that +31 number, guess what happens next?
Nothing. I’m not going to call you back. I’m not going to “accept the next call.”
Make sure you can be found
The point of this post (other than “Wow, you have a problem, dude”) is that I highly urge all companies to list their phone number online. It’s completely up to you how you do that. Here are some ideas. Some of them are cheaper than others, but almost all of them will make me at least consider calling you.
- Put it on your website. Websites are good, it’ll give me an idea who you are
- Google Business: Add it to your Google Business entry so at least I’ll get a company name and address
- Facebook: Hey, I’m not a fan of Facebook. But it allows you to add your phone number to your company page and is indexed by the Google
- Add yourself to a company index: Have your company listed somewhere. In the Golden Pages’ online equivalent for your region or sector.
But maybe all of that is too much work. Perhaps the only keys you can press are those of your smart phone. In which case I’ve got great news for you. There’s a voice mail option, too. When prompted, tell me why you were calling me instead of being a weirdo.