What do you do if YOU dial a wrong number?

[alienhost]

So I get people who call the wrong number all the time. What do you do if you dial a wrong number and someone answers?

I have a cell phone with a xxx-xxx-1500 number so I always get "wrong numbers" calling me. It always drives me crazy when they either 1) hang up as soon as they hear my voice or 2) hang up after I say, "I'm sorry you've called the wrong number". I always feel that if they just hang up it could be some wierdo or something.

Anyway, just curious what most people do.

[JamBray]

I will usually ask if this is so and so place or number, and then apologize and hang up. There have been the occasional times when I've just hung up though, but that's rare.

[bookworm]

I apologize, then hang up.

Today, though, I got a wrong number call, and I said (nicely) "I'm sorry, you have the wrong number." She apologized, then said "But there are no wrong numbers. Jesus loves you, you know that, right?" I didn't know what to do with that, so I said goodbye and hung up.

[ejs]

If someone answers, I apologize and hang up. If I get voicemail or a machine, I just hang up.

[Natasha]

Agree with ejs. I usually say "Sorry bout that. Have a good day", and hang up.

[jesvet]

If someone picks up and I immediately know I have the wrong number, I say, "Oh, I think I have the wrong number. I'm sorry!" then hang up. I would find it rude to just hang up without an explanation of why I called in the first place, and with enough people using caller ID and *69, it's really common for paranoid or curious people to call back and say "Someone here just called me, who was it?" (happens at work all the time, lol.)

[Reenie]

I voted "other." If I don't know whose voice will be on the other line, well then of course I ask for the person I'm trying to reach and then apologize when I'm told I have the wrong number. If I know I've reached the wrong number, I apologize. I never just hang right up.

[rubyslippers]

I apologize and then hang up. We get a caller at home who just hangs up when we answer. It drives us NUTS!!!

[LDS Angel 19]

I voted "other." If I don't know whose voice will be on the other line, well then of course I ask for the person I'm trying to reach and then apologize when I'm told I have the wrong number. If I know I've reached the wrong number, I apologize. I never just hang right up.

Yeah, that.

What I hate is when people call me and they have the wrong number, they say somthing like "Well, isen't this [my number]?" And I yes, and they start to argue that they have the right number, so could I please go find John Doe that they are looking for. I have to convince them that the number belongs to me and not to John Doe. Ugh.

[JuliaK]

If someone picks up and I immediately know I have the wrong number, I say, "Oh, I think I have the wrong number. I'm sorry!" then hang up. I would find it rude to just hang up without an explanation of why I called in the first place, and with enough people using caller ID and *69, it's really common for paranoid or curious people to call back and say "Someone here just called me, who was it?" (happens at work all the time, lol.)


Ditto!

[tlew12778]

I actually confirm the number I was trying to dial. Then I apologize and hang up.

[Liz]

I say, 'I'm sorry, I reached the wrong number.' Then I hang up.

[mmeblue]

I actually confirm the number I was trying to dial. Then I apologize and hang up.
I usually do that, too - that way I can know whether I misdialed or whether I have the number written down incorrectly, so I know whether I should try again. But I always apologize!

My worst wrong number incident was when I was 13 and called a family friend at midnight to tell them that my mom had given birth to my little sister...only to find out after a couple of minutes of conversation that the person I'd woken up on the other end of the line wasn't actually our family friend. :o She'd said "yes" when I asked if I was speaking to Mrs. J., but I think she was just too asleep/out of it to register what I asked and answer correctly.

[Scooter]

I apologize before hanging up--I mean, I inconvenienced the other person so it's only polite.

What I hate is when someone accidentally calls me and tries to argue with me that they got the number right. Like I'm lying to them that I'm not the right person...? I'm not lying, get off my phone.

Or if a woman calls and says "Who are YOU?!" and gets an attitude with me, because she expects her boyfriend or something to answer--but that's more just kind of funny.

[AHammer]

I do a combo of options 2 & 3 (maybe that's what you meant by option 3?)

anyway.. i'll always ask for so-and-so, just in case it's someone else answering. If they say I've called the wrong number, I say "Oh, I'm so sorry. bye" and then try again!

[salysaturn]

If I don't recognize the voice, I say...whoops I have the wrong #, sorry..and hang up.

If I don't recognize the voice, I ask for so and so...and then apologize.

I do have a funny story though. My family is Italian. One day, someone calls, and my sister in law answers(not Italian), well the person on the other end was speaking Italian, so she handed the call off to my brother. They spoke and spoke, before my brother told them they had the wrong #.

[phoenics]

I apologize profusely and then let the other person hang up on me.

It always irritates me when someone has the wrong number and they just hang up on me. It's the height of rudeness, imo. Just admit the mistake and apologize.

[phoenics]

Or if a woman calls and says "Who are YOU?!" and gets an attitude with me, because she expects her boyfriend or something to answer--but that's more just kind of funny.

Ha ha. I always know that if I get a call really late at night and the other person hangs up, that's it's probably some girl calling a guy and wondering why this strange woman is answering the phone.

Hello?? wrong number!!!

I usually chuckle to myself and go back to sleep.

[MidwesternGal]

I usually say "Is this person/place?" If they say no, I say that I'm sorry and hang up.

The worst I have ever done was accidently transpose numbers calling my dad (he gets up EARLY in the morning). I called at like, 7 a.m. and the voice was super scruffy, which my dad's usually isn't. So I said "Um, Dad??" and the guy was like "yeah, that's me," and I knew immediately it was not *MY* dad! I was MORTIFIED and hung up (and then got mortified that I hung up on him, it's the first and only time I've ever done that)--and then realized that I probably knew the person I hung up on, because our town is only about 1,000 people!! WHOOPS! :o

[Standrea]

I always appologize first. Of course, there is that annoying chance that i will dial the same wrong number more then one time in a row.

[chefker]

I say in a menacing voice, "Have you checked the children?" then hang up.

JUST KIDDING. :D Usually when the person answers, I realize I've misdialed, and I'll say "sorry, I dialed the wrong number" and hang up.

[Missy2U]

I say in a menacing voice, "Have you checked the children?" then hang up.

Snort - I just inhaled my iced tea and people are looking at me funny for cracking up. You rock. :D

I say, "Sorry, I've dialed the wrong number" then hang up. Even if I get voice mail - but that's only lately. We have a new VM system at work and if you hang up it doesn't just disconnect - it goes to the "if you'd like to make a call, please hang up and dial again" telephone person speech then the off the hook tones for a few minutes - so if I don't say anything, the recipient gets that whole long annoying nonsense. That's why I say I misdialed and apologize and THEN hang up. If it's a person, it's just polite to say it.

[akacharlotte]

I mainly call wrong numbers at work. I have a tendency to forget I'm using a phone versus a calculator. I do this at least 10 times a day.

If I realize I dialed the wrong number and the phone is still ringing I'll hang up.

If I realize I dialed the wrong number but the person has answered I'll apologize and then hang up.

[Larissa]

If I'm not sure then I ask, wait until they say it's the wrong number, say sorry and then hang up.

Or if I know immediately that it's a wrong number by the way they answer the phone I say sorry I think I have the wrong number and hang up.

[ysolde]

I'll say, "I'm sorry, I have the wrong number," then hang up.

[PG-rated]

She apologized, then said "But there are no wrong numbers. Jesus loves you, you know that, right?" I didn't know what to do with that, so I said goodbye and hung up.
I just wanted to say that this is AWESOME. :D

[ysolde]

I just wanted to say that this is AWESOME. :D

Good gravy! A few months agpo, the "J4J" were out in full force, and they were sticking their materials under my nose, and not taking, "No, thanks," for an answer. When one of them said, "But Jesus is the only way to salvation!" I responded, "I have been going to Madrid all my life, and I much prefer Cybele. Thanks!"

[udsweetpea]

I apologize and hang up.

My direct number at work used to be the number for a heating and air conditioning business, and people were getting so irate with me because I had the business' new number. I eventually looked up the number and now tell everyone the new number for the business. They're always so surprised.

[pacificbliss]

If it's a number where I should recognize the voice I apologize, say by and hang-up.
If there's a possibility someone else could answer I ask for the person, then apologize, say bye and hang-up.
If I get the wrong voicemail I just hang-up.

I have some pet-peeves about phone etiquette.

The first are the people who thing they have the wrong number and say, "Who is this?" Who did you call?

The second is when I have the wrong number and hang-up on voicemail and they call me back saying someone from this number just called me and then I have to explain that I had the wrong number.