Took me over a week to get an answer to a question. A bad toothache is one of the best excuses for not attending a meeting. You can't help it that your friend is worthless about paying you back. You could tell the caller that you could not answer phone calls since the screen wont touch. What should I do if I tried apologizing, but they kept ignoring me? With over 25 years of experience, he specializes in helping people manage chronic pain through the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Approach at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Someone even posted this in a Reddit thread: they said, "I regularly don't look at my phone for hours." Sometimes you wont want to answer calls when you are busy with home chores or babysitting. ), dont have one.. which is the best excuse of all, I prefer the I was talking to someone or I didnt hear the phone ring or, well dont train people to expect you to answer the phone every time they call =). It would have been rude where I was. Consider reducing the frequency of your calls if you are still bothered by your friend ignoring you. Faulty reception can be the perfect excuse for an unanswered text message. Therefore, it is the most believable option that you have. Some people may not believe your excuses. More and more, I feel like there is an expectation that I always answer their calls. My phone was on silent. plonk! The longer you wait the more of a dick you are. When real estate agents are with a client a majority of them will not answer their phone because they want to give their client their undivided attention. Whatever the reason may be for it, she cost you time and hassle, and she is less than mortified. You dont have to say where you went. You might get distracted and get in an accident. Are they penalized then too? If people know that your job is a bit more easygoing, though, you should only use it on occasion to make it more believable. She is off our list. Not answering phone calls you are not interested in is very okay but it is best to switch off your phone and if you do not intend to miss what other callers may have to say, set it to voicemail. What are some excuses for not answering the phone? This can make you feel anxious, hurt your feelings and create a socially awkward situation. If you don't, 7 out of 10 of those callers will not only hang up but won't call back. Manage Cookie Preferences | Do Not Sell My Information. 18. Make sure you reserve your right to avoid any call if you feel like to. If you are planning on returning the phone call reasonably soon, then you could say that you left the phone in your bag or in your car. Once, when I scheduled it at home, a half hour before the interview call was scheduled, my mother-in-law called to tell me grandfather had died. If someone drills you for not answering, you don't need to say anything except "I was busy." If anyone drills me for not answering - their ring tone gets set to silent. Funny. The lesson here is: don't be a Creepy Peter! Different rings cut better than others. Evidence in favor of another chance: Stuff (like bosses barging into your office unexpectedly) happens. I assume shes a good candidate on paper, since you are interviewing her, but theres not enough giving a shit here for me to want to spend significant effort on her. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). Family emergencies can take different forms, whether someone has been injured or is sick in the hospital, or when your son poops his pants at school and you have to go get him. This article was co-authored by Evan Parks, PsyD. Dr.Parks holds a BA in Theology from Cedarville University, an MA in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University, and a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from The Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. My instinct would be to give her the benefit of the doubt. Source: ( BankMyCell.com) People lose jobs for less. It is a believable excuse for not answering a call to say that your phone was inside the bag. So you didnt get the promotion I also am thinking of that movie with Meryl Streep based on the true story of the woman whose child was dragged off and killed by wild dingos. Sadly this is true. If you are a phone conversation multi-tasker, it can be quite annoying for the person talking to you. I dropped my phone in some source of water and had to dry it out. 63% - I didnt hear it ring or It was on vibrate.. I never answer the phone if Im talking to someone else (real life), thats just rude. However, this can hurt someones feelings so it is best to say that you put your phone away for a period of time instead. The friendlier part of Reddit. What if someone said to call back, but didn't answer when I called? I agree, we schedule time. HOW sorry was she?!? Do you feel like not picking up calls? Ive never tried to do a phone interview using my cell phone; Im too worried about connection issues. Please check your connection and try again using the Retry button. People like you make the workaday life hell. Dustin: The day a candidate TTYLs me is the day I outsource all hiring. I glanced at the jobs up at your work (I hope thats ok since youre outed) and I would say it depends on the job. By sending hundreds of texts, you will only push them away further and annoy them. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I must have been in a dead area and it did not ring. ", Brian: "Are you serious? But, now we have to make up excuses if we dont want to take a call. If you are a female, tell the caller that you had terrible cramps and could not answer calls. This article has been viewed 434,726 times. On a related note, Ive noticed that probably 4050% of people are on their phones (usually doing 60 in the left lane) when driving. So either this raises questions about extrapolating so much from one incident (which you cant help but do in interviewing, because you have such limited exposure), or Im going to discover as the process goes on that shes not right after all. I went through something similar recently for an internship interview. If youre close to your mutual friend, explain the situation to them. Brush it off, busy yourself with other things and try other means of communicating with them, if you need to. They're driving (it is against the law to use a phone while driving, after all). Whats a good excuse for missing a phone interview? 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode There are only so many times I can tell someone I was in the subway. What are some creative, plausible excuses? In general, I feel like nothing is a good excuse for this, short of a car accident or other such disaster, unless you apologize profusely and seem horrified by the oversight. Waiting for an iPhone (no official iPhones in Australia yet. Next are calls from whiny or needy people (You know who they are toolol). Is Community College Easier Than a University? She says he wants to two weeks later no further contact. I had a headache. Can You Graduate with Honors from Grad School? I would recommend just sending texts asking about paying the money back if that is the case. It is not your fault she doesnt know this yet. She e-mailed to apologize. If that doesnt work, find the loudest song you possibly can on itunes and buy it as a ringtone. Everyone has a needy friend. Also, discuss politely with them if you owed them money or an explanation, and then listen to their response. If youd like to talk about it, lets schedule a time to chat.. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. You can ask what is up with them, but not get too wordy. Consider asking an unbiased friend for advice on the matter. @sferik This is why text is the way to goI rarely actually call people and dont really want people to call me. Departments chairs in general are the most unreasonable people you can work for/with. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. If you are looking for the best excuses to give when retuning phone calls, here are the top ones that you can use: Some of the most plausible excuses for not answering your phone are that your phone was on silent, you were occupied with work, you didnt want to be interrupted, your battery died, you left your phone elsewhere, or you were driving. Didnt happen. I think that if shed really been upset or concerned, shed have called. But its a pretty hard call. Published by at February 17, 2022. . If your friend or family member tries to talk, do you simply talk over her? . This is another good excuse but remember that this action has to seem like it would fit well with your tendencies. One minute late = fail.. Here's how to apologize via phone and request a new interview: 1. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Do you monopolize the conversation when you are on the phone? The mother was very nearly convicted (falsely) not from any factual evidence but only because she failed to act distressed enough. So here are 3 excuses not to video call someone in this situation: 03 Family emergency. And the more time goes on, the more it's getting weird that I didn't call this person back. You may be offline. I had just purchased a cell phone the day before for interviews (before the interview was arranged), so I called back and left a voice message explaining what happened. Funny. You could easily come up with some extravagant story explaining perfectly why you failed to answer their calls. Or, after a few rings, an operator will say that the phone is unavailable at the moment. Your assessment of your relationship may be biased. I thought you meant that you give job seekers a time and a number to call for the first interview instead of calling them yourself. Shes young enough that I might be willing to cut her some slack. Just make sure that whatever you choose is a good fit for your personality, interests, etc. Don't go overboard with other means of communication, either! You can inform the person that your phone was on silent since you were in a meeting. 5. I will answer texts, but my friends expect to leave a message whenever they call me. When you give this excuse, the caller may ask, what is wrong or what happened? You can tell them the truth or lie about something if you have to. Also, don't make important calls while driving. If that is the first time the person is calling, explain that since you didnt save their number, you couldnt pick up because there is a call you are avoiding. You might fit into this category if you are always calling people when you need a favor, but never for anything else. Once again, this is not your fault either. Few people are going to argue with the fact that you were busy after all, everyone knows the feeling well. Mzgator, you might have a problem with your speakers. she was the one trying to call and finds it unbelievable that a phone call can go unanswered just based on cell phone technicalities. Do HR people think they are gods? I also am in the habit of pretty much always calling someone back the same day, so I think that helps my friends not worry if I dont pick up when they call. Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. My question is, why are you scheduling a phone interview while youre working for another company and on their time? In this situation, Id give the candidate another interview slot. 9 other . Some callers will not believe the excuses you give for not answering their calls, mostly creditors. "I was driving," 6%. Many of us take a while to figure out that the entire world isnt QUITE waiting at the door for our grand arrival ;). This excuse is believable because someone being with your phone stops you from answering your calls. Here are the top five excuses people use after dodging someone's call . Some people only avoid telemarketers, collections agencies, or that pesky boss asking why they are not at work yet. How about 3 minutes, or 5 minutes early? Im glad I didnt write her off! In situations where you'll just be late to the interview, such as a traffic jam or a delayed train, the employer may be able to accommodate . These days, most people keep their phone on silent or on vibrate. And well, so far shes fantastic. If you do not owe the caller any explanation, you do not have to look for any excuse for not answering your phone. This is especially the case if you've noticed a pattern of being neglected by those close to you. This should discourage them from calling you too frequently. If you do not like associating too much with people, do well to inform the caller that you are uncomfortable with having long conversations. We happen to hire a lot of recent college grads, and the practical reality is, many of them have not yet developed common sense and professionalism. I missed an interview for what was later my very first internship because the interviewer for some reason couldn't reach my cell phone abroad. . She actually did apologize. I left a message, and she emailed me a half and a hour later, saying this: While phones are incredibly useful, they also tend to be an enormous source of distraction for most people. I'm sure it helped that it was an international organization, but I often wonder if it hampered my chances. I would give her another chance. The good news is, that is not that difficult to change. When in doubt, perhaps just sending a simple email to your friend or family member is really the best plan of action. The good thing about this one is that it gives an excuse you can use perpetually, at least for a few weeks until they question your ability to get your little problem fixed. I wasnt snarky or dismissive, just clear and to the point. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Useful 1. ", Carrie: "I always assumed his mother was not even alive anymore. If you and the caller are females, explain that you had terrible cramps and could not answer the call. bcps virtual . Person answering the phone knows nothing. mzgator, there is a ringer volume that you can turn way up in your settings, or on the side of your phone. Then you want believable excuses for not answering the phone for your peace of mind. you call your friend but have other stuff that needs to get done. I rescheduled the phone interview, and spoke with her this week. Share Improve this answer Follow But I also believe in being fair, and so I think striking a balance like the last one proposed sounds good. He does not answer phone calls or text messages other than making excuses. Anonymous. The first three, inexcusable, if I were up for the job I would call to apologize and beg profusely for a time that worked for _you_. Let me elaborate on this . shower. The Phone: Friend or Foe. This can be a day or a few days later. If it is an individual who doesnt know you well, you could explain that the company frowns upon you using your phone during working hours. When the person asks if you fixed it, you just answer yes. 2. Just say it. The following are excuses for not answering the phone: "I left my phone in a bag." What's a good excuse to miss a call? my interviewer asked to reschedule and then never got back to me, my manager and coworker are secretly dating, boss will never give exceeds expectations because he has high standards, and more, update: I supervise a manager who falsified an employee write-up but I dont think she should be fired, stolen sandwiches, disgusting fridges, dish-washing drama: lets talk about office kitchen mayhem, interviewer scolded me for my outfit, job requires an oath of allegiance, and more, update: a DNA test revealed the CEO is my half brother and hes freaking out, my entry-level employee gave me a bunch of off-base criticism. by. Press J to jump to the feed. In case you were out, tell the caller that you had no chance of charging your phone until you were back at home. Make sure you pick a friend who is socially intelligent: pick someone who gets along well with others and whom youve seen successfully navigate tricky social situations such as making peace between two friends. If your partner isn't available when you call them, the first thing Sullivan says to consider is what is happening in their life. I think this alone speaks volumes about the candidate. If I were faced with the option of ticking off my current employer or a potential employer, sorry but the potential employer has to take a back seat. Don't harass people with texts. In your scenario, you are being quite generous.-AK. Two days later, I e-mail the secretary back to see what happened and offer to reschedule. So sorry I was unable to answer my phone when you called. I hate it that my ring tone is so low. Another variation of this excuse was simply that you didnt hear the phone ring. While this is actually an excellent excuse, you should know that some tech savvy people may be able to tell when you are lying. i think i said that a few days ago, but i've been dealing with a cell phone-related issue of my own for the past 7 days. I would hope that the candidate learned their lesson and appreciated my giving them a second chance, where many would not. Youre forgetting that these people have already missed an initial interview. update: is my future manager a bigoted jerk? They are babes in the woods who we know going into it were going to need to train heavily in this kind of thing. If your friend owes you $50 and you saw her ducking down in Payless last week trying to avoid you because she was buying multiple pairs of shoes, she is no doubt going to avoid your call until A) she thinks you've forgotten there is any money owed, or B) finally has your money to pay you. DO NOT USE NEELS PLUMBING!! I am always discouraged when someone misses a phone interview, and then gives their current job as the reasonbut given her lack of experience, it might just be that she is green behind the ears. She did say she was sorry. how do I get out of an active-shooter drill at my office? We have to teach that to them, and most turn out to be great employees. Anyway, now I need to come up with an excuse that sufficiently explains the past 48 hours and allows things to move on as if nothing happened. As a former supervisor (and current parent) I absolutely agree one must be tough. What is your best excuse for avoiding a phone call? The person on the other end of the phone does not want to have to live with that guilt, so stop driving and talking on the phone. That one seems to get pretty damn loud when the ringer is up all the way. Even if she shouldnt have called, she should have offered all the times she could possibly be available and invited you to pick one. I own my phone, it doesn't own me. I usually act pissed and say I dont know whats up lately with my service, Ive been missing important calls, like one from [insert name of boss or someone really important whom your friend knows], until you have the friend saying wow, really, that sucks. 1. For instance, you could say that my phone was on silent and that it was on charge so you werent in the same location. If you're a teenager and you excused to leave school early without informing your parents, use this as an excuse for not answering their calls. Tell the person you left your phone in the car while you went to a store to get some groceries. Just stop talking so much! IT IS PERFECTLY OK!!! In this day and age, simply telling someone that you didnt answer the phone will not cut it. She got the message. It is so rude to the person on the other line. I call him that, too! Hmm, my first reaction was to drop the candidate. You can explain to them that you couldnt answer the phone as doing that could have canceled or restarted the download. Id think it possible that the candidate HAD chosen a time when they were available, only for their department chair to leap in and steal that gap in the schedule. The top excuses for not answering your phone include: your phone was on silent, your phone was far away from you, you were working, you didnt want to be disturbed, your phone battery was dead, and that you were driving. One day, there is usually a revelation during Creepy Peter's absence that goes something like this: Debbie: "Yeah, he seems a little obsessed with his Mom anyway. 3. * I got new glasses and the prescription is messed up so I couldn't read your message * I was at the beach and my phone got lost in the sand * My phone ran away * I was sleeping all day * I went on an amazing road trip and the WiFi was dead . However, this is more work than necessary and will only serve to create problems in the future. this happened one time too many and i pitched my cell to the ground for my wife to see it crumble and break, contacts, pix and all. Ask a : Yeah, I tolerate a lot more from intern applicants. Anonymous: And this is where my sympathy breaks down. The department chair came in with some news and work and I couldnt get away from my desk to take your call for the interview. Why does it seem that there is an air of pride when people talk about how theyre never reachable through their cell phones? "I didn't hear it ring" or "It was on vibrate." 63% said it's their go-to excuse.