Thread: When your home ph# is given out

Yesterday a call came in on my biz line & went to voice mail. The person hung up without leaving a message. However, Vumber still logs the incoming ph#. If people don't leave a message, then I don't call back.

This afternoon my personal cell#, which is my home ph#, rang with a number I didn't recognize & I'm at work, so I didn't answer. Turns out to be the person who hung up on the biz line yesterday & somehow she got my home/personal cell#. My personal ph# has the generic digital greeting, not my voice, but this person left me a message about classes and called me by name - real name, not dance name. I'll also say my personal ph# is an out of state number, so not even remotely close to beig local.

Aside from being very irked at whoever gave out my home phone number in addition to my biz line and my name, I'm wondering how to handle this with the prospective student. Ignore the call on the home# altogether & disavow any knowledge of it? Or confront it by calling the person from the biz# and say hi, you called my biz line & hung up but then called my home ph and left a message - how'd you get my home# & what can I do for you? I'm leary of acknowledging the home# because I don't want it getting passed around to students or other gp as a way to reach me instead of or in addition to the biz#.

Suggestions?

Originally Posted by TexasRuya

Suggestions?

I would be passive-aggressive and not call her back. I personally REALLY hate giving out my home phone number because of socially clueless people like this.

Be polite. She is a potential customer, afterall. I would call her back on my biz line and provide her with the information she requested. Then I would ask her politely how she got my home number and request that she not share it because you like to keep it private. Any reasonable person would understand this request and agree, given it's done with politeness and respect. Most likely, she knows someone who knows you--I doubt a prospect student go to that much trouble to get your personal information just to get basic class info.

Originally Posted by aazura

Be polite. She is a potential customer, afterall. I would call her back on my biz line and provide her with the information she requested. Then I would ask her politely how she got my home number and request that she not share it because you like to keep it private. Any reasonable person would understand this request and agree, given it's done with politeness and respect. Most likely, she knows someone who knows you--I doubt a prospect student go to that much trouble to get your personal information just to get basic class info.

I agree with what Aazura said exactly!

Um I would really advise against the passive agressive not calling back b.s. because its not the callers fault she was given your home number. She was probably offered it and told by the person who gave it to her that it would be perfectly fine to use it.

Your beef is with the person who gave the number not the caller.

Just call her back from your business phone and answer whatever questions she has, and politely tell her you would prefer to communicate with her on that number.

Very simple. No passive aggressiveness needed.

I called he woman back from the biz line. She just wanted to confirm class is still starting tomorrow. Turns out the place I teach gave her my biz line and my home ph ,m::. But, now I know specifically who gave it out & can ask the person not to do that. The potential student was really nice and said she wouldn't call it anymore, she didn't know, etc. Thanked her & told her I just needed to know so I could ask the store not to give it out in the future. Said she'll be there tomorrow night.

Thanks guys. Glad I called and cleared it up, and can now address the ph# issue directly with the appropriate person. And I likely gained a student in the process.

Glad it worked out.

Yay! Glad to hear that it worked out... I've been in a similar situation and resolved it the same way without issue.

Me too! The person who gave it out thought it was ok to give, but said they won't give that one anymore just my biz line. Honest mistake/ misunderstanding. And the young woman who'd called me is so happy to be in class she almost can't stand it, lol. Yay for happy endings, lol.