Hacker News Reader

>and phone calls are always weird when I answer "Hi, this is Phil" and the person on the other end goes "Oh, sorry, I was calling for $FIRST_NAME". <click>

So don't answer the phone that way. There's no reason to volunteer info to a complete stranger you know nothing about anyway. All you have to do is say "Hello?" Then the caller will say "I'm looking for <x>", and then you can handle it however you like.

View on HN

So don't answer the phone that way.

Sure, I could do that. At this point, the way I answer the phone is more habit than any deeply considered policy. And honestly, more and more, I find that I rarely answer the phone unless I recognize the person calling. Everybody else can leave a voicemail or send email (which is more my preferred way to communicate anyway).

When you're a small business owner, and you have potential customers calling your cell, it's polite and professional to state who you are.

Why not answer with you business name?

In such cases, isn't it usually better to have a business phone number, and perhaps a trade name as well?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com