How do you tackle with the wrong numbers (incoming calls) in your phone?
By Sreekala
@Sreekala (34312)
India
August 20, 2009 4:26am CST
Hi friends,
We all are getting some calls from wrong numbers. Sometime when we make calls we are reaching to wrong persons. When I get a wrong person (when making out going call) I will ask to the person, is that particular number or is that particular person and I say a sorry and disconnect the phone. If I am calling a familiar person and I can recognize that from the voice of a person that I got a wrong person and if I am in a hurry then I won’t ask anything instead just disconnect the line and try again to the particular person.
The funny thing is sometimes I am getting calls from the wrong number (in my mobile) and they keep on calling again and again. The first time I prefer to say very politely ‘No, you got a wrong number’ but immediately the person call again and asking about the same person, I may lost my patience and my answer will be, ‘I told you this is the wrong number’ and the third time I won’t attend the call (definitely I will lost my patience). I don’t know why they are keeping calling even after realizing they got a wrong number. I also getting missed calls from wrong numbers and I just kept quiet for 5 months then I made a call and asked I am getting missed call from this number for so long and I would like to know who are you? The person asked a strange person’s name, I told him, this is my number don’t make miss calls to me again, that worked.
Do you have any such incidents to share? Please share it with us.
7 people like this
32 responses
@cupid74 (11388)
• Pakistan
20 Aug 09
Hi Sree
Hope you must be doing well, nice to see discussion from u after long time.
Well, when i dialled wrong , and when i know its nit right number, i simple excuse them and dis connect the call. and sure never try to call them again
and in cases i get wrong call , i told them its not right number, if same person call again, i talk to them, wastwe their money and then told them that its wrong call ( only when i am free). LOL. and it never happened that some one from wrong number keep pestering me for longer time, they might not like my MALE voice to feed my number.
In ur case, sweet and feminine voice may attract them to give wrong calls again and again
take care
In ur case, sweet and feminine voice may attract them to give wrong calls again and again
take care2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi Cupid,
I am fine, thank you. I started another discussion last week you may not be noticed the same. Happy to see you again.
What do you mean, they are taking advantage from the female voice, not bad, but they don't know that they got a dangerous person in line.. bad fate of them.
Have a nice day.
@g_vickie84 (576)
• Belgium
20 Aug 09
Normally when I get a call from some wrong number I would politely tell them that this is not the number they are looking for and I disconnect. But sometimes I have seen that the people start asking that who's number is this or what is your name. I tell them strictly then that it is not the number you are looking for. This is enough for you and now you can hang up. I mean why will I go and tell my number or name to some stranger.
But when I was kid I remember that sometimes I used to just pick up some random conversations. Most of the times the people will just hang up but sometimes I used to have really interesting disucssions with the "wrong numbered" people.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi g_vickie,
Yes we all are showing the patience in the first time and at the same time nobody like to share our personal details with a stranger.
It was interesting to know that you made the wrong numbered calls as an interested one, I just thought about my two year old son, who is always running towards the land phone when it rings and not ready to give the phone to us and keep on talking. One day he told us that it is her sister (cousin) after talking sometimes my husband checked the phone and it was a wrong number.
(Thanks for the friend's request.)
(Thanks for the friend's request.)@g_vickie84 (576)
• Belgium
20 Aug 09
Yes it is not good to share our personal information. It can be dangerous sometimes.
So it was not only me who used to make these "wrong numbered" calls ineteresting. I guess all the kids do it. I was wondering if you used to do the same thing when you were a kid.
1 person likes this
@kriskhedkar (877)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi, getting calls from the wrong number is pretty common and also people insisting that this is correct number is also common. In such cases I tell them politely sorry wrong number and hang up. But if I am getting call from that number repeated I talk to them for a while and then tell them this is wrong number
2 people like this
@mayka123 (16584)
• India
20 Aug 09
I think all of us go through this at some time. I too have had to attend to incoming calls from wrong numbers many a times. It is worse when you are busy in a meeting and these calls come through. I try to be polite at first. But when the person calls too frequently or asks to many questions then I am rude to them and disconnect the line. I once had a person calling me up for many days and nothing was stopping him from making about 5/10 calls a day. Finally one day when he called I was talking to a male friend. I just gave the phone to my friend and asked him to attend the call. He gave the person on the other side a nice threat of going to the police and from that day the calls stopped coming. Sometimes we have to be rude to these kind of people.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
20 Aug 09
Fortunately, I don't have that problem to any great extent. Many once every few weeks I get a wrong number calling and I just tell them, they apologize, I tell them to have a great day then we both hang up.
If I reach a wrong number, I will always apologize! I never hang up once someone answers. To some older people that is scary. Besides, I owe it to them to apologize since I am the one invading their house and their time.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
21 Aug 09
Hi dragon54u,
I do not think that getting wrong numbers is a problem, it happened with all of us and asking an apology is the best way to highlight our reputation. But after realizing the mistake some are keep on calling, which I can't tolerate.
Thank you very much for sharing your views, I really appreciate your attitude to wish the caller a great day.
Here I am too wishing you a great day dear.
@srganesh (6340)
• India
20 Aug 09
I try to be polite always when I get a wrong number.They are ignorant in the first case and I will explain what is wrong and ask them to verify their number.But sometimes,if I am in a hurry,then I just say,wrong number and end the call.Anyhow,I will not bark on them like somebody.Cheers!
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
20 Aug 09
Shree! I have a landline phone at home and for the past three years I keep getting enquiries whether I am a courier[they also mention the same name of the courier].I have really got tired of answering these people and soemtimes I say it is not so ;When I am in a hurry I just put the phone down and walk away.But it has happened so frequently and consistently over such a long period that I have got totally fed up and don't care for the social courtesy of politely telling them that it is not so.I know it is not the caller's fault but it cannot 
be helped.
be helped.2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi dear,
I understand the problem, it is natural we may lose patience and we must be busy with some other thing then wasting our time for wrong numbers. I am getting wrongs numbers mostly in my mobile phone, getting wrong numbers in landline also but the number is less the reason must be most of the time nobody at home, so does not make much problem. I am getting SMS also from wrong numbers and once I shocked to read one of them and I made call to the sender, the person asked an apology for sending the same to a wrong number (Sigh)
Have a nice time dear.
Have a nice time dear.
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
21 Aug 09
Hi sree! You appear special and lucky that you keep receiving calls, which are not exactly meant for you, may be they love to listen to your sweet voice.. I also sometime receive wrong number calls, which are not meant for me, I politely tell that it is not the right number and they do not call me back again. If I am in a funny mood and the wrong number caller asks for an unknown fellow,I would say that he is in the bathroom or washroom and will be available after 5 minutes. Yesterday, some one rang me up on my mobile at night and asked is it- "Is Obdulla bhai there." I said - 'Obdulla has gone somewhere, then he said, give me his contact number, if he has any other number", then I had no option, but to reveal him the truth that it is a wrong number..........LOL! (Later on, as an after thought, I thought that I could have given him any fake number.........LOL!). Once I kept receiving wrong number calls for 5-6 times and every time the caller would call me number, after sometime I called the number and I was told that it was a public booth telephone number and one caller was trying to contact a Calcutta number, which has STD code of 022 and he was wrongly dialling my land number, which begins with 22.
Have a nice day!
Deeppak
. I also sometime receive wrong number calls, which are not meant for me, I politely tell that it is not the right number and they do not call me back again. If I am in a funny mood and the wrong number caller asks for an unknown fellow,I would say that he is in the bathroom or washroom and will be available after 5 minutes. Yesterday, some one rang me up on my mobile at night and asked is it- "Is Obdulla bhai there." I said - 'Obdulla has gone somewhere, then he said, give me his contact number, if he has any other number", then I had no option, but to reveal him the truth that it is a wrong number..........LOL! (Later on, as an after thought, I thought that I could have given him any fake number.........LOL!). Once I kept receiving wrong number calls for 5-6 times and every time the caller would call me number, after sometime I called the number and I was told that it was a public booth telephone number and one caller was trying to contact a Calcutta number, which has STD code of 022 and he was wrongly dialling my land number, which begins with 22.
Have a nice day!
Deeppak1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
21 Aug 09
Sree!
You husband is smart like me and I hope when he is in lighter mood, he can affectively deal with wrong number calls.................LOL! The incident you narrated is interesting one and the answer given by your ex-colleauge is also witty and curt.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
21 Aug 09
Hi sree! You appear special and lucky that you keep receiving call, which are not exactly meant for you, may be they love to listen to your sweet voice.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58675)
• Delhi, India
21 Aug 09
I've submitted my detailed reply again, it got posted inadvertently, before, I could finish my reply.
1 person likes this
@chaitra001 (3278)
• Bangalore, India
20 Aug 09
Hi Sreekala, Yes I too have faced these kind of wrong calls.. First time I will reply in a cool mood that this is wrong number.. If the person repeats the same thing I will not recive the call from that number.. If this keeps continue I just block that number.
1 person likes this
@chaitra001 (3278)
• Bangalore, India
21 Aug 09
yes dear you are absolutely right.. yes I am fine.. dint get time to get in here on mylot from few days..
1 person likes this
@jshekhar (1562)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hello friend,
Yeah, you are right. All of us do get these calls from time to time. Initially I am very cordial with wrong numbers and I politely tell them that the person they are looking for is not here. Some of them would just apologize and hang up but there are a few others who need to be dealt with differently. Sometimes the caller would insist on talking with that person and would start asking you for the details, such as your name,the company you work with,etc. This is when I get tough and talk rudely because I cannot just disclose my information to anyone so randomly.
2 people like this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
20 Aug 09
Hi Jshekhar,
Exactly what I mean the same. If we talk politely then they may ask, where you are talking from and what you are doing, it will irritate definitely. Getting a wrong number is not fault but by taking advantage on the same can’t be tolerate.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Have a nice time.
@vathsala30 (3732)
• India
27 Nov 09
Hi sree
If I dial a wrong number, i say sorry to that person and disconnect and try to dial my required number. if i get a wrong call, I politely ask that person which numbe he wants, and say that this is not that number and disconnect.
1 person likes this
@vathsala30 (3732)
• India
28 Nov 09
Yes. If the person tries to take advantage of our politeness, then he will be taken to task for sure. 
1 person likes this
@shonepen007 (111)
• India
27 Nov 09
Hey sreekala...
In the case of wrong numbers...there should be only one answer 'wrong number' and hang up the phone..Pls dont try to give a polite answer..Because some will take advantage of it and will redial you naming it as a "Friendly Talk"..But sometimes these "Friendly talks" from strangers could be really dangerous..
To be polite....,when i was in the hostel during my 1st year studies we, hostelmates used to call random numbers and if its a female we'll try to go on with the conversation even after a wron number alert..But truly "NO BAD INTENSIONS"..We were just having fun in our boring hostel life..So some wrong numbers will include in that category..So please be cautious with wrong numbers..
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
2 Dec 09
Hi Shone,
Thank you very much for the honest reply. Yes I am a victim; if I talk softly then the caller is asking my whereabouts etc so I may turn to be rude. The problem is, I stopped the politeness with good people too because I don't know the caller is good or bad.
Thanks for joining. Have a nice day.
. Have a nice day.
@sherrypeck19822001 (228)
• United States
26 Nov 09
I just tell them it was a wrong number, then I tell them to have a nice day or night. I feel no need to be rude to them. People make mistakes.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
27 Nov 09
Hi sherry,
I know people can make mistakes. Sometimes I also get wrong numbers even if I dialed the right number. But some people are making fun after knowing the fact, it is a wrong number, that I can’t tolerate and I may turn rude. I can be polite twice continuously but the third time ‘no’.
Have a nice day to you.
@balasri (26537)
• India
26 Nov 09
It is always a soft ,polite and stern 'Sorry wrong Number' the first time.And if the second time I get the call from the same person it is a polite and stern 'Sorry wrong number'.And if that person dares to call me the third time it is a stern
'Sorry wrong number'.No one has dared to call me the fourth time so far.
'Sorry wrong number'.No one has dared to call me the fourth time so far.1 person likes this
@mymelodake (1338)
• Philippines
29 Aug 09
We get a lot of this at out home phone, because our number is pretty close to the phone number of an automobile supply shop. There is only a 1 digit difference, theirs is XX5-XXXX while our home number is XX4-XXXX. In this case, the person usually just dials too fast and end up pressing the wrong number. When this happens, I usually just say "Sorry wrong number!" and then I don't usually get a repeat wrong caller.
Like you mentioned I've also experienced being called by a person with the right number, but is looking for someone else, and this is probably the most annoying. I would usually just tell them "you got the number right but we don't have anyone with that name here." What gets me really annoyed though is that when they keep calling again and when you answer it, they recognize your voice and then put down the phone before you can even say hello. It's so rude!!!
I've also experienced getting an international call on my mobile and this guy had the wrong number. I felt sorry for him! I don't get much wrong number calls though. Mostly wrong number texts, which I just ignore.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
29 Aug 09
Hi mymelodake,
Yes, slight difference in number may go wrong, I also received a call from somebody who was calling his wife and getting my number. when he said his wife’s number I realized that what went wrong, the name was same like mine but the last digit was different. He must be dialed the last digit wrongly but according to him, he is getting many times my number (which I was not sure) and asked how it happens, I told him I don't have any idea you please check twice before calling your wife.(I was neither rude nor happy). Fortunately till now I never received a call from this guy.
Thank you very much for your participation.
Have a great weekend.
Have a great weekend. 
@sanjana_aslam (4187)
• Malaysia
22 Aug 09
hi sree
normally when i hear a voice who does not identify themself .. i just become the rudest person on the earth and go " Haa " " haa " and they say sorry and put the phone down
cheers
1 person likes this
@Ritchelle (3790)
• Philippines
3 Nov 09
when i get to dial a wrong no. i say, "sorry, wrong no.", at once. if i saw a no. i don't know registering on my phone i just ignore it for others are just trying to pull a prank. it's just a waste of my time.
1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
3 Nov 09
Hi Ritchelle,
Getting wrong numbers when you dial somebody or receiving wrong number is common and sometimes if we dial the correct number then also it went to wrong persons. I can answer to those people with great respect. But if somebody keeps on calling, means if we said this is wrong number then also call again and again.... I can’t tolerate this and I won’t attend that call by seeing the number if it is in my mobile.
Thank you very much for the participation.
Have a great day.
Have a great day. 1 person likes this
@corrycrystal (1775)
• Malaysia
3 Nov 09
I would always say, 'sorry, you got the wrong the number' or if I am the caller I would just say, 'sorry!', then hang up. If I call the number and it is still a wrong number, I would ask the receiver by giving him or her the number. If the number is the same, then someone might have provided me with a wrong number. If not, then I would try to call again because sometimes the line might be congested and crossed.
I have been in the situation you mentioned above. I told the person that he got the wrong number, but he was not satisfied. He could be asking another person, a woman, to called me and looked for the person they were looking for. I was fed up and didn't pick up the phone when it kept ringing. Maybe he still didn't believe me, he sent an SMS. He was asking about some spare parts for a boat whether the deal was on or not! I just ignore the message and he called again!! Then, I passed the call to my hubby and I think he was convinced that they got a wrong number.
Most probably, they were thinking that I was some woman who wouldn't pass the call to the man they were looking for!! 
Then, I passed the call to my hubby and I think he was convinced that they got a wrong number.
Most probably, they were thinking that I was some woman who wouldn't pass the call to the man they were looking for!! 1 person likes this
@Sreekala (34312)
• India
3 Nov 09
Hi corry,
I agree, sometimes we get wrong number even if we dial the right number just because of the line problem. In the same way we may receive wrong calls too. I can deal with those problems very politely. But if somebody tries to take the advantage of female voice then I can’t tolerate.
Thank you very much for the participation.
Have a nice time.[em]thumbup[/em]
Have a nice time.[em]thumbup[/em]
@TickleMeBreathless (590)
• United States
24 Nov 09
I usually pick up and say "I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong number." Normally they don't call back. Once though, a woman called my phone a good seven times before she stopped. About the sixth time she called I lost a temper a bit and said, loudly, "Stop calling my phone, you have the wrong number. If you don't stop calling I'll call the police for harassment!"
I would never really do that, though. I just wanted her to stop calling, since I was driving and I think it's dangerous to drive and use a cell phone.
1 person likes this
