Withheld Telephone Numbers

[Dustydog]

After years of receiving calls from withheld numbers I have adopted a rather aggressive answer, what do you want?
Mistake, this morning my lovely Lady GP rang to see how my surgery and arthritis was. Red face all round🙃
How do you deal with these withheld numbers?

 

[otherclive]

After years of receiving calls from withheld numbers I have adopted a rather aggressive answer, what do you want?
Mistake, this morning my lovely Lady GP rang to see how my surgery and arthritis was. Red face all round🙃
How do you deal with these withheld numbers?

I just say "hello' do not give my name and then wait for the other end to speak. Do not seem to receive many withheld numbers, more now with locations such as Enniskillen, Belfast, London, Leeds ......all who must have a large South Asian workforce dealing with Microsoft Windows. So I then try to open a conversation on cricket.

 

[RogerL]

After years of receiving calls from withheld numbers I have adopted a rather aggressive answer, what do you want?
Mistake, this morning my lovely Lady GP rang to see how my surgery and arthritis was. Red face all round🙃
How do you deal with these withheld numbers?

I can't/won't block witheld numbers as most such calls we get are from hospitals or GP - I answer with a simple but polite hello and then wait for them to introduce themselves - if it's a scam or sales call I vary anywhere between just putting the phone down and being very rude.

 

[RogerL]

I just say "hello' do not give my name and then wait for the other end to speak. Do not seem to receive many withheld numbers, more now with locations such as Enniskillen, Belfast, London, Leeds ......all who must have a large South Asian workforce dealing with Microsoft Windows. So I then try to open a conversation on cricket.

An increasing number of genuine UK businesses are using call centres in Africa or Asia - my son works for a car insurer based in Wolverhampton who've just outsourced some of their calls to South Africa.

 

[otherclive]

An increasing number of genuine UK businesses are using call centres in Africa or Asia - my son works for a car insurer based in Wolverhampton who've just outsourced some of their calls to South Africa.

It’s been an ongoing trend now for some years. In 2007 when we had a car written off Norwich Union had their agents in India. Although there was a trend for some companies to bring back telephone agents to UK as a positive selling point. But coming from Leicester I have less trouble understanding a south Asian agent than I do a Scot or Irish one 😱

 

[Beachball]

Like what someone saying i too say hello if no answer i put the phone down and if it rings again i then block it

 

[Raywood]

I just say hello. If they do not know who I assume they are nuisance callers. It depends on how busy I am but if I feel like t I just keep them talking to annoy them. I then block the number ad if I get calls from a similar one I ignore it and then block . If I am not sure of a missed call I google the number and you will find sites that ell you who they are and if they are a problem.

 

[Lutz]

I won't even answer a call where the phone number is withheld.

 

[otherclive]

I won't even answer a call where the phone number is withheld.

Extremely difficult here then as most GPs and hospitals routinely withhold numbers, and for privacy reasons they are very reluctant to leave a message on voicemail.

 

[Bluetonic]

depends on my mood, I either don't answer or I will pick up the call and wait for them to speak first. Often the automatic scam message starts after a few seconds.

 

[RogerL]

Extremely difficult here then as most GPs and hospitals routinely withhold numbers, and for privacy reasons they are very reluctant to leave a message on voicemail.

We use 3 different hospital trusts, dependent on the issue - one of the trusts changed a few years ago from using number withheld to automatically using the main number, which was useful - but recently changed again by using the same number for all 4 hospitals in the group so now we have no idea which department phoned.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Following a period of time when despite being ex-directory, we were receiving up to 10 scam/phishing calls a day, at all times, many of which were simply silent we invested in a call manger device that wa featured on Dragons Den. They are still available to day. Some phones now have the system built into them.

It allows me to have a "star" list for number I recognise, and a Zap list of numbers that I have chosen to ignore. Withheld or unrecognised numbers are intercepted and the caller is asked to identify themselves, and it records the response, and then play me the response. I can then choose to accept or reject.

Its a highly flexible device, and will work as a standalone unit. But you can also have an account with the manufacturer that increases its flexibility to record all the numbers date time and the handling that have called you can interact with the computer link to mange the lists.

It has proven very effective of blocking unwanted calls, and useful to keep some sellers on their toes when they discover I can prove they have not called as they claimed!

 

[Lutz]

Extremely difficult here then as most GPs and hospitals routinely withhold numbers, and for privacy reasons they are very reluctant to leave a message on voicemail.

Why do they withhold numbers? I don't see the reasoning behind it. Not that I get many phone calls from a doctor anyway. I normally arrange doctor's appointments by email and not over the phone and I've never had occasion for a doctor to phone me for any other reason. I've never had any dealings with a hospital so I can't comment on that.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Why do they withhold numbers? I don't see the reasoning behind it.

In the UK Dr's surgeries will normally have two groups of telephone numbers, There the public numbers for patients to use, and others for inter-departmental communications. If patients were given these numbers they would try to use them rather than the designated appointments number, blocking the lines and wasting the staffs time in answering them and not being able to help.

 

[Buckman]

This call was not to me, but to a good friend and former colleague;


Just had a call from a company informing me that my health and safety certificate for the loft insulation has expired. They will send, at no cost, an engineer round to check and make sure that everything is OK so that they can issue a new certificate.
Firstly, the loft insulation was installed by me and my sons. No H&S certificate was issued as none was requested or required.
Secondly, bad timing, as yesterday I had a surveyor around to issue an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
I politely (Honest, I was polite) told the telesales person that I did not require an H&S certificate and did not want an inspection whether it was free or not. All good so far.
Then the young man took me to task and insisted that I explain why I was refusing the inspection. Bad move. I was awake early this morning and have completed all of the days jobs before 10.00am. I haven't had a coffee yet, let alone breakfast. I may have been quicker to react than is normal...
I replied...
"Listen sunshine, I wasn't born yesterday. You get paid for each inspection visit you organise. Your so called inspector is actually a door-stepping salesman who will tell me that my current loft insulation doesn't meet current criteria and needs upgrading. He will then try and flog me some extortionate insulation service...
and before you say anything I had a proper inspector in my property yesterday issuing an EPC... you don't know what an EPC is... what? Anyway, that qualified inspector informed me that my current level of insulation was sufficient and within Government guidelines and any additional insulation would only return marginal benefits.
So go away and leave me alone."
I waited for a few seconds in case he replied. He did not, so I signed off with "Have a nice day!"

😂😂😂

 

[Lutz]

In the UK Dr's surgeries will normally have two groups of telephone numbers, There the public numbers for patients to use, and others for inter-departmental communications. If patients were given these numbers they would try to use them rather than the designated appointments number, blocking the lines and wasting the staffs time in answering them and not being able to help.

Over here where I live many doctors' practises have a habit of not answering the phone anyway or they leave you waiting in the queue until you give up trying. The only way you can contact them is online or dropping by in the office. They are as reluctant to make calls as they are to receive them.

 

[Mel]

When I worked for the NHS the massive telephone system meant that “No caller ID” came up on the recipients phone. This is still the case. If I rang a patient and got an automatic reply “This phone does not accept withheld numbers”, I then had to ring the Trust switchboard and get them to bypass the normal system. More time and work for me and switchboard, when time was already squeezed so hard that the pips squeaked. 😀
We used to put it into our letters to patients that “ No caller ID” might come up but it didn’t always solve the problem. An absolute pain if you were trying to fit patients into cancelled appointment slots to manage maximum efficiency.
I think this is different to a “Witheld” message.
Mel

 

[Buckman]

When I worked for the NHS the massive telephone system meant that “No caller ID” came up on the recipients phone. This is still the case. If I rang a patient and got an automatic reply “This phone does not accept withheld numbers”, I then had to ring the Trust switchboard and get them to bypass the normal system. More time and work for me and switchboard, when time was already squeezed so hard that the pips squeaked. 😀
We used to put it into our letters to patients that “ No caller ID” might come up but it didn’t always solve the problem. An absolute pain if you were trying to fit patients into cancelled appointment slots to manage maximum efficiency.
I think this is different to a “Witheld” message.
Mel

Our phone is set up to reject with held numbers as we were getting numerous sales calls. Then the scammers started using what looked like genuine numbers which by passed out block.

 

[littlebasher]

Now that scammers have changed their MO to spoof local or mobile numbers, for me any "withheld" ones are always either the Doctors or Hospital !

 

[RogerL]

When I worked for the NHS the massive telephone system meant that “No caller ID” came up on the recipients phone. This is still the case. If I rang a patient and got an automatic reply “This phone does not accept withheld numbers”, I then had to ring the Trust switchboard and get them to bypass the normal system. More time and work for me and switchboard, when time was already squeezed so hard that the pips squeaked. 😀
We used to put it into our letters to patients that “ No caller ID” might come up but it didn’t always solve the problem. An absolute pain if you were trying to fit patients into cancelled appointment slots to manage maximum efficiency.
I think this is different to a “Witheld” message.
Mel

There may be more recent changes, specific to each NHS Trust - calls from 3 of the hospitals within the University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB) NHS Trust will show the same number 0121 424 2000 which was originally the main switchboard number for Heartlands Hospital but now use to identify all calls from Heartlands, Solihull and Good Hope

 

[Lutz]

Just out of interest, how often do you get phone calls from doctors or hospitals? I get no more than one or two a year from doctors wishing to rearrange an appointment that I have previous made and I've never had one from a hospital.

 

[RogerL]

Just out of interest, how often do you get phone calls from doctors or hospitals? I get no more than one or two a year from doctors wishing to rearrange an appointment that I have previous made and I've never had one from a hospital.

It depends how ill we are!

We get a phone call from our GP's receptionist to book a blood test, Covid booster or flu booster and a call from the GP after each blood test, presently every three months - hospitals will phone the day before an appointment to confirm it, or cancel it!

 

[Mr Grumpy]

Must confess we've been known to play along with them for a while.
Occasionally let them prattle on for a few minutes then ask for their billing address so I can bill them for my time. They soon hang up!

 

[Lutz]

It depends how ill we are!

We get a phone call from our GP's receptionist to book a blood test, Covid booster or flu booster and a call from the GP after each blood test, presently every three months - hospitals will phone the day before an appointment to confirm it, or cancel it!

I'm beginning to see the light now. For me, appointments aren't needed for blood tests, Covid booster (just in case anyone still has them) or other vaccinations for which no consultation is necessary or required. One just turns up at the surgery first thing in the morning before the doctor has his first appointments and they do all that then without the doctor getting involved. And hospitals here only have emergency out-patients departments which, by their nature, don't need appointments because you can't make an appointment if it's an emergency.

 

[otherclive]

I'm beginning to see the light now. For me, appointments aren't needed for blood tests, Covid booster (just in case anyone still has them) or other vaccinations for which no consultation is necessary or required. One just turns up at the surgery first thing in the morning before the doctor has his first appointments and they do all that then without the doctor getting involved. And hospitals here only have emergency out-patients departments which, by their nature, don't need appointments because you can't make an appointment if it's an emergency.

So where would you go for a scheduled hospital appointment if required. Here you may have a scheduled appointment at a hospital for consultation. test/scans, minor procedures and more complex procedures. Anyone of those may be cancelled then the hospital department should ring you. But the number may be withheld, or no caller id, or hospital general switchboard, which may not be known to you. By not leaving voicemail with a dedicated number to speak to the department you may not get the message.