Dealing with Phone Mix-Ups: Breast Feeding Clinic Dilemma in Tucson

[edward]

A local hospital has just opened a breast feeding clinic for young mothers. The phone number for the clinic is very similar to mine. The clinic number ends in 65, mine ends in 56.

I never bother to jump up and answer my phone because old geezers shouldn't have to do that.

About twice a day I will have messages left by women who think they are connected to the
clinic.

Should I ignore them and delete the messages ?

Should I call them back and tell them the correct number? (I get mixed results when I do call them back. Some think that I am a weirdo and ask how I got their number. Others want to talk about my children and ask if my wife breast fed them.)

Should I change my greeting to include "THIS IS NOT THE BREAST FEEDING CLINIC" ?
(My friends would really think that to be way weird.)

Should I tun this over to Andy Rooney?

Perplexed in Tucson

 

[DaveC426913]

Should I change my greeting to include "THIS IS NOT THE BREAST FEEDING CLINIC" ?
(My friends would really think that to be way weird.)

This would be the best approach. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Your friends will cope.




BTW, I sympathize. My cell # is identical to a parts company in Ohio called Canberra, except one number in the area code. I have my response down to a routine "Are you looking for Canberra? You've dialed 416, you need to dial 419".

Their response is always the same "Oh. Oh. Sorry. Thanks. I uh ... I guess you get this a lot, don't you?"

 

[lisab]

This would be the best approach. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. your friends will cope.

Totally agree, after laughing very hard.

Or you could change your number, and hope it isn't similar to a porn line.

 

[Topher925]

Why not just get a job at the breast feeding clinic? That way you don't have to worry about people dialing the wrong number and you get to have an interesting job.

 

[Oerg]

Why not just get a job at the breast feeding clinic? That way you don't have to worry about people dialing the wrong number and you get to have an interesting job.

you are trying to change your job because of a phone number? Isn't that a bit too much? haha

 

[Crazy Tosser]

Just unplug your phone forever and get Skype.

 

[turbo]

My phone number in my last town of residence was only a two-digit inversion away from the number of the hospital. It was never much of a problem until an old woman started calling day and night complaining about her medical conditions. She was well into dementia because I could never get her to dial the correct number, nor to give me her number. In fact, when I told her that she had NOT dialed the hospital, she invariably got quite hostile and accused me (and my wife) of conspiring to ignore her.

A co-worker at a pulp mill (fellow chemist) had a telephone number just one digit away from that of the police station in his town. He would patiently try to redirect mis-dialed calls until the callers turned mean, and then he would tell them that the cops would be over right away.

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Should I change my greeting to include "THIS IS NOT THE BREAST FEEDING CLINIC" ?
(My friends would really think that to be way weird.)

I intentionally leave silly messages for my voice mail. You have a reason! Roll with it!
Or do you perhaps expect callers of a professional nature that may not look well upon silly messages?


My current message is "I have been kidnapped by an angry tiki god. Please leave virgins after the beep."

 

[turbo]

My current message is "I have been kidnapped by an angry tiki god. Please leave virgins after the beep."

How about "Do not throw the virgins into the volcano! I will make them all non-virgins soon enough."

 

[franznietzsche]

Just unplug your phone forever and get Skype.

Quoted for repetition. Although, this doesn't really solve your problem if your skype number winds up being close to something worse.

Personally, I would just ignore the unwanted calls. Maybe there's a reason why I'm a hermit though.

 

[hypatia]

I once had a number one digit away from a pizza place. I got so fed up, I began taking orders and telling them it would be ready in 15 minutes.

 

[Andre]

Should I call them back and tell them the correct number?
Perplexed in Tucson

I once had a number one digit away from a pizza place. I got so fed up, I began taking orders and telling them it would be ready in 15 minutes.

Perhaps call them and give them Hypatia's number, at least they have their food in 15 minutes.

 

[physics girl phd]

Why not just get a job at the breast feeding clinic? That way you don't have to worry about people dialing the wrong number and you get to have an interesting job.

My first job ever (at a hardware store) I got in part because "our phone number is only one digit off from [this store], and when people call our house, we always tell them the correct number to call."

 

[mgb_phys]

My first job ever (at a hardware store) I got in part because "our phone number is only one digit off from [this store], and when people call our house, we always tell them the correct number to call."

Finally - that explains how Bush became president!

 

[Danger]

Finally - that explains how Bush became president!

I used to get calls on my cell for this one guy (up to twice or thrice every day). After about 5 years of it, I tracked him down and asked him why the hell he was giving out my number. Turned out that some of his clients had transposed two of the digits in the prefix. For another couple of months, I would tell them the correct number. He must have started stressing to people that they had to be careful, because I haven't received another call for him in the last 2 years.

In this case, with a medical issue involved, I would have my greeting provide the correct number.
I really like Topher's idea, though. That clinic sounds like a fun place to work. I often think about applying for a job as a bra-fitter, but this would be almost as good.

 

[Redbelly98]

Should I tun this over to Andy Rooney?

Wow, is he still around?