DEAR MISS MANNERS: As a young person, I learned that when making a phone call, you introduce yourself and then politely ask to speak to the person you are trying to reach. It’s a really effective way of starting a phone conversation on the right foot.
Today, it seems no one practices this. Caller ID does not always provide a name or place of business, so I often have no idea who is calling. I am struggling to figure out a way to politely answer callers who start with, “Is this Wendy?”
Currently I ask them to please identify themselves, but I have a difficult time not being curt. These are not just telemarketers, but my doctor’s office, the dishwasher repairman, the furniture delivery driver, and so on.
What do you recommend that I say when picking up the phone and getting asked if I am who I am?
GENTLE READER: “Who is asking, please?”
(Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
