Don’t be rude: End the frantic dropped call roundabout

You’re talking on the phone. You’ve had the floor for a while when you realise there’s no one on the other end. The call’s dropped out. You call the person back, heading straight to their voice-mail. While you’re there, you hear a beep on your line telling you someone is trying to call you. They leave a message. And round you go.

What is it about dropped calls that makes everyone act so frantic? Is it the fear that the other person thinks you’ve hung up? Or an urge to make sure you haven’t been hung up on yourself?

Take a deep breath. Assume the best. And know the accepted protocol is that the person who initiated the call is the one who calls again.

If you’ve received a call and found yourself abruptly disconnected, just wait. If they haven’t called you in a minute or two, then it’s ok to try and call back. Just relax – frantically dialling doesn’t help the situation.