Privacy Manager Telephone Feature

[scrambled_eggs]

My day is filled with sales calls, telemarketers, and people calling to verify a directory that I am unknowingly listed on. I don't give information out to anyone over the phone who calls me like this. Some days I might get 10 calls and it is taking up my time when I have other things to do. I am thinking about adding the Privacy Manager feature that AT & T offers for their customers. It will not let any unknown name, private name, or blank caller ID calls to ring through unless they press 1 to idenitify themselves. They have a demo of how it works on this toll free number: 1-866-411-1118 I am wondering if anyone here has this feature and if you like or dislike it.

 

[DaisyMae]

as far as i know we do not have the feature. i do get the same calls i think you are speaking of. it is usually a foreign voice, they tell me they are calling to update the information in our yellow page listing. they ask if your addres is correct, town, state, etc. ionly ever anactually answered the questions in the very beginning of our ownership because i assumed it was a serious call. but i've had them call,sometimes, once per week. i ask them why they need this information so often and usually they hang up.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

If I had the option for that I would sign up. We get the same calls day in and day out. They waste so much of my time.

 

[SweetiePie]

I use that feature and also Caller ID. Some will identify themselves on Caller ID but now they have the ability to actually mask their real phone number, so it is less effective.
I resented the spate of calls from vendors after I joined PAII. They seem to see new members as fodder to hawk their wares to. I know they exist and will contact them if I need their services.

 

[Morticia]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

 

[egoodell]

8 I am wondering if anyone here has this feature and if you like or dislike it.

I don't have it but I had to go through it recently when calling a guest back. I was afraid I'd have to leave a number and wait for her to call me back, but after I identified myself I got right through. So I was at first ready to be annoyed, but was not. It put me through so fast I didn't have time to wonder if I could get through or not.
Riki

 

[Copperhead]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false..

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

I had this feature several years ago when I added all the bells and from MA Bell and did not know I had it turned on. I received several local calls where the person said their relative / friend tried to call but got a recording to give their name....several said what kind of business would have that on their business phone. I was wondering that myself at the time and had no idea until I called MA and got it staightened out. Another factor is that many people call while at work, you can't totally judge by caller ID what type of call you are answering until the person on the other end speaks.
My advise - do not do this, it will turn some guests off and you will loose a potential sale. And as Bree and Sweetie Pie said, the telamarketers have this figured out as well and will mask their number to get through. My adivse is to just grin and bare it as part of the pains of being in business.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Th problem is sometimes people call from work to book a room, and they have a 1-800 #. So other than what Oceans mentioned you either answer or you don't. I have info on my answering machine so many of those go ahead and go to the website and book, and the telemarketers? They just call back over and over until you answer the phone. There are days I have the machine on pick up after one ring. I have to. It is endless here, it drives me insane and actually makes me hate answering the phone.

 

[Morticia]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false..

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

I had this feature several years ago when I added all the bells and from MA Bell and did not know I had it turned on. I received several local calls where the person said their relative / friend tried to call but got a recording to give their name....several said what kind of business would have that on their business phone. I was wondering that myself at the time and had no idea until I called MA and got it staightened out. Another factor is that many people call while at work, you can't totally judge by caller ID what type of call you are answering until the person on the other end speaks.
My advise - do not do this, it will turn some guests off and you will loose a potential sale. And as Bree and Sweetie Pie said, the telamarketers have this figured out as well and will mask their number to get through. My adivse is to just grin and bare it as part of the pains of being in business.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false..

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

I had this feature several years ago when I added all the bells and from MA Bell and did not know I had it turned on. I received several local calls where the person said their relative / friend tried to call but got a recording to give their name....several said what kind of business would have that on their business phone. I was wondering that myself at the time and had no idea until I called MA and got it staightened out. Another factor is that many people call while at work, you can't totally judge by caller ID what type of call you are answering until the person on the other end speaks.
My advise - do not do this, it will turn some guests off and you will loose a potential sale. And as Bree and Sweetie Pie said, the telamarketers have this figured out as well and will mask their number to get through. My adivse is to just grin and bare it as part of the pains of being in business.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.

I emailed a handful of B&B's I was interested in. I can't recall but I think I posted the results on this or the old forum. It was disgusting! Of 15 B&B's only about 10 even responded to my email, of those 3 had the situation you describe wher they would not receive an email from me unless they knew me and I was approved, I AM AN INQUIRING GUEST! Only a couple actually answered my question and were friendly and invited me to come and stay with them.
No I am not kidding. Try it sometime. Use a non-B&B email address and inquire of the other inns NEAR YOU (since some of you have a handful in your own town or city or area). I was shocked. I asked a basic question, nothing lengthy. MOST simply referred me back to their website and would not even answer the inquiry.
This would be a great PAII study. You could go state by state and see what happens, give percentages on the LACK of customer service and care you get from MANY B&B's.
I am sad to say that, but it is true.
It put me off the entire region I was looking into. Oh and another put me on a mailing list for the rest of my life. Dinners, events. They never responded to my email but now I get a newsletter and promotions constantly.

 

[Copperhead]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false..

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

I had this feature several years ago when I added all the bells and from MA Bell and did not know I had it turned on. I received several local calls where the person said their relative / friend tried to call but got a recording to give their name....several said what kind of business would have that on their business phone. I was wondering that myself at the time and had no idea until I called MA and got it staightened out. Another factor is that many people call while at work, you can't totally judge by caller ID what type of call you are answering until the person on the other end speaks.
My advise - do not do this, it will turn some guests off and you will loose a potential sale. And as Bree and Sweetie Pie said, the telamarketers have this figured out as well and will mask their number to get through. My adivse is to just grin and bare it as part of the pains of being in business.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.

This even aggervates me when I am sending info to people that have contacted me for information. The least they could due is inform me that this would happen. Sometimes I do not even get a reply when I ask for one in the email, so I am not positive if it went through or not. They may be sitting by their PC wondering if that xxx B&B is going to respond, and I am wondering if the xxx guest is going to reply....
I just got a email from a guest that booked in early April for June...she said she never received her confirmation (a yahoo email address). I responded that I would send it again in a seperate email and to let me know if it was or was not received. My reply was received by her, my confirmation (again) was not. Now I have copied an pasted the confirmation within my reply message...NO word this time.... Filters are good to keep spammers out, but for us sending a message that is mostly 'canned', it can be a royal pain.

 

[SweetiePie]

If people are offended by having to identify themselves, then they are probably not people I want as guests anyway. I failed to mention that another problem is that we happen to have a phone number that is often confused with the one for Auto Zone. So I get a lot of men calling for parts on a Saturday afternoon. This helps to weed them out.

 

[Morticia]

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false..

I looked at something like that but it wasn't available here, or was only available for local calls or something like that. We had a guy calling us so much I called the phone company to ask how I could file a police report. I would hang up, he would immediately call back.
And Sweetie Pie is right about masking the calls' origins now. We regularly get calls from 'Bank of America' that are really from 5-6 other telemarketing services and never from BofA. The only time lately I have gotten an 'unknown name/unknown number' call was from a friend calling from the hospital. Almost all of the telemarketers are showing a name and phone number, even if that info is totally false.

I had this feature several years ago when I added all the bells and from MA Bell and did not know I had it turned on. I received several local calls where the person said their relative / friend tried to call but got a recording to give their name....several said what kind of business would have that on their business phone. I was wondering that myself at the time and had no idea until I called MA and got it staightened out. Another factor is that many people call while at work, you can't totally judge by caller ID what type of call you are answering until the person on the other end speaks.
My advise - do not do this, it will turn some guests off and you will loose a potential sale. And as Bree and Sweetie Pie said, the telamarketers have this figured out as well and will mask their number to get through. My adivse is to just grin and bare it as part of the pains of being in business.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.
.

Along a similar line are businesses (all B&B's in m experience) that block their email. You have to fill out the form and explain who you are before your email will go thru. NO! I won't do that. Luckily, I was emailing as a friend, but as a guest I'd move on to the next place.

This even aggervates me when I am sending info to people that have contacted me for information. The least they could due is inform me that this would happen. Sometimes I do not even get a reply when I ask for one in the email, so I am not positive if it went through or not. They may be sitting by their PC wondering if that xxx B&B is going to respond, and I am wondering if the xxx guest is going to reply....
I just got a email from a guest that booked in early April for June...she said she never received her confirmation (a yahoo email address). I responded that I would send it again in a seperate email and to let me know if it was or was not received. My reply was received by her, my confirmation (again) was not. Now I have copied an pasted the confirmation within my reply message...NO word this time.... Filters are good to keep spammers out, but for us sending a message that is mostly 'canned', it can be a royal pain.
.

Earthlink emails are the worst. Whenever I talk with a guest who gives me an Earthlink email I tell them the rez email will be in their spam folder. Many do not even know they HAVE a spam folder.
I just emailed my good news to the family. 3 emails bounced back as spam. This is family. People I email a LOT. All of a sudden my emaill address is spam to them? Wonder why? Only a guess but they are all on Verizon. My email now comes from the company that bought out Verizon in this neck of the woods. The last day to forward old Verizon email was Friday. Coincidence that all of a sudden my email doesn't go thru? I don't think so.

 

[Morticia]

If people are offended by having to identify themselves, then they are probably not people I want as guests anyway. I failed to mention that another problem is that we happen to have a phone number that is often confused with the one for Auto Zone. So I get a lot of men calling for parts on a Saturday afternoon. This helps to weed them out..

If people are offended by having to identify themselves, then they are probably not people I want as guests anyway.

My theory on this email problem is- don't make it difficult for busy people to contact your business. They won't. Or they will complain about it. As a business we have to deal with a lot of crap, but we shouldn't take it out on the guests.

 

[hawley]

Our home phone got so bad it was only telemarket and orgs wanting donations. Everyone else calls us on our cells. It got so bad my husband would not answer the phone, all calls went to the recorder if he was home. So I changed everything to my cell number about 1 year ago and that is the one I use for the B&B.
Today alone I had 150 emails from Wallmart. I used to have some filters but was losing some people emailing me so took all of the filters off and just deal with it.

 

[Morticia]

Our home phone got so bad it was only telemarket and orgs wanting donations. Everyone else calls us on our cells. It got so bad my husband would not answer the phone, all calls went to the recorder if he was home. So I changed everything to my cell number about 1 year ago and that is the one I use for the B&B.
Today alone I had 150 emails from Wallmart. I used to have some filters but was losing some people emailing me so took all of the filters off and just deal with it..

I don't know if you can do this or not with your inn email, but I handle the enormous amount of spam that comes thru by only allowing in email addressed to 2 email addies. Prior to doing that I was getting all the mail that was addressed to 'a at myinnemail.com,' 'b at myinnemail.com,' any combo of letters, numbers, words at myinnemail.com, etc.
Yes, I DO get spam addressed to my real email address but that is handled by K9 at keir.net. It's a really good, free spam filter.
The only phone calls that really annoy are the ones that say they are calling about lowering credit card rates or getting service contracts for my car. I cannot make them stop as they are always canned calls with no way to opt out. This is on my home phone which is supposed to be blocked. But, because you cannot id the callers, they keep calling.
The inn phone gets telemarketers calling for the PO's. I get cc offers for them weekly. Ocassionally, they will ask for hubs by name because he TELLS them his name when they call. If they get me on the phone I say he was fired for talking to telemarketers. But most of the time the calls don't go thru and I just get a hang up click.

 

[SweetiePie]

Don't get me started on the calls for donations. I used to be plagued by them like you wouldn't believe. They didn't want to settle for a one night stay; no it had to be a weekend with spa treatments. Well, this has cut way down on them. Now they send me a letter which usually goes into the circular file.

 

[Copperhead]

If people are offended by having to identify themselves, then they are probably not people I want as guests anyway. I failed to mention that another problem is that we happen to have a phone number that is often confused with the one for Auto Zone. So I get a lot of men calling for parts on a Saturday afternoon. This helps to weed them out..

If people are offended by having to identify themselves, then they are probably not people I want as guests anyway. I failed to mention that another problem is that we happen to have a phone number that is often confused with the one for Auto Zone. So I get a lot of men calling for parts on a Saturday afternoon. This helps to weed them out.

Sorry Sweetie but if I had to go through this step (no matter how quick etc.) I would move on to another B&B or hotel in your town. NO offence - just I would NOT expect any business to make me go through this. It is similar to leaving a voice message...many guests will NOT do so, if they get an answering machine, they move on. Guests want instant gratification (now you knew that!

)
I know it is furstrating - I let 3 unknown calls go to voice mail this AM as I have been inundated the last few days with calls myself. If they call when I am preparing or serving breakfast or taking care of a guest - the unknown can leave a message. I just hope that if that unknown is a potential guest, that they listen to my message and either leave one or go to my website..
Any other time I will answer, If it is a telemarketer I ask when they are interested in booking as they have called my reservation line. Sorry, you have reached my business reservation line, if you are not looking to book please use my other number...(of course my other number is not listed). Many say oh I didn't mean to call a business and hang up, others just keep rattling and I hit click.

 

[greyswan]

"he was fired for talking to telemarketers." love that line!!! DH once said to a telemarketer when they ask for him "sorry, he died"
"If it is a telemarketer I ask when they are interested in booking as they have called my reservation line" I have said this a time or two wish good results

 

[Morticia]

"he was fired for talking to telemarketers." love that line!!! DH once said to a telemarketer when they ask for him "sorry, he died"
"If it is a telemarketer I ask when they are interested in booking as they have called my reservation line" I have said this a time or two wish good results.

I've done the 'reservation line' story as well. I ask if they have called to make a rez? The answer has always been no, they are looking for the owner. I say this is just the reservation line and they need to call the office line to speak to the owner. 'Thanks, have a nice day,' and I hang up.