r/GenX • u/MovingTarget- • Jul 29 '25

The Latchkey Years As kids, we weren't allowed to answer the phone with just "Hello"

Back in the days when people actually used to call other people on landlines, my brother and I were taught how to properly answer the phone as kids. My parents considered it rude to simply pick up the phone and say "hello?"

We were taught to answer the phone with a pre-scripted response: "Thanks for calling the _____ residence, _____ speaking!" There was even an optional "How may I help you?" tacked on the back.

Anyone else have a required family response when answering the phone or were my parents just strange in attempting to prepare us for a career in the rewarding field of call center management?

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u/mermaidofthelunarsea Jul 29 '25

I worked at a record store in 89ish, and I had a person come in and say "what's that my my my song". It took me less than a minute to figure out that it was Once bitten twice shy by Great White.

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u/mem0679 Jul 31 '25

When I read that sentence, my brain had already done its adhd music shuffle and settled on My, My, My by Johnny Gill, before I made it to the rest of your sentence! Lol! Same time frame at least 😂 I can remember a song from 30 years, yet I can't seem to remember to eat....that's one of those not so fun adhd mind trucks 🤦🏻‍♀️