Poll: Should you text someone before you call them?
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
You tapped it, so we're playing it. It's ZM's Brian Clint, the podcast. I got a message from our producer Ella this morning. Would have been like quarter past nine and it just said, can I call you? Oh. Ominous, eh?
What happened when Ella texted 'Can I call you?' and why did Clint find it ominous?
Did that... Scare the shit out of you? No, but I can see why it would. And I just replied, yes. Okay. And then she called and I answered the phone with, you don't have to text before you call me. Oh, okay. You can just call. That's how phone calls work. To which you said...
Yeah, valid. Whoops. What did I say?
You said, oh, no, when I call people, I like to check if it's okay to call. Oh, yeah. Because what if you're busy or you don't want to talk? What if you're in the middle of something?
Well, yeah, I'm like, you've got kids.
Why does Clint say 'you don't have to text before you call' and how does he justify picking up immediately?
It was 9 a.m. You might be getting them off to school.
But I said, if I don't want to talk or if I'm busy, I just won't answer. To me, that's how phone calls work.
But then being the person on the other end that's like waiting for you to pick up. Yeah. And then you don't pick up and then you don't hear anything and you're like, they hate me. Really? Yeah.
Yeah, I can see that. You might be like, oh, Alan, call me when it's the hours of work time. Or like, why are they not picking up?
Why does Ella prefer to text before calling and what concerns does she mention about busy mornings or kids?
Are they dead?
I think it might be a generational thing. But we did put it up as a VIP, a very important poll today. Can I stick with you, Claudia? If you're getting a phone call, do you like warning that a phone call is coming in or should they just call?
Historically, I've banned people from going, hey, can I call you? Because I assume something has gone horribly wrong. They go, we need to talk.
And I'm like, no!
I prefer they just call me. And then I probably won't pick up.
What do you want, Caitlin? Well... You work in a high-pressure nursing environment. They can't waste time texting before they call.
No, in that situation, they just call.
Yeah, hey, can we call? And then five minutes later, you're like, yep, you can call. And then they call and they go, it's too late now, a patient died. We needed you five minutes ago.
How do feelings of anxiety and overthinking affect callers who don't get an immediate answer?
I am not a doctor and I'm not that important. But, yes. No, I think I text, but then I also, I don't know. Because you don't, you can't just call people now. Because it's just like, why are you calling? At least it's my mum or my sister. If someone else calls me, I'm like, something's happened.
I love getting a call. I love it.
I like a call too. But... I love it.
It's fast. It's to the point.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
But then also... There's no ambiguity around inflection. Like, you know if I'm grumpy or if I'm fine because it's... But if you... So if you call me Clint, I'm like, there's goss.
Some goss coming in. So I answer straight away.
Is preferring a warning before a call generational — do younger people avoid phone calls?
But if someone, you know, someone like, you know, a colleague calls me, I'm like...
Well, the poll is still up on the Brianne Clinton Instagram story, but Ella's got the results for us as they stand at the moment. The question was, if someone's going to call you, do you want to text before they call? And what does the poll say, Ella?
No, I just called. 64%. Oh. 64%. Yeah, so which means yes, of course, they message. 36%.
Says message first. We didn't, we should have put up a third option, which was never call me.
Oh. Yeah. Yeah, some people don't like that. Some people just hate, the Gen Zs, they don't like the phone calls. No.
But can I say.
It gives them anxiety. Yeah, yeah.
Which is fine. Yeah, yeah. But no, I, with working, calling people from work. Yeah. It's work. So I want to give you heads up.
Hey, I'm going to call you. That's so considerate.
Yeah. That's why I messaged you.
So you're saying you'll never be calling me just to chat.
Well, and if I do randomly, it is just a check. Claudia, absolutely not. You don't want that. We don't want that.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:16
2
What happened when Ella texted 'Can I call you?' and why did Clint find it ominous?
0:16–0:47
3
Why does Clint say 'you don't have to text before you call' and how does he justify picking up immediately?
0:47–1:12
4
Why does Ella prefer to text before calling and what concerns does she mention about busy mornings or kids?
1:12–1:54
5
How do feelings of anxiety and overthinking affect callers who don't get an immediate answer?
1:54–2:33
6
Is preferring a warning before a call generational — do younger people avoid phone calls?
2:33–3:40
Speakers
4 identifiedMore from ZM's Bree & Clint
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