Parsing Blocked Calls: Ignore or Answer?

Dave Teixeira answers the question that’s been on all our minds, Are blocked calls anything more than unwanted interruptions?

Looking at 10 days’ worth of blocked calls to answer the burning question, Should we ignore private callers?

I remember the pre-caller-ID days; the phone rang and someone answered. You had no idea who was calling or whom it was for. This also preceded the days of everyone having his own phone. Crazy, exciting, pre-historic times, indeed.

Flash forward to today; we all carry cell phones with call display abilities.

But in this brave new world of caller ID, why do I receive so many “unknown” and “private” calls? Why would someone block his phone number from showing up on my end? I assume because these mystery callers know I would not answer if I knew who was calling.

So who are these ninja callers?

Over the past 10 days I tracked and answered every blocked call to test my above theory. Is my fear of the blocked call legitimate?

During this time I received 27 “unknown” or “private” calls on my two phone lines, broken down like this:

Fifteen telemarketers

Yes, 15. They are not supposed to block their calls, and when they do I cannot report them to that joke, the “National Do Not Call List.” Credit cards, phone services, vacation packages, etc. – all interruptions to my otherwise pleasant evenings.
 

Three friendly reporters

I asked them if they have a higher pick-up rate with or without caller ID, and they all said it is about the same. If so, what’s the point of blocking the call?
 

Three people I know in provincial government

They block calls to anticipate people who do not wish to speak with them. When I explained that I would be happy to answer if I saw their name and number (because I know them), they said I was in the minority. One person actually told me incoming blocked calls to his department automatically go to either voicemail or a human screener! Holy hypocrisy, Batman!
 

Two surveys

Neither was from what I would consider a legit polling company, and I am guessing they were fronts for telemarketers. I bailed on these calls early into the process.

Two bill collectors

Oh yes, bill collectors. Now, were they actually looking for me? No. They both sought someone who used to live with me. But passing on the correct information never seems to help.
 

Two calls from one friend

She blocks her number due to a bad experience with an ex. This often leads to: she calls, I ignore, she leaves a message, I call her later, she misses the call, and repeat. She gets frustrated when I ignore her blocked calls, so I asked her how she handles blocked calls. She also ignores them. I waited to see if the irony washed over her.

To review, 70 per cent of the blocked calls I receive are of zero value to me. Other than my friend, I would not be upset missing those remaining 30 per cent.

I am now banishing blocked calls using Rogers *77 “anonymous caller rejection” feature – eradicating one useless conversation at a time.