How to Get Someone to Answer the Phone: Proven Strategies That Work

Today, more of us than ever before communicate via text, messaging apps, or email, with good old-fashioned phone calls falling out of favor. For some, a ringing phone is such an unusual event that it can even cause a little anxiety. If you live in a household where your teen—or another adult—is reluctant to speak over the phone, this is the article for you. Below, we’re going to discuss how to get someone to answer the phone, including proven strategies for success.

Contents:

• Why People Don’t Answer the Phone
• Tips for Reaching Teens
• Tips for Reaching Adults
• The Impact of Caller ID and Spam Labeling
• Avoiding Common Mistakes
• FAQs

Why People Don’t Answer the Phone

There are many reasons that a person may be unwilling to answer the phone, ranging from a lack of confidence to a fear of scams to simply being too busy.

For teens, some of the most common reasons to ignore a ringing phone include:

• Social distractions (such as chatting on Facebook or interacting on Twitter)
• Gaming (including online game play)
• Stress

In terms of the latter, teens busy revising for exams or trying to focus on a homework assignment are much more likely to let a phone ring unanswered. And, of course, just like adults, teens may simply want to be left alone sometimes and are not in the mood to talk. In this case, they may listen to a voice message and respond later.

Adults, too, can be unwilling to answer the phone. Busy schedules, work, and social commitments, and forgetfulness may all be to blame. Avoidance could also play a part. Just as with teens, people have become less and less used to conducting real-world conversations, firing off a quick text message instead. However, feeling confident in answering a ringing phone is vital. As well as being essential in the world of business, the call could be urgent, and not answering may have serious consequences.

To help get someone to answer the phone, it’s important to empathize with how they feel and the reasons behind their reluctance. By understanding the underlying issues, you can figure out the best way to move forward and have them reach for that receiver when it rings.

Tips for Reaching Teens

Findmykids app

• For teens, start with a clear explanation of why it’s important to answer the phone. For example, it could be an emergency, or the caller could have important information—perhaps it’s mom on the line, to say that the location of the pickup later has changed.
• Next, set out expectations on phone availability and the times you need to be able to contact them if needed. Explain that there are times when it’s extra important for your teen to accept a phone call (if it’s safe to do so), such as when they’re out of the house or home alone.
• Demonstrate that you respect their time and commitments, too, by—if possible—avoiding calling when they’re in class, doing homework, or spending time with friends.
• Show them how to set a distinct ringtone or contact-specific tone for family members so important calls are easier to spot.

There are some tech steps you can take, too, to help ensure your teen answers the phone.

• Take a look at their device settings. If their phone is on silent, is it set to vibrate if a call or message comes in? Is the volume level high enough that your teen is able to hear it over music or general chatter? Take some time to explore these settings with your kid, with the intention of removing any practical barriers to answering the phone.
• Sticking with tech, consider using a high-quality parental control app in conjunction with your teen’s device, such as their iPhone or smartwatch. Findmykids is a great option. As well as allowing you to track your kid’s location, the loud alarm app means you can contact your child if they’re not answering their phone because, for example, they can’t hear it ringing over the background hubbub. If there’s urgency to your call, you can also use the tool’s SOS alert to ensure the message gets through.

If you want extra peace of mind—and a reliable way to reach your child even when they miss a regular call—try the Findmykids app. It offers real-time location tracking, a loud attention-grabbing alarm, and an SOS alert that ensures your message gets through when it truly matters. Install the app and stay confidently connected with your teen wherever they are.

Tips for Reaching Adults

What about if you’re having trouble getting another adult to answer their phone, and are having to make repeated calls to have any hope of getting through? There are steps you can take in this case, too.

Start with the basics and think about things like their working hours, regular company meeting times, and sleep schedule. If they’ve had a busy week at work, they may not want to talk the minute they get home, but will likely respond to a message an hour or two later. If the call isn’t urgent and can wait, this is generally advisable.

One thing you can do to help ensure the person returns your call is to make sure any voicemail you leave is concise, to the point, and purposeful. It can be easy to ignore a long, rambling message or put off making a return call indefinitely.

Think about using alternative channels to connect, too. If the person is likely to be busy and maybe isn’t expecting your call, explore other ways to make contact, such as via text, messaging apps, or email.

Tip: When you leave a voicemail, include one clear action: “Call me back about X,” or “Text me ‘OK’ if you can talk at 7 pm.” A single requested action increases response rates.

The Impact of Caller ID and Spam Labeling

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Caller ID and spam labeling can also affect a person’s confidence in answering the phone. These things help flag up, for example, a dodgy business or a spam attempt, allowing a person to see who’s calling. This can help avoid everything from wrong numbers to getting caught up in a con. Spam labels are determined by the carrier network and appear on a caller’s ID to let the recipient know how likely it is that they’re dealing with a legitimate company.

To increase the chances of your call being answered:

• If you’re calling from a new or temporary number, follow up with a quick text identifying yourself. This reassures the recipient and makes future calls more recognizable.
• Ask frequent contacts to save your number with a clear label and, if helpful, a unique ringtone.
• For people who aren’t very tech-savvy, explain that carriers occasionally mislabel legitimate calls. If they’re expecting a call from a company or doctor, encourage them to whitelist the number or check missed call labels manually.
• When a call is urgent, follow up with a brief message like, “Please call me back when you can — it’s important.” Combining call and text increases the chance that the person will respond quickly.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

As well as using the tips and tricks above to encourage a teen or other adult to answer phone calls, there are some common mistakes to avoid, too:

• Not staying calm and polite. However frustrating it is when someone in your household won’t answer the phone, inform them that there are times it’s vital that you can get through to them.
• Not modelling good habits yourself. Allow your teen to see you speaking on the phone or leaving a voicemail with confidence. Kids typically follow a parent’s lead, and seeing mom or dad using the phone to make contact—rather than always sending a message on a computer or other device—sets a great example.
• Not making other contact options available. There are times when someone simply can’t answer phone calls—this is normal. Perhaps their phone is on silent during a business meeting or exam, or their device battery is dead. Explain that, in these cases, it’s important they check their voicemail as soon as possible, in case they missed an urgent call.
• Not checking the settings on their phone, computer, or other device. Will they receive a notification if they receive a missed call, is their ringer setting loud enough to hear, etc? Simply tweaking the settings or trying a device reset could resolve a consistent failure to answer phone calls.

Getting Someone to Answer the Phone May Be Easier than You Think

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There are loads of reasons that someone—whether a teen or an adult—may not want to pick up the phone. From being busy to a lack of confidence, there are as many fixes as there are reasons for reluctance.

We hope the advice in the post above offers both an explanation for the behavior and details of what to do about it. Clear, to-the-point explanations on the importance of picking up the phone are vital, as is modeling good habits yourself, and thinking carefully about the practicalities of the recipient’s day and week. It makes sense that, sometimes, it’s very difficult to respond to a ringing phone, and having alternative ways to get in touch is essential. This could be a voice note, an email message, or a loudspeaker alert sent to their device.

Use one or more of the strategies above to encourage all the members of your household to pick up the phone with confidence.

FAQs

What to do when someone won’t answer the phone?

Failure to answer the phone can be really frustrating, and, in an emergency, it’s vital that someone picks up a ringing phone. It’s important to get to the bottom of why someone is reluctant to answer their phone, whether it’s because they’d prefer to play online games or watch YouTube, or because their phone is consistently set to silent. This will allow you to explore ways to resolve the situation.

How to get hold of someone when their phone is on silent?

If someone’s phone is on silent, you could try getting hold of them by leaving a voice message, email, or text. If you have an app like Findmykids, you could also send a loudspeaker alert to their device.

How do I get a person to answer the phone?

To get a person to answer the phone, it’s important to consider timing—when are they least likely to be, for example, at school, in a business meeting, or completing homework? It’s a good idea to leave a concise, purposeful audio message, text, or email to encourage a call back.

How to make someone automatically answer the phone?

Explaining to someone the importance of consistently answering their phone (when possible and safe) is important. You could also suggest they use Auto-Answer on their phone, which allows users to set a time before the call is automatically answered.

Cover image: Mooping Indy/Shutterstock