Posted by Priscilla Witman on 8/30/12 10:58am
Msg #432498

I wonder if I might offer a tip for newer NSAs that read

this board. I used to get extremely frustrated when I'd miss a call from an unfamiliar number and call right back just to hear the job had already been assigned. Now, this won't work in all situations as sometimes a company may have more numbers than what is listed in SC.
It took a long time, but I have added every SS/TC I could find in SC to my cell phone. If I have personal experience with the co, good or bad, I will make a note in the contact info. If they have an extremely bad history, I will make a note. I give them a star rating (I check not only the star rating, but also the comments, sometimes they don't match up!) and assign them a ringtone that will let me know the caliber of the company that's calling. 5 star companies (again assigned 5 stars based upon a combination of stars and comments in SC) get the "Just Fine" ringtone (may be specific only to my phone model), 4 stars get another pleasant-sounding ringtone, and 3 stars and below either get an obnoxious ringtone or "No Ring". I also continually add new numbers that call to their respective listings. Some may disagree with judging a company with no personal history, but I like to think I can make a good judgement call based on the experiences of others.
This may not work for everybody, and it takes a long long time to do, but it works pretty well for me. Honestly, if I hear my "3 star" ringtone, I'm not going to break my neck getting to the phone if I don't have it on me. I will make the extra effort for companies that have a good rating and a good history. All bets are off, though, if I'm in an area with bad coverage (and I live in a small desert town, so that happens occasionally) and the phone doesn't ring at all.
Just food for thought. Maybe it will help somebody as much as it has helped me.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 8/30/12 11:06am
Msg #432500

I agree. Although I have not gone through SC to add phone numbers, almost every company that calls me I add to my address book on my phone. I have at least 800 contacts in my address book. Most of the time when I receive a work call, I can see which company it is before I answer because they have called me before and they are showing on my caller ID. For a non-payer, lowballer, or a company that is just too much of a PITA to bother with - those get a silent ring tone. Some that don't have a silent tone, I may just decide to send to voice mail and not answer because I am too busy to bother with them at that moment. Other times, I see that a great company is calling me and I answer that call pronto.

Reply by NJDiva on 8/30/12 12:30pm
Msg #432521

What a great idea Priscilla...a whole lot of patience and

quite time consuming, but if ya got them, excellent thing to do. I've done that with my fav's, but I sometimes forget to do it.

Thanks for that tip. That's a good one for newbies AND longtimers.

Reply by Priscilla Witman on 8/30/12 12:46pm
Msg #432524

It is VERY time consuming, but I didn't do it overnight.

It has taken me over a year, a little at a time, to populate my contact list with all the companies listed in SC. It has saved me a lot of headaches and heartaches, though, and it has been worth the time.

Reply by bfnotary on 8/30/12 4:59pm
Msg #432568

I do the same thing, All companies that call me, good or bad, are in my phone. And yes, some have a silent ringtone.