<p>Some states offer a free CapTel service if your audiologist will sign that you have a hearing loss.
Other states sell them at a huge discount such as for $75.</p>
<p>I have one and use it when I need to make a business call or I switch to it if I am really not hearing someone.
The funniest is when I tell someone that I am on it and then they speak clearly and slowly.
The conversations become much shorter when they know someone else can hear. I can go off when I am giving private informtion and then push a button and have my captions back.</p>
<p>I just say I need to run/am busy which is often true. There’s also the unexpected cutoff due to bad reception or battery suddenly running out of juice excuse. </p>
<p>Hi @musicmom, I also have a hearing loss and even with bilateral cochlear implants, don’t do very well over the phone. That said, have you heard about Innocaption? It’s a new captioning service for smartphones. You can find more about it here:</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips, oregon and idwendy.
I really DISLIKE talking for extended time on the phone.
My hearing loss is from childhood, not due to my advanced age!
So, im not sure if hearing better or clearer would let me enjoy it more?
I think ive learned to rely on facial cues and body language to fill in the blanks and help me engage.
Not sure if this makes sense…</p>
<p>Those excuses worked great in the landline era. But today, people continue their cell phone conversations while answering the door or attending to their personal needs. The first is rude to the visitor and the second is icky, but perhaps that’s my landline-era conscience talking.</p>
<p>Only people who were as PG puts it “raised in a barn” would do either of those. </p>
<p>In fact, in a younger friend’s online class where interviewing/networking tips were given specifically instructed students to NEVER be on an interview/networking cell call while using the bathroom as the interviewer/networking contact may take offense and will deep-six the candidate from further consideration for a job/mentoring if they hear running water or toilet flushing noises in the background. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t be surprised if an interviewer/networking contact may react similarly to someone who came in chatting on his/her cell phone or continuing to check it during the interaction. Both show a lack of good manners at the very least…if not lack of professionalism. </p>
<p>I have a few possibilities. Sometimes if I initiate the call I tell them, truthfully, that I am in the car and have about X minutes… My standard response, when I need to end a call is, “I need to let you go now”. I have one friend who absolutely dominates a call and its hard to get a word in edgewise. When I can, I wil tell her I need to run and will look forwrd to talking to her again soon.</p>
<p>People do sometimes continue conversations , usually with a friend or family member, in shall we say, non-standard situations. But anyone who would be foolish enough to interview and flush, doesn’t deserve the job. Now, if they happened to be in the “reading room” when the call came in unexpectedly and they wanted to answer it, thats what the mute button is for, to be used temporarily.</p>
<p>If one’s in the bathroom or at the point of really needing to go, it’d be best to either allow the call to go to voicemail and call back after one’s personal business is done or to ask whether one can call back in 5-10 minutes due to a delivery/landlord visit or something along those lines. </p>
<p>As for family/friend calls, I’m of the opinion one should make it clear to relatives/friends that in professional situations like interviews/jobs, I may be out of contact and to assume I’m busy if I don’t answer/return calls immediately. Part of this comes from working in institutions where making/receiving personal calls in one’s desk/work areas beyond rare genuine emergencies were strongly frowned upon by senior management due to concerns about “wasting time” and/or possible fears of “violation of confidentiality”. Using one’s cell phones or even having them on in such spaces was also, not surprisingly, verboten. </p>
<p>If one needs to use one’s cell phone, that’s what the lunch hour and breaks were for and such calls were to take place outside of the office. </p>
<p>Some friends’ workplaces are even more strict about this as they’ve had to check their cell phones in each time they enter the office and can only access them by checking them out to leave for breaks/lunch/end of workday. </p>
<p>My standard line, “Can you give me the Reader Digest’s version now?”</p>
<p>Depending on the person and situation, I’ll follow with: “I’ve been talking all day and need a break” or “I’ll call you tomorrow for the details” or “I’ve only have a few minutes; I’ve got to return patient calls” or “My dinner is ready” or “My friend just arrived for dinner”.</p>
<p>There used to be an old joke (in order to get out of a call that went on endlessly) to hang up while you were talking. The other person would never think that you would cut yourself off; would just assume something went wrong with the phone. Alternatively you would start saying “Hello? Hello? Are you still there? Dang, the call dropped.” Then hang up. Of course both scenarios assume the other person wouldn’t call you back.</p>
<p>The only person I can’t get off the phone is my 88 year old mother. But she almost never initiates the call, and I only call her when I have the next 40 minutes free.</p>
<p>Uh oh. I am not 88 but there are times when we avail ourselves of the opportunity to catch up with the kids on a call that is surely longer than they want. They often call from the car if they have a long drive. </p>
<p>Mom’s response is usually, “Oh, I’m so glad you called, I have no one to complain to.” And she does. So I call when I know I have plenty of time to listen. I have some trouble hearing cell calls when on the road, even though I’m not driving. DH just got new used car with cell phone blue tooth capability. So we’re up to date now with three year old technology!</p>
<p>Boy I love all of these suggestions! I’m turning this into a lesson plan for my adult ESOL students who struggle with rules for politeness in US English. Thanks so much to all of you!</p>
<p>I brought them up to show how continuing to talk on the phone when interacting with people or in highly dubious situations like going to the bathroom is still not ok among many folks who matter…like job interviewers/potential networking contacts/mentors. </p>
<p>In fact, there’s been some pushback even among the millenials regarding being excessively tethered to one’s cell phone for calls/texts in situations where it’s highly inappropriate whether its job interviews, hanging with friends, watching a live musical performance, or being out on a date. </p>
<p>There’s also nothing wrong with cutting short a call with someone who doesn’t seem to have an understanding most of us don’t have 20+ minutes to devote to listening to one’s gabfest, especially if one has any semblance of a life. </p>
<p>I have found that the best way to deal with overly chatty callers is to interrupt them with unrelated stories THEY have no interest in listening to. Chatty people are usually horrendous listeners. Do not let them finish more than a sentence, and they will give up pretty soon:</p>
<p>Caller: Hey I have wonderful news. I just decided to join friends on a trip to Costa Rica to build houses and we plan to …</p>
<p>Me: Oh great that reminds me of my trip to Greece. Went on a sailboat …</p>
<p>Caller: Sounds good but we are trying to raise …</p>
<p>Me: And did I tell you about the new restaurant in Mexico I went to …</p>
<p>Caller getting a bit annoyed: Well, that is great but we are trying to raise about </p>
<p>Me: Did you say you were going to the Ivory Coast? That sounds far and </p>
<p>Caller: It was Costa Rica</p>
<p>Me: Oh Costa Rica – they have good coffee there. Have you heard of this new place where </p>