<p>When you have a child who is playing at a park with friends, as long as you’re not too caught up in a conversation yourself, usually you will let her know a few minutes ahead that it will be time to leave soon. Then when you say it’s time to go now, she’s more prepared for it.</p>
<p>If you needed to get off in a hurry what would you do? You’d probably raise your voice slightly and say, “Jill, it’s been a pleasure, but I’ve really got to go now. The pipe just burst in the kitchen. Bye, talk to you soon!”</p>
<p>I talk to my friends in person (alas, not as much as I’d like due to busy and unpredictable work schedules) or via email. My dad calls a few times a week, and he likes to talk. He’s 87 years old, so I like to listen But… I usually also multiplex on email/FB. It sometimes is handy to be near google when he asks a question. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t be so sure of that. If an online course in a respected university has instructors specifically citing such cases as examples of what NOT TO DO to undergrads, that can reasonably lead one to believe this has been a problematic issue between recent/past alums of that school and employers who called the college’s Dean/Profs to complain. </p>
<p>Can we stick to answering the OP’s original question? I have a “chatty kathy” friend and so I also would like to hear from folks who are more skilled at curtailing long winded phone callers.</p>
<p>Back in the day, when people had beepers, I used to make mine go off in order to get off a call. The “I am going to need to let you go now” works pretty well… when you can get a word in edgewise. I have 1 friend who yaks the whole time, rarely asks how I am or how my kids are, and when she is done blathering on, she says she has to go!</p>
<p>In an extreme situation when the person is really not getting the message you can always start “having trouble” with the connection at the point in the call that you want to end it.</p>
<p>“Susan? Can you hear me?”</p>
<p>“Hello? Are you still there?”</p>
<p>“Susan?”</p>
<p>“I guess there’s something wrong with the phone. Let’s talk again soon!” </p>
But… I usually also multiplex on email/FB. It sometimes is handy to be near google when he asks a question. </p>