10 ways to annoy a caller: 1. Let the phone ring for ages before picking it up. 2. Answer the phone as youre picking it up, so that the caller can't hear you: or say the name of the company so quickly that the caller can't understand it: or say"hello", so that caller doesn't know whom he is talking to. 3. Ask the customer to hold the line before he has had the chance to tell you what he wants. 4. Speak very quietly or hold the mouthpiece away from your mouth. 5. Don't listen to the caller's query carefully make sure you put him through to the wrong department. 6. Transfer callers from department to department. Better still, say youre transferring him and then leave him talking to no one. 7. Leave the caller hanging on as long as possible while you answer his query, espe- cially if it's a long distance call. Don't tell the caller periodically that you are still dealing with his query. 8. Talk to other people in the office while youre on the phone. 9. Refuse to deal with queries on the phone-ask the caller to put the problem in writing. 10. Don't phone the caller back, especially if you've promised to.