10 Things You Shouldn’t Tell Someone Over the Phone

We’re a wired, and wireless, society and no one seems to go anywhere without at least 3 ways to reach out and touch someone. Text messages, emails, tweets, pokes and Skypes – it seems when we have something to say nowadays, chances are fairly good that we won’t have to actually say it. When we do need to say it, though, there’s a proper time, place and means to do so.
There are just some things that you really ought not say to people over the phone:

1. “It’s Not You, It’s Me.” -  No matter how much you enjoy wearing that Bluetooth headset, only a meat-head dumps someone by phone. She may have turned out to be less lady than you’d hoped, but she still deserves a face-to-face break-up.
2. “We Regret to Inform You …” - Bad news is bad enough, but to get the news by phone is just plain wrong. It may not diminish the grief to hear it in person, but at least there’ll be someone there to hold on to, when your knees go weak.
3. “You’re Fired.” – Unless you work at home, you deserve better than to be shown the door in a phone message. Of course, if you haven’t been to work for two weeks, and haven’t called to tell them why, they may have no choice.
4. “Wow! 110 mph, and this baby just purrs. I’ll be home in no time, honey.” – This one should be self-explanatory; but for the more dense among you, let me just say that even Dale Jr. wears a headset … and a helmet.
5. Social Security Number – OK, this one’s serious, as well as obvious (or should be). There are few instances when it is appropriate to share personal data over the phone, especially your social security number, and none of those instances ought to involve salespeople or strangers – and certainly not both.
6. PINs/Passwords – Again, both serious and self-explanatory. When communicating with customer service reps or tech support personnel, you will almost never be asked to provide such information for verification purposes. They have other means for ascertaining your identity, such as security questions for which you’ve previously supplied an answer. Be wary of anyone who requests passwords or PINs.
7. “Lefty and I are engaged.” - Yes, it’s true. Dad would probably go postal in person, but he did put you through law school. So the least you could do is tell him to his face that you’re planning to marry one of your clients, in 3 to 5 years when he gets out on parole.
8. “You need to wire $1,000.00 to your granddaughter, who is in London and has lost her purse.” - Since this is one of those scam’s against innocent benevolent elderly couples, it wouldn’t be funny as a joke and it could get you put in jail if it’s not.
9. “How come you idiots never get my orders right?” – I don’t know about you, but I’m not one for insulting the cook before being delivered one of those little white cartons of what is supposed to be rice and noodles, know what I mean?
10. “Hello, Mrs. Smith? May I have just 5 minutes of your time to share some exciting news with you?” - You, sir, are a telemarketer, in which case, no matter what you say, it will be a waste of my time.

Oh, and by the way. If it shouldn’t be said over the phone, then it shouldn’t be said via email or text message either.
(source: