Video Summary

• The speaker recounts their experience when they went to Germany to study many years ago.
• Initially, they answered the phone with a simple "Hallo," like any French person.
• The response they received had an irritated tone, making them realize that this was not the norm in Germany.
• In Germany, it is customary to answer the phone, both in business and personal contexts, by stating one's last name.
• The speaker resisted conforming to this practice during their time in Germany, causing frustration among their German friends.
• Germans argued that this approach was more efficient and prevented wasting time with repeated greetings.
• The speaker disagreed, finding it harsh to abruptly state their family name and believing it was unnecessary.
• They preferred the French approach, where the person answering the call simply indicates their presence, allowing the caller to introduce themselves.
• The speaker also mentioned that different countries have their variations of phone greetings, with some influenced by the American "hello."
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How do you answer the phone in your country? And if you are living in Germany, Austria or Switzerland, how do you answer it here?