telephone tag

telephone tag

A series of telephone calls made between two people in which each time one party calls, the other is not available to answer. Hi Mary, just leaving you another message. We've had a bit of telephone tag today, huh? Just give me a call back whenever you get this, thanks!
See also: tag, telephone
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • phone tag
  • tag
  • play phone tag
  • play telephone tag
  • taking calls
  • be taking calls
  • rings a bell, that
  • tough call
  • duty calls
  • having the time of my life
References in periodicals archive
Consider whether a round of "telephone tag" could be short-circuited with a simple e-mail exchange.
Manage time effectively by putting an end to interruptions
The resulting problems included "no response or delayed response to telephone inquires" (71%), "extensive telephone tag; recruiter not available when told to call back" (83%), and "reluctance or refusal to set up an appointment for an interview" (32%) (Kalisch, 2003, p.
Persuasion through the art of storytelling
The time saved by reducing time spent on telephone tag or in being able to respond to an issue right away has meant dollars in the bank to me and also enables me to move right on to the next pressing project.
Minimum technology for small business
The benefits of this approach--for both the psychiatrist and the patient--include being able to send and receive messages at any time of day or night; avoiding intermediaries, voice mail, and telephone tag; being able to take one's time when composing messages; and automatically having a record of communications to refer to later.
Beneficial when appropriate
This would avoid wasted hours playing telephone tag, improve documentation of physician-patient interaction, and increase physician time when face-to-face visits are necessary, Dr.
Reimbursement for e-mail visits urged by group: CMS not ready to pay. (Practice Trends)
He's now it" in telephone tag. It's so not cool to become a frequent phoner.
Untangle that tongue: how you can get the convo flowing with your crush!
One of the biggest pluses is that it monitors physical presence: With one glance at their contact lists, users can tell who's logged on and available, eliminating the endless "telephone tag" that often dogs busy executives.
Let's get together: collaborative systems are changing the way the world works
The inquirer could play a lot of telephone tag before getting to the right person.
RSVP from RSLeads: you can get needed product and process info fast. (At Large in the Shop)
We played telephone tag for a while after settling back into our respective work environments after the conference, but eventually connected.
new places, new faces
And with e-mail there's no voice mail or telephone tag. With data card retrieval only a click away, we've eliminated hours worth of work and can be even more productive.
Are You Ready for the CHANGES AHEAD?
Being put on hold, playing telephone tag, and engaging in the usual chit-chat that accompanies most business calls can add up to the loss of a staggering amount of time.
Arresting Common Time Thieves at Work
It puts information into their hands quickly and virtually eliminates telephone tag and busy lines.
Choose Cyber Savvy Partners
E-mail helps prevent "telephone tag" and avoids the interruptions associated with telephone calls or electronic pages.
Items of Interest
Because of its asynchronous nature (volleying back and forth over hours or days), email helps prevent "telephone tag" and avoids the interruptions associated with telephone calls or electronic pages.
The clinical email explosion. (Health Care Meets E-Commerce)
Meanwhile, Keith plays telephone tag with a bright-and-sexy-sounding woman named Leah (Stacey Dash).
PERSONALS