More Calls Are Made On Telephone Tuesday Than Any Other Day

The day after Labor Day can be a busy time following such a fun, end-of-summer holiday weekend. Telephone Tuesday is the day that there are more calls made in the United States than any other day.

Telephone Tuesday is now known as a powerful business tool and the telephone is known as a great instrument for trade. Very close to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this day is caught in the madness of the busy season.

• 1667 – Robert Hooke, a British Physicist invents the tin can telephone, also named the lovers’ phone.
• 1877 – The first regular phone line is constructed between Somerville and Boston.
• 1878 – The first ever telephone book was released in 1878, right after the first telephone line was invented. The book was one page with 50 names and businesses – no numbers.
• 1878 – The first public telephone exchange is established in New Haven, Connecticut.
• 1882 – Almon Brown Stowger who was an undertaker, invented an automatic telephone exchange company due to his frustration. He was having difficulty with local telephone operators sending his calls to his competitor all the time.
• 1886 – Reuben H. Donnelly makes the first Yellow Pages directory which categorizes all types of businesses.
• 1983 – The first working mobile phone was invented in 1983. Made by Motorola, this wireless phone took ten hours to charge and could be used for only 30 minutes!
• 1990s – there were more than two million pay phones that were in existence in the United States, but the advent of the mobile cell phone changed that. Now there are only about 100,000 pay phones left in the entire nation.
• 1998 – the number of telephones in the US surpassed the number of people.
• 2007 – Steve Jobs and Apple release the first iPhone.
• 2010s – The use of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services like Skype and FaceTime increased, allowing for video and voice calling over the Internet.
• 62% – the percentage of customers who prefer human interactions like phone calls over other mediums.
• 77% – the percentage of respondents in a survey who believed a phone call is the best way to get an answer.
• 62% – the percentage of people who have to contact a company repeatedly to resolve a problem.
• 5 – the number of minutes within which a web lead is followed up on — the likelihood of converting them is nine times higher.
• 70% – the percentage of mobile searchers who say they frequently call a business from a search ad.
• 5 – the number of follow-up calls salespeople make after an initial meeting.
• The first phone greeting was “Ahoy”
• Telephones weren’t invented by Alexander Graham Bell.  the credit belongs to Antonio Meucci, a Florentine immigrant whose “teletrofono”—first demonstrated in New York in 1860—preceded Bell’s invention by nearly 17 years. 
• The smartphone was invented by IBM
• The first SMS text message ever said “Merry Christmas”
• Most Americans don’t answer calls from unknown numbers
• 3.8 trillion hours spent on phones in 2021 worldwide
• There is no true “first” smartphone app
• 85% of U.S. adults own a smartphone
• 69% of people believe phone calls lead to better personal relationships at work
• It’s usually insurance companies, home security firms, universities, cable providers and storage facilities that receive the most Telephone Tuesday calls.
• The telephone is still relevant and vital to all generations purchasing habits. It’s been found that people are happier when making live telephone inquiries because they can ask questions and put their minds at ease.
• There are 6 different types of telephones in the world including distinctive ones like exchange, tap dialing, rotary dialing, candlestick phones and more.
• The world’s first commercially available cell phone was the Motorola DynaTAC which was bigger than a baby monitor. It cost $4,000.
• Looking for some fun and silly tunes to play while waiting on hold for the right person to get on the line? Try these:
  • 867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone (1982). This One Hit Wonder classic from the early eighties offers a funny story and a blast from the past.
  • Hello by Adele (2015). This hit song from the album “25” and the lyrics explore themes about reconnecting with self and the world.
  • Call Me by Blondie (1980). Another cool tune from the eighties was featured on the soundtrack of the movie, American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton.
  • Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen (2011). This one was written as a folk song but was modified to a pop song and became a huge hit.

Correction – the Tommy Tutone number is 867-5309/Jenny. It has been corrected above.

Sources:

National Today

Days of the Year

Ring Central

Holiday Calendar