I used to work in a call center (which is something I think society should use a punishment for criminals, but that’s a whole other can of worms). The only useful takeaway from that soul sucking year and a half (plus two days last month) was that there is a polite a way to end a call when you are done and they want to keep chatting. 

I was remind during short my stint back in call center hell that the lovelies I trained back in the day were schooled in the art of call ending. And just tonight I was discussing how I put an end to pointless, lengthy personal phone calls with a friend and she laughed but I could hear taking notes. 

Getting off the phone was easier in the days of party lines (seriously, if you don’t know what these are Google them). In the time since, with phones becoming more mobile (youths: phones used to be attached to a cord and hung on a wall!) people expect you to take your conversation with you. 

Even as someone who likes phone calls, they are distracting, time consuming, and inconvenient some days. Let me help you navigate the end of these buggers, key phrases can be found below.

Is there anything else I can help you with? 

Tried and true, known too any customer service provider who deals with a chatty (read old) set of customers. The the ultimate blow off, in the politest form possible. It says unless you have a specific reason to continue this conversation, I’m done. 

Don’t try this on your mom. She knows better.

I have to go the bathroom.

Sometimes this is true. Sometimes I’m just trying to change out of the whore shoes I wore to work so I  safely walk the dog. They don’t need to know which is which.

So-and-so is calling me back.

This is especially easy to use when you have discussed a dire need to talk to so-and-so. 

Hurry, quick, answer the other line.

I’m needed.

This is a good way to get off a personal call while you’re at work. Like the two previous phrases it’s perfect because sometimes it’s true.

You can cut someone off mid-sentence and they’ll just tell you that you’ll speak later. 

Also, makes you seem important, and there is nothing wrong with that.