Dealing with wrong number calls on your cell phone

Have you noticed a big increase in wrong number calls on your cell phone? Chalk it up to the huge number of cell phones in the United States.

The cell industry is supposed to follow a standard procedure when a disconnect takes place that prevents the number from being recycled before three months for residential numbers or one year for business numbers, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Turns out wireless carriers are ignoring the rule, but they're not doing it maliciously. We live at a time when it's not uncommon to carry two cell phones. Maybe you have one from your employer that's dedicated solely to work and another one that you have for personal use.

In a country where there are more cell phones than people, the demand on numbering is huge and that explains all the wrong number calls.

Here's my solution: Most of us have 10 numbers or less that account for 80% or more of the calls we place. So if you have a new phone number assigned to you that's obviously been recently recycled, I suggest you change it and let those key 10 or so people know. Then just educate everybody else who you don't talk to as frequently over time.