When a customer calls to receive a quote and you forget their name...

What do you do?

[beckie]

This is the 3rd time that I forgot the name of the person that called asking about my services.

A guy called this evening and introduced himself. I was thrown off because his area code was in my state and the same area code as my dads. I was expecting a call from my dad to give me an update on a family situation. I answered the phone, 'hello?', when I usually answer it professionally. The man stated who he was and I was on my way into my office to speak with him.

I did not ask him his name again, but tried to see if his email address had something with his name in it. It didn't. I looked up his domain registration information - nothing.

This sounds so trivial to ask for advice on, but I need some ideas on how to ask what their name is in a professional way. I don't want to seem like I am not listening to what they are talking about - I'm just really bad at names. (This also applies to meeting someone in person). Any ideas?

[photocartoonist]

I always ask for the caller to send me an email with all of their contact information for my records, and then I give them MY email address. And I promise to respond in kind, and I send them all of contact information.