I have been a volunteer for Samaritans and have been on the end of the phone for a wide and varied array of calls. Samaritans go through an extensive interview and training programme before they are accepted as a volunteer. They are NOT permitted to give advice but to help the individual in need explore feelings and talk over their issues. From a Samaritan point of view, this can be really difficult, as sometimes you think the answer is totally obvious....BUT, they are only allowed to guide and listen. This enables equality within the team. Whether a Samaritan has personal experience of a certain situation or not, they should all be working in the same way. As for not asking names, it is a confidential service so it is up to the caller to give any identifying detail if they wish to, most people don't.They are there 24/7...most with other jobs and responsibilities. They give up a few hours every single week to help others in need. Of course there are probably some who seem stuck in the past or are 'less helpful' than others..that's just being human. Every single volunteer has exactly the same months of training and mentoring before being accepted. The training and mentoring is ongoing throughout your time volunteering and is monitored continually.If you feel you didn't get the response you wanted, there are usually a over 150 volunteers answering calls at any given time, always feel free to hang up and try again.
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