This is from my grammar book regrading phone conversation, but I've never heard of that for the other party when you answer a call. Is it possible?
ex)Hello, this is Paul, is that Jane?
As usual, I don't know if this is another BrE vs AmE divide. For me, referring to the person on the other end of the phone as "that" is perfectly normal.
- Hi. This is Jane. Is that Bob?
- Yes. This is Bob. Is that Jane Taylor or Jane Simmonds?
- It's Jane Taylor.
- Hello.
- Who's that?
- It's Jane. Who are you?
- Oh, sorry, this is Bob. I was looking for Sarah.
The only occasion I can think of when I would use "this" to refer to the other person involved in the call is if I had asked them several times who they are or for their name and they had not given me a suitable answer. In the end, in frustration, I would probably say:
Who IS this?!!