RealMiniDriver wrote:
My fumble-fingers father in law will dial my number, and then not properly end his call if I don't answer. Several phones ago, my cell phone would not let you end, erase or skip a VM until the end. He called, didn't get an answer, and set his phone in the console of his car. I had a fifteen minute VM! It consisted of munching chips, cussing at drivers that HE cut off, arguing with mother in law, and finally, "oh E36 M3, my phone won't dial"
And for that, I'm going to have to vote this whole thread up. 
EastCoastMojo wrote:
I think the root of the problem is all the berkeleying hoops you have to jump through to just leave a simple message, they are the same hoops that you have to jump through to listen to your messages. Rather than do all that, people just call back than listen to their messages.
hoops?... first google voice transcribes the msg for me and sends it to me via a txt (although the transcribing is pretty funny)... they also send it to me in my email (transcribed and the audio)...
if I REALLY want to listen to it on the phone i hold 1... and it dials my VM...
no real hoops about it if you're using a cell phone...
I didn't have voice mail on my cell phone for a year and a half.
Checking VMs on most work phone systems (Lucent etc) is a PITA, particularly if there's a bunch of background noise and you try to do it via speakerphone.
People are also ass holes, if you don't do it via speakerphone and they walk up to your desk they get pissed that you are so crass as to dare consider there is someone else in the world other than them.Their mommy told them they were a special butterfly and they got a trophy for everything they did as a kid including all different size BMs so you better not appear to be ignoring them.
I never leave voice mails for anyone, ever. There has never been an instance where anyone listened to them that I can recall going all the way back to when it was a hulk of a tape recorder. I have never gotten any feedback that would indicate someone listened. I have left some goddamn good jokes or uncomfortable sexual content on them. I'd know if someone heard it.
In addition, I do not have the patience to listen to my own. The last time I did such a thing - it was filled with "Hey gimme a ring when you get a chance" and "I need something filthy I don't want to put in my own car - can I borrow your truck?". Who needs that E36 M3?
^That, I never listen to my messages, I just call people back when I get a chance. I figure you called for a reason.
I listen to my vm but for the love of Pete if you take the time to leave a vm at least tell me what it is you want not "call me back".
On my work BB it locks after 20 minutes, to send or read a text I have to unlock it so I use vm way more.
Jay wrote:
Voice mail? What? Just send me a text.
Seriously, it's a waste of everyone's time, and it's been obsolete since the nineties. I literally do not check it. Instead of frantically searching for a pen and then having to "play back" a long, rambling, pointless message before the speaker gives the first five digits of the number I'm supposed to call back and then gets cut off, I'd rather just read the message on my screen. I might even reply right away. Don't like texting? Too bad, I don't like voice mail. It's the 21st century - deal. 
If I can opt out of voice mail on my phone plan, I do. Otherwise I program it to wait, like, ten rings and then I make the recording tell the caller *not* to leave a message but to text me back instead.
Also, that caller who just hangs up instead of leaving a message? Yeah, I'm that guy.
Pulled directly from my head, thank you.
tuna55
UltraDork
5/25/12 10:42 a.m.
pinchvalve wrote:
Jay wrote:
Voice mail? What? Just send me a text.
Seriously, it's a waste of everyone's time, and it's been obsolete since the nineties. I literally do not check it. Instead of frantically searching for a pen and then having to "play back" a long, rambling, pointless message before the speaker gives the first five digits of the number I'm supposed to call back and then gets cut off, I'd rather just read the message on my screen. I might even reply right away. Don't like texting? Too bad, I don't like voice mail. It's the 21st century - deal.
If I can opt out of voice mail on my phone plan, I do. Otherwise I program it to wait, like, ten rings and then I make the recording tell the caller *not* to leave a message but to text me back instead.
Also, that caller who just hangs up instead of leaving a message? Yeah, I'm that guy.
Pulled directly from my head, thank you.
My phone plan is set up to not get text messages - ever. So is my wife's. before, you tell me I'm old, I am 30.
when you call fone and get voice mail hang up call again
donalson wrote:
hoops?... first google voice transcribes the msg for me and sends it to me via a txt (although the transcribing is pretty funny)... they also send it to me in my email (transcribed and the audio)...
if I REALLY want to listen to it on the phone i hold 1... and it dials my VM...
no real hoops about it if you're using a cell phone...
That's great if you have google voice. In order to listen to my VM I have to dial my own cell #, then enter my passcode, then listen to the recorded voice tell me the particulars of the time and date of the call, then listen to the message, and Pete forbid if I have more than one message I have to save the first one or delete it in order to listen to the next message. Most people apparently don't have the patience to do that.
jstand
Reader
5/25/12 11:52 a.m.
My view is:
If you want a call back leave a message, otherwise I'm not calling you back. Even if you are my wife.
If you call and don't leave a message and I don't recognize your number then I assume it was a wrong number and won't call it back.
If you didn't leave a message but I do recognize the number I still won't call back. I assume you either butt dialed, hit the wrong button, or decided it wasn't important.
I will respond to a text, but if I'm driving then I'm not reading it or replying to it until I get to my destination so you'll have to wait.
This is fascinating, from the perspective of someone who manages employees that interact with customers primarily/exclusively over the phone.
The employees tend to hide behind voice mail, claiming that they are on other calls (when actually they don't want to be interrupted).
They also seem to think that leaving a voice mail for a customer is adequate 'contact'.
Not that you all are a representative cross section, but a significant percentage of you claim that you don't listen to or leave voice messages. No wonder we lose so much business!
My personal habits are: if I can't answer your call, I'll return your call within the hour (usually 15 minutes or less). If I can't reach you, I'll make 5 attempts before leaving a message, and I will follow up with an e-mail.
I don't think texting is viable for business purposes yet, but it is coming.
4cylndrfury wrote:
My daughter & SWMBO are perplexed. They think it's cool that someone my age (WTF, I'm only 50!!) actually bothers to text--but they don't understand why I try to use proper spelling & grammar.
