Do you talk to answerphones?
By Wizzywig
@Wizzywig (7847)
March 27, 2010 7:15am CST
If you get the recording that asks you to "leave a message after the tone" do you do it or do you just try again later and hope you get a real person?
It varies for me - there are a couple of numbers that i know will always be answering machines so I will leave my name number and brief message as to the reason for my call. Often I will just hang up - which I'm sure must be really irritating for the recipient but i just dont want to leave a message and wait around for a response. If I did, I'd email for free instead of paying to talk to a machine. . If I'm calling my sons, I'll usually hang up & try again after 10-15mins and then leave a message. The fact that the missed call was me will show on their display so I'll usually say "Nothing important" or "there's no problem" so it doesn't worry them.
2 people like this
10 responses
@laglen (19759)
• United States
27 Mar 10
I make a TON of calls for a living and so prefer the voice mail as it is quicker if I just have to impart quick info. I have caller ID on my cell phone and if I do not recognize the number, I wait for a voicemail to avoid telemarketers. If people do not leave a message, they will not get a hold of me!
1 person likes this
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
27 Mar 10
Yes, I can understand how just leaving a message is so much more time effficient for work purposes. I find that any large organisation that tells me to leave a message never gets back to answer my query. Maybe I subconsciously dont want to make the call so hanging upon an answer machine is a good excuse??
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
27 Mar 10
I do not use messages on my cell phone. It is prepaid, and by the time a message is left and I listen to it, I have paid three times for the same information. When I was supervising staff last year I would tell them this. I then would also tell them to call my home phone number, and to please leave a message. If they could not have the courtesy to leave a message then what they were calling about must not have been important to them. Often it was a problem they could solve themselves, or it was wanting to go home early from their shift. Either way, no message, no return call, even though I have caller ID and I know that they call.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160883)
• United States
27 Mar 10
I do a lot like you do. Some machines tend to never get me a call back, so I do not bother with them. I also regularly screen my calls by letting my machine pick up. I know other people do the same. I guess it just varies. I often have to leave messages at Dr. offices.
1 person likes this
@cream97 (29086)
• United States
27 Mar 10
Yes, I do tend to leave messages on an voice mail or answering machine. Sometimes, I don't like leaving any messages because I feel that the person may not call me back sooner or later. I don't like wasting my time leaving messages that the person is not going to take heed to. If I want the message to reach them immediately, I will leave a message. If I have something that I want to personally say to them, then I will wait until I can get them on the phone so that I can deliver my message.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
27 Mar 10
Hiya Wizzy,
I am much braver now than I used to be at doing that and as I have been helping my Husband a lot with this Job he is trying to finish I have been plucking up the courage to leave coherent messages to those Business People as it´s all in Spanish it sort of stops you and makes you think what shall I say? But now I have jumped the barrier and come out of my shell and I am able to help out before leaving messages on the Answering Machines. I could not have done too bad as some of them answered and called me back with the information I needed.
1 person likes this
@lovinangelsinstead21 (36850)
• Pamplona, Spain
28 Mar 10
Hiya Wizzy,
Well if I don´t want to I don´t leave a message either that is on personal level but this was business so I had to something or try to do something as what I was getting was a load of answering machines on all the time (grin). What I mean is that ansering machines are so cold and inhuman to talk to. I think a lot of people just bottle up it´s only natural. I usually bottle up a bit too but this time I really had to try thank goodness I don´t do this all the time.
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
27 Mar 10
Hi Wizzywig,
I always leave a message to answering machine. it's a chance for me to leave a message so that anytime the person whom i want to talk to check her voice recording for calls then she will learn about my concern and be able to return my call.
@msfrancisco9369 (10002)
• Boston, Massachusetts
27 Mar 10
yes there must be a feedback to our calls or mesages left over the answering machine. it's just being polite to return the call or acknowledge message received.
@jd107nette (1454)
• Philippines
27 Mar 10
as much as possible i would still like to talk to the real person.. Especially when the message i would be passing on is of an importance...
happy mylotting!
@gen0272001 (39)
• Philippines
28 Mar 10
if there truly is a need to have an answering machine then i would leave a message for the person....i would just oblige him to call me back asap...;)..especially when you really need to speak with him...
