Doesn’t EVERYONE know by now that if you get an answering machine you should leave your name, number, and a message? Do we really need another person to tell us that?
Come on, when you get an answering machine (or voice mail), all you want to know is
- did you get the right person (either say your name or the number)
- any HIGHLY relevant info (say an office voice mail that says you will be on vacation, away, etc.)
Other than that, nothing.
My favorite style is
“Hi, you have reached 202-222-3333. Thank you for calling.”
Anything else and you are doing a disservice and wasting my time (kind of like when non-English speaking housekeepers answer the phone in this day of Caller ID, but that’s another topic).
BTW, Caller ID is one of the BEST technologies ever invented. It puts you back in control of IF you want to answer the phone.
There are some people I know who will answer the phone no matter what. I’m not one of them. If it’s convenient for you to call me, that doesn’t mean that it is convenient for me to talk to you.
And one more thing…the person leaving the message has an obligation, too. First off, say your phone number SLOWLY. It drives me crazy (particularly for salespeople) who leave a long detailed message and then race through the number. THAT’S THE ONLY THING THAT IS IMPORTANT.
Also, say the number once at the beginning of the message and once at the end. If I want to write your number down (or check it), don’t make me listen to the WHOLE thing again.
OK, gotta go make some calls.
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