Voicemail etiquette

[gollymolly2]

http://m.gawker.com/5989952/modern-mobile-etiquette-dont-leave-me-a-voicemail-unless-youre-dying

Gawker ran a post today, discussing a NYT article that claimed leaving voicemails is impolite.  I found the whole thing interesting, as I hate* receiving voicemails.  What do you think? Is it ever rude to leave voicemails? Even if not impolite, what's your voicemail preference?

* I HATE getting vms on my office phone, where I have to punch in a bunch of numbers to get to the message. It's much easier to access vms on my cell phone so my feelings drop from "hatred" to "minor annoyance."

[GSNW]

I dislike voicemails too, more out of my own problem with being impatient than anything else.  In the words of Daniel Tosh, "I can't delete you fast enough."  This stems more from people who leave pointless (IMO) voicemails such as, "Hey, you're not here... uh... call me back... yeah."  If you must leave a voicemail, make it count.

On the other hand, my mother has been known to call my phone repeatedly when she knows I am in the middle of teaching the children (they do learn) and leave NO messages.  4-5 phone calls in the space of an hour with no message makes me think there's a massive emergency, I panic, take a minute to call her back, and I find out that she just can't figure out how to delete an app from her iPad or something like that.

Honestly, I know text can be a pain, but it certainly is convenient.  "Hey honey, mom here, call me when you get a chance... not urgent."  I can glance at this while doing something else. 

[MrTango]

It's not rude to leave a voicemail! 

Voicemail and answering machines exist because the average person cannot afford to have a personal assistant take messages from anyone who calls.  It's a way to let the person who you're calling know who called, why you called, and how they can respond to you.

[WillyNilly]

I hate getting VMs and will only listen to them if its at work, or if I'm actively looking for a job. Otherwise I would prefer people just try another method of reaching me (email, text) or try back later. If I could completely disable VM from my cellphone, I would.

Because I hate getting VMs I tend to not leave them unless its business related or I know the person I'm calling appreciates them. Otherwise I do as I suggest above - I email, text or try back later.

[fountainof]

I prefer when people leave a reason on vm so I don't play a return call game of phone.  I personally don't care is someone leaves a vm that says "we had the baby" I don't need to speak to them directly.  I generally don't mind vms because I don't really text (for friends sometimes but for business never).  I really dislike when I call people and they have no VM as I just want to call, say the thing and move on.  I don't want to keep calling back but this is for business, it is hard to transact any business when you have to reach the person directly without spending all day trying to repeatedly call.

[CakeBeret]

I hate VM on my personal phone because people never leave any pertinent info in the message. For example, my dad always leaves me messages saying "This is your dad. Call me." Which I would do after seeing I had a missed call from anyway. I personally would prefer that people only leave a VM if (a) it's important, and (b) they're willing to tell me the important info in the VM.

Professionally it has its benefits, though.

[Garden Goblin]

If you need to leave a voicemail, then please, for the love of Pete, leave your name and number in a manner so that the person you are calling can actually return the call! 

[GreenBird]

It's not rude to leave a voicemail any more than it's rude to send a letter.  They're both methods of communication that allow the receiver to deal with the message at their convenience.  I understand some people personally don't like voicemail, but that doesn't make it rude.  I don't particularly care for texting, but sending me a text is still not rude. 

I think it's all right to let people know that email or text or whatever is a more effective way of contacting you personally, but recognize that this is a personal preference, not a rule.

[bah12]

Why in the world would it be rude to leave a VM where that option is available?  It let's the receiver know the intended purpose of the call while relieving the caller of having to continuously call back until someone picks up or search for alternate ways to communicate with you.  While there are definitely rude VM's to leave, annoying ways to leave them (super long rambling ones), leaving a concise VM about the nature of the call is never inappropriate.  "Hi, this is A, calling about B.  Please return my call at C at your convenience." 

I'll choose not to leave VM's when the nature of my call isn't important enough and I don't need someone to call me back.  Sometimes, I'll get the return call with the "I see you tried calling" line, which is fine.  But, if I call someone, they don't pick up, and I need a call back, I always leave a VM. 

[WillyNilly]

I disagree its never rude to leave a VM.

I think in the case of a person whom you know dislikes VM's its rude to leave one (especially if their outgoing message says something like "please do not leave a message"). I also think its rude to leave a message like the ones many posters have expressed annoyance at "hi its me, call me back". If you have a message of substance, and you have no reason to think the receiver will be annoyed you left a message then its appropriate.  But its not always not rude.

[marcel]

I don't think it is ever rude to leave a voicemail, it is just annoying to leave a useless voicemail.

Personaly I don't like getting them, but I simply have my voicemail turned off, so I am never bothered by them.

[bah12]

There are many things in this world that I am personally annoyed and inconvenienced by.  That doesn't make them rude.

If you hate VM and leave an outgoing message that states you don't want the caller to leave a VM, then I would agree it would be pretty dumb to leave you a VM thinking it's going to result in a call back.  At the same time, it's a little bit much to expect that every caller must automatically conform to your preferred method of message-leaving.  While I can probably cut someone some slack in a personal setting (I may not leave a VM, but if it's too hard to get a message to you, I'll probably stop trying), in a business setting I would go as far as saying that it's unprofessional to insist that no one leave you a VM and try another method of contact instead.  VM is a pretty standard form of leaving a message...similar to the discussion we had about those that don't want to read text messages and preferred to have friends email.  Everyone is definitely entitled to their preferences, but the negative consequences of insisting that your friends/business contacts conform to your preference are your fault...not theirs.  Not to mention it seems almost like elevating oneself to some sort of special status "I hate VM, so everyone, please make note and don't bother me with your messages."

[Coley]

There are many things in this world that I am personally annoyed and inconvenienced by.  That doesn't make them rude.

If you hate VM and leave an outgoing message that states you don't want the caller to leave a VM, then I would agree it would be pretty dumb to leave you a VM thinking it's going to result in a call back.  At the same time, it's a little bit much to expect that every caller must automatically conform to your preferred method of message-leaving.  While I can probably cut someone some slack in a personal setting (I may not leave a VM, but if it's too hard to get a message to you, I'll probably stop trying), in a business setting I would go as far as saying that it's unprofessional to insist that no one leave you a VM and try another method of contact instead.  VM is a pretty standard form of leaving a message...similar to the discussion we had about those that don't want to read text messages and preferred to have friends email.  Everyone is definitely entitled to their preferences, but the negative consequences of insisting that your friends/business contacts conform to your preference are your fault...not theirs.  Not to mention it seems almost like elevating oneself to some sort of special status "I hate VM, so everyone, please make note and don't bother me with your messages."

POD. The connection with the texting discussion is striking.

[Amara]

That article and this discussion has left me gobsmacked. Maybe I'm older than many, but to me the alternative to voice mail is not being able to leave a message. I know about e-mail and texting (but I don't have a cell phone and even if I did I wouldn't text) but the point of leaving a voice mail message is to let the recipient know you called and hopefully why.

There are gracious ways to do it--speaking clearly and slowly, specifying your reason for calling, leaving your phone number unless you are dead certain they have it memorized--but I cannot fathom why people hate it. Could it be that those who do actually hate the way messages are left rather than the message itself?

[heartmug]

I prefer when people leave a reason on vm so I don't play a return call game of phone. 

So much this!  No "hey its me, call me back."  I am not sure who "me" is and please leave me your number so I don't have to look it up.

Voice mails are not rude.  People may not like them, but hearing someone's voice can be nice but also getting to the point (no rambling) is nice also.