About 6-7 months ago a new system was put in place at work where our voice mail messages automatically goes to our e-mail. I think this is pretty cool.
If a voice mail message is not left, you still get an e-mail notification stating the person's name (intracompany) or phone number for an outside caller.
Two scenarios:
1. There's quite a few times where I'll call somebody or another, get their voice mail, and hang up without leaving a message thinking that I could call somebody else for the answer to my question.
More often then not, it seems, the people I hang up on without leaving a message call me back anyway saying "I see that you called, what's up?"
Me: "Oh, I contacted so-n-so. Question answered, no worries. But thanks for calling back."
2. Today I had a string of meetings so I wasn't at my desk very often in the morning. When I had time to go through my e-mails I saw that there were 2 missed calls from John but no messages were left. A couple of hours later the phone rings, I answer and it's John. We have a good rapport, but this conversation got me to thinking:
John: There you are. I was starting to think that you were ignoring me.
Me (laughing): Yeah, I see that you called a couple of times this morning. What's up?
John: Why didn't you call me back?
Me: You didn't leave a message.
John: But you saw that I called. You should have called me back.
Me: Why should I call you back when you don't leave a message?
John: But I did leave a message. I know how the system works. You got an e-mail . . .
So, with both scenarios above, I'm rather confused. Scenario 1 the person had absolutely no reason to return my non-message call, that's why I hung up without leaving a message. Scenario 2 the person expected that I return his non-message call because, well, the e-mail notification
was a message?

?
Should I respond to non-message voice/e-mails?