RANT of the day (NON-POLITICAL): I DESPISE voice mail

[bhsgrad1972]

What is it with people who use voice mail these days?  Does NO ONE in business answer their phone, EVER?  Why should we have to leave someone a voice mail and HOPE that they will bother to check for messages and call us back?

I wish that the person who invented voice mail would have been strangled at birth.  That's how much I DESPISE it.  You CANNOT get a REAL PERSON to actually talk to you anymore at most companies; even if you are lucky enough to get a REAL PERSON to answer your call, inevitably that person is NOT the person you are needing to talk to, and you'll get dumped into his or her voice mailbox.  Whoever you actually spoke to won't even try to take a message anymore; it's off to the voice mail with you, and MAYBE you'll get a return call later; maybe you WON'T.

And people wonder why ordinary Americans are disgusted with the way most businesses operate these days.  Cheaper to use a voice mail system, than hire a receptionist to actually TALK to people and take messages (and make sure that those who left the messages actually receive a return call).

[D2D]

I consider voice mail the ultimate defense against solicitors!

I prefer they waste a machine's time instead of mine!

[bhsgrad1972]

I have caller ID, and I just do NOT answer the phone if I do NOT recognize the number.

I work for one of the very few remaining companies that actually has a LIVE RECEPTIONIST to answer our phones.  We do NOT have a voice mail system, and I hope we never get one.

But I do understand your point, D2D.

[D2D]

I also understand yours!

You are extraordinarily lucky in that!

[chuck_curtis]

I work for one of the very few remaining companies that actually has a LIVE RECEPTIONIST to answer our phones.

I submit it may be an important reason your company is still around.  Where there is a demand, the successful will meet it.

[bhsgrad1972]

Well, it's been almost 4 HOURS since I left that voice mail message, and still no return call.

Why am I NOT surprised?

[duke_john]

I worked in technical sales with a European company's North American operation.  They did not have voice mail, and with the time difference, getting in contact with someone live was very difficult.