Day #237 - Proper Messaging

One of life's convenient, accessible, time-saving, irritating, aggravating, time-sucking technologies is...voice mail. I was reminded of this when I called my sister and she answered "Hello?...Are you there?...Hello?...Well...I am not here, please leave a message," while all the while I am saying "...Hi...Hello? Yeah, I'm here can you hear me...?" Looking at my phone like a moron to see how many bars I have. Please DO NOT do messages like that - VERY UN-COOL!! Just kidding...It is only super lame for a few minutes until I get over feeling stupid. Still...

Since I must be the master of messaging, in my own mind at least, here are some tips:

• DON'T leave a huge loooooong message, or frankly ANY message unless you also leave your phone number for a quick call back. Cell phones hold the number, but office phones normally don't and if I am checking my phone remotely I won't have anyway to call you back
• Leave ONLY your name and phone number with zero explanation for your call...NOT!!! Please explain why you need me to call you back - that way if I get your voice mail, I can answer your question and we don't have to keep playing phone tag
• DON'T leave me multiple messages in one hour...I am not avoiding you, or trying not to take your calls - I am BUSY, or on a conference call, or at LUNCH and will call you back as soon as I can.
• DON'T call me 5 times in a row, back to back. This is SUPER insulting - like I am just going to hang up on the person I am talking to so I can answer the "determined" caller. Trust me...you will be DND'd if you keep up with that nonsense - if this happens...Just leave me a message :).

I like voice mail more then I dislike it - frankly, what would I do without it?

I Am Grateful,
HB

Diva Quote: "A message prepared in the mind reaches a mind; a message prepared in a life reaches a life" Bill Gothard