I don’t care if its been discussed previously or not at all but how frustrating it is when someone leaves a message on your answering machine very clearly and then says: please call back at “A TELEPHONE NUMBER SO FAST YOU HAVE TO PLAY THE MACHINE OVER AGAIN TO TRY AND GET THE TELEPHONE NO”. Today an atty called me…left a very important message perfectly understandable and then he said:" call me back as soon as possible…its urgent!!! The phone number was give so fast and so blurry that I called information in 4 different area codes once I pieced the last 7 numbers together before getting the correct no. Took about 25 min. I know I’ve been verbose but in my experience this happens too many times to count. Have you experienced the superspeed that a caller states his no.?
When I’m scheduling umpires, I always leave my phone number twice on answering machine. I’ve still been told that I talk too fast. I try to slow it down, but when I’m making 20-50 calls, being slow isn’t exactly on my mind.
Enright3
And sometimes the caller ID will say something helpful like Unavailable (meaning it’s gone through a huge switchboard - not all these calls are telemarketers, unfortunately). Ha-ha!
If I don’t know you, don’t just repeat your number, please spell your last name - ever played the it sounds like game with a receptionist? Or tried to guess at the spelling in an automated directory? That reminds me, if you want me to call you back, leave your extension - do I have time to hunt you down through three layers of voicemail? I can’t even start on speakerphones - the next person who calls me on one better be trapped in a well.
For those of you who recognize that you leave numbers too fast and are trying to get right with the phone message gods, I can offer a simple trick to help you leave it at just the right speed: write your number down one digit at a time and say each number as you write it. This will just about guarantee that the person you’re leaving the message for will be able to write it down in one take.
I know of no way to get OTHER people to slow down. My outgoing message tells people to leave their numbers s-l-o-w-l-y, but no one does it.
Live a Lush Life
Da Chef
I agree! I’ve even forwarded messages to co-workers with intros like, “Can you understand this? What’s this person’s name??” It’s especially fun when they don’t say why they were calling. Some attys’ or insurers’ receptionists can tell by a claimant’s name who is handling a case, and that would most likely be the person who left the message. But when they just say, “Hi, this is Slzxedaid, give me a call at 555-sdzx, thanks, bye” you’ve got nothing to go on.
“I hope life isn’t a big joke, because I don’t get it,” Jack Handy
I agree. It’s particularly annoying when you come back from holiday and the 11th message is incomprehensible (and your answerphone only plays messages all at once).
Another peeve is when the message consists of ‘Hello, it’s Brian. Give me a call.’ Yes, which of the 7 Brian’s that you know has actually called?
Why doesn’t the sun come out at night when the light would be more useful? (Pratchett)
I would personally like to kick the ass of every overly-impressed-with-themselves jerk out there who INSISTS on playing back their goddamned voice mail messages with the freakin’ speaker phone on 11. DO YOU THINK ANYONE ELSE IS EVEN REMOTELY INTERESTED IN YOUR STUPID PHONE MESSAGES?? Turn the speaker OFF and pick up the damned receiver - STOP annoying your co-workers. Your attempts at attention are irritating EVERYONE. Who in hell do you think you are?!?
(Sorry for the outburst, but this makes me INSANE!!!)
StoryTyler
“Not everybody does it, but everybody should.”
I Spy Ty.
I’d like to add to this… not only is it annoying when you can’t make out the number they leave you but also when they call and hang up without leaving a message or hang up and call back right away…over and over and over again because they KNOW you are home and not answering.
Get a clue !!! Maybe I can’t get to the phone at that very minute… if you’d leave a message I’ll get back to you…afterall that’s what MY message asks you to do!
I really like it when I call Angkins house and the machine hasnt been cleared in a couple of days, and I get to listen to the lovely strains of the concert from hell, and the machine beeps and beeps to infinity.
Thats when I hang up…there are only so many hours in a day 
" I’m not crazy! I’m not crazy! I’m NOT CRAZY!!" -
Kellibelli upon hearing her furnace was indeed broken, the smell WAS NOT her imagination.
Oh, yes, yes, yes!
I got just a snitty call at work from a vendor (someone who wants me to spend my agency’ money, mind), all huffy because I hadn’t returned their call.
Fortunately–I suppose–I’d sent the original to “saved messages” because the whole thing was garbled I couldn’t tell if it was important or not. This twit not only garbled the number, but the name.
When I icily informed them of the problem, they brushed it off with a sullen, “well”, and then dove into the sales pitch. It was shamefully satisfying to interrupt and hang up. (“Excuse me. No. click”)
Grrrrr.
Veb
EXACTLY my point Kelli!!!
If people would leave a message instead of hang up you wouldn’t have listen to my answering machine’s concerto!!!
By the way I have been clearing it daily lately so there!!! 
If you a problem with that take it to the pit!!!
p.s. call me later K?
I leave my number twice really slowly. Hi, this is Matt. Please call me back at threee-siix-tooooooo-naayyyiiieeen-whuuuuuun-threeeeee-niiiiiiyyuhn, that’s threee-siix-tooooooo-naayyyiiieeen-whuuuuuun-threeeeee-niiiiiiyyuhn. (Not my real number.)
Yeah, I know it’s not your number, it’s MINE! And quit giving it out!
Best!
Byz
On your taped message, admonish the caller that you will not return the call unless he or she clearly and s-l-o-w-l-y leaves their telephone number. Seeifthatdoesn’t work.
terggie