# Answering Machine Ettiquette **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334 "2002-06-21T20:34:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/1 "2002-06-21T20:34:05Z")
When leaving me a message, please start with “this is [insert name] at [insert phone number]” and THEN go on to your long and boring message. Also, try to annunciate your phone number clearly and speak slowly. If you leave your long and boring message FIRST and at the same time zip right through your phone number, I then have to listen to your long and boring message more than once just to get a number to call back. This is often too much work. If you do it the way I have asked, then I can replay the first part of the message to get your number and hang up on the long and boring part. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/2 "2002-06-21T20:42:44Z")
Actually, I probably won’t leave any message at all. If I call you, it’s because I want to talk to _you_, not your appliances. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/3 "2002-06-21T20:52:22Z")
Wouldn’t you have to listen to the entire message in order to evaluate if it’s boring? ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/4 "2002-06-21T20:55:29Z")
I never leave messages. On the other hand, I often screen my calls so I get really pissed when people don’t leave messages for ME. :shrugs: ---
**Author:** ![pendgwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@pendgwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pendgwen)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/5 "2002-06-21T21:23:36Z")
I remember hearing from several sources that for safety reasons you shouldn’t have your full name on your message. I don’t remember the reason for it though. Anyone else heard this? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/6 "2002-06-21T21:53:08Z")
That’s for your outgoing message, **pendgwen.** The OP is griping about people who leave messages for him/her. The reason for not having your full name is that crooks can then look you up in the phone book to get your address, then come to your house and clean you out because they know you’re not home. Whether this makes any sense is left as an exercise for the reader. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/7 "2002-06-21T22:54:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by World Eater \* > \*\*Wouldn’t you have to listen to the entire message in order to evaluate if it’s boring? \*\* Nope. 'cause anything longer than the name and phone number is more info than I need. If I have to call you back anyway, you are only going to rehash the message. I don’t mind a short “I’m calling about…” but details are for a conversation. And the real point is, if you leave your phone number at the beginning, it is easier for me to retrieve if I have missed it the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2002, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/8 "2002-06-21T23:41:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*That’s for your outgoing message, **pendgwen.** The OP is griping about people who leave messages for him/her. > > The reason for not having your full name is that crooks can then look you up in the phone book to get your address, then come to your house and clean you out because they know you’re not home. Whether this makes any sense is left as an exercise for the reader. \*\* Um…then what difference does it make if your full name is on the machine or not? If they know your number to begin with, they must know your name and address. Or they could just randomly look up people in the phone book, call them up to see if they’re home, and then rob you. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/9 "2002-06-22T00:07:45Z")
One habit I picked up on back when I was a receptionist is, if I’m leaving my phone number in the message, I’ll repeat it twice, along with my full name and a synopsis. I noticed people doing this when my job included coming in and checking the answering machine, and I was always very grateful for them. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/10 "2002-06-22T00:09:49Z")
I suppose it could be a wrong number, or they could be making crank calls, or maybe they found just the number somewhere. Hey, I didn’t it made any sense; I’m just passing on the “explanation” I heard for this “rule.” Overactive paranoia, if you ask me. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/11 "2002-06-22T02:19:01Z")
Here’s my favorite message: HiSuzettethisismissFastTalkerat555-1212I’mcallingforinformationonblahblhablah… Jeepers, SLOW down. Leave your name and number slowly and clearly. When people don’t, I just erase the message and wait for them to call back, at which point I tell them that I played the message 5 times and couldn’t understand it. My rules are just: 1- speak slow enough to write the message down, if needed 2- leave your number clearly 3- KEEP IT SHORT, please ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/12 "2002-06-22T02:19:01Z")
Here’s my favorite message: HiSuzettethisismissFastTalkerat555-1212I’mcallingforinformationonblahblhablah… Jeepers, SLOW down. Leave your name and number slowly and clearly. When people don’t, I just erase the message and wait for them to call back, at which point I tell them that I played the message 5 times and couldn’t understand it. My rules are just: 1- speak slow enough to write the message down, if needed 2- leave your number clearly 3- KEEP IT SHORT, please ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/13 "2002-06-22T02:53:37Z")
Hey, that sounds like when I call people from work to tell them their artwork is ready to pick up! **Zette** , never get anything framed at my store. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/14 "2002-06-22T03:17:25Z")
And leave the area code. So many times I get a message saying “Call Joe at 237-xxxx” and since I work at a national company I have no idea of the area code. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/15 "2002-06-22T03:55:10Z")
Ah…I live in one of those cities where the area code is mandatory even for local calls, so here it’s like ten-digit phone numbers are the norm. ---
**Author:** ![WV\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@WV\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WV_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/16 "2002-06-22T16:22:16Z")
I almost always hang up on answering machines. ---
**Author:** ![white-tigeress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@white-tigeress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/white-tigeress)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/17 "2002-06-22T16:25:42Z")
I just hate voicemail and answering machines and refuse to talk to them. It is so impersonal ---
**Author:** ![Corrvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bbce88/32.png) [@Corrvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corrvin)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/18 "2002-06-22T17:43:04Z")
I work at an answering service. Some of our clients request, if we don’t reach them, to leave a message for them. My messages always go like this: “Hi, this is Corr with the answering service, it’s 12:30 Saturday afternoon. You have a call from John Doe at (555) 555-1234. He would like an estimate on widgeting his front porch. Again, John’s number is (555) 555-1234. Thanks, Jim.” Seems to work…and that way if they miss the number due to road noise or something, I’ve said it again in the same message, so they have two tries when they’re replaying it, too. Corr ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/19 "2002-06-22T21:33:42Z")
For those of you who hate answering machines: I agree. But if you do leave a message AND you want me to return the call, all I’m asking is that you make it easy on me. Don’t make me listen to a lot of stuff that I will have to hear again anyway. Put the number where it can be heard again quickly, if needed. Speak slowly so that I won’t need to play the message again. Keep it brief. ---
**Author:** ![WV\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@WV\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WV_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/20 "2002-06-22T22:24:47Z")
Khadaji, agreed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334.md?page=2)