# 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:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skalman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@Skalman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skalman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/21 "2002-06-23T10:31:05Z")
Khadaji; why rewind the whole message if the number is at the end, and you find the message so anoying? ---
**Author:** ![baltotop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@baltotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baltotop)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/22 "2002-06-23T11:07:02Z")
I screen all of my calls. I get alot of hang ups and that makes me so mad… Anyway… if you dont leave a message because you dont like answering machines then how will you know if im there. My ex used to say that he wouldnt leave a message on a machine that he would rather call until he got them on the phone. Which i think is pointless, just leave a message and wait till they call back… no big deal… Oh well to each his own… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/23 "2002-06-23T12:15:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Skalman \* > \*\*Khadaji; why rewind the whole message if the number is at the end, and you find the message so anoying? \*\* The voice-mail at my work does not provide the ability to rewind part of a message. Nor does my digital answering machine here at home. ---
**Author:** ![Jonno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f19dbf/32.png) [@Jonno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonno)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/24 "2002-06-23T19:00:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WV\_Woman \* > I almost always hang up on answering machines. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by white-tigeress \* > I just hate voicemail and answering machines and refuse to talk to them. It is so impersonal Perhaps you could try talking to a small, non-threatening appliance for a bit. Maybe an alarm clock or a blender, until you’re ready to join modern society. ~ducking and running~ 😃 ---
**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 24, 2002, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/25 "2002-06-24T01:08:30Z")
_Beeeeep…_ “Hi, you’ve reached the \_\_\_\_ residence. The answering machine is not working right now, but this is the refrigerator. If you’ll please leave your name, number, and a short message, I’ll be happy to write it down on a yellow sticky note, and post it on myself. Thank you.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/26 "2002-06-24T01:32:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jinwicked \* > \*\*_Beeeeep…_ > > “Hi, you’ve reached the \_\_\_\_ residence. The answering machine is not working right now, but this is the refrigerator. If you’ll please leave your name, number, and a short message, I’ll be happy to write it down on a yellow sticky note, and post it on myself. Thank you.” \*\* LOL. I like it. I may use it - if you don’t mind? ---
**Author:** ![shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/27 "2002-06-24T01:34:52Z")
I repeat my number twice as well. _“Hi Joe Shmoe. This is Shrew. Call me back at 867-5309. I was wondering if you still want to get together for blah blah blah blah blah blah… Again, it’s Shrew at 867-5309.”_ ---
**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 24, 2002, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/28 "2002-06-24T03:27:35Z")
Yeah, go ahead… it was on this girl’s answering machine that I knew when I was in highschool. I doubt she remembers about it. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/29 "2002-06-24T15:56:21Z")
I HATE it when people don’t say what a message is regarding. I have to call my coworkers multiple times a day and it’s hard to keep track of what I need to ask each one. Therefore, when I leave a voicemail, I always say what it’s regarding. One of my coworkers never fails to ask: “so what’s up?” then I always say “didn’t you listen to my message?” she says “no, I just saw your name on caller ID and called you back.” Drives me NUTS! That’s why I LEAVE detailed messages, so I don’t have to dig around through the multiple piles on my desk to try and figure out what the hell I called you for in the first place! That’s also why I never call people back that don’t leave ME messages (if I see their name on caller ID). No message, no call back. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/30 "2002-06-24T16:32:49Z")
I’ll put in a vote for short _outgoing_ messages as well. The outgoing message that jinwicked posted would be a hoot the first time I heard it, but if I had to listen to the whole thing every time I called… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/31 "2002-06-24T17:14:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Green Bean \* > \*\*I’ll put in a vote for short _outgoing_ messages as well. > > The outgoing message that jinwicked posted would be a hoot the first time I heard it, but if I had to listen to the whole thing every time I called… \*\* mmmmm, you do have a point Green Bean. I guess I’ll stick with what I have. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2002, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/32 "2002-06-24T18:17:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by WV\_Woman \* > \*\*I almost always hang up on answering machines. \*\* Mom? That’s you, isn’t it, Mom? My mother has only ever left one message on my answering machine or voicemail. She was angry at me. "Sugaree, it’s your mother. _Call me_. I live in fear of another message from her. Until that dark day, I just call her every time I get a hang-up call. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/33 "2002-06-25T00:29:20Z")
“Hi, [**You**], this is [**Me**]; please call me at [**my number**]; talktoyalater, bye.” I tell them what I’m calling about only if I need them to give me some info they’ll need to collect before they can answer my question. ---
**Author:** ![monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334/34 "2002-06-25T00:53:47Z")
I am **THE QUEEN** of fast talkers, but even I can slow down to leave a message. If it is business related, I usually leave the details because I don’t like to rehash for the person calling me back. I just want an answer to whyever I am calling. For my friends, they usually get a “Call me” message, because almost all my friends do the, “I saw your number on ID” thing, and I don’t want to waste my precious breath. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/answering-machine-ettiquette/115334.md?page=1)