# GAH! Slow down when you leave a message! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 26, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858 "2008-07-26T17:58:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/21 "2008-07-28T17:07:19Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] I do this also. However, for some reason, it doesn’t work for me. Nobody ever calls me back. Maybe I should stop saying “This is Dinsdale.” [/QUOTE] Try saying, “This is Ed McMahon” ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/22 "2008-07-28T17:14:16Z")
Kevin James (aka King of Queens) has a great bit about this. He also riffs on phone number rhythm. There’s a pacing to where the spaces are supposed to go. As he listens to the message. “I’m at four. One four.” (rolls eyes, writes down 414) “Two” (writes a 2) “Six” (writes a 6) “-teen Seven” (he explodes in anger. I already put the 6 in, there’s no room to back and put in a 1!) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/23 "2008-07-28T17:19:07Z")
I hate leaving phone messages, and if I’m not careful I tend to find myself rambling because I hate it so much. Because of this, I’ve developed a very quick and simple way to leave a message. Like some of the other posters, I just say, “Hi, this is (me) at (phone number). I’m calling about (very quick summary of reason). Again, my number is (number). Thanks.” I think the key is to repeat the number at the end. I hate it when a caller makes me wade through the damned message twice, because half the time it’s a useless message anyway (a salesperson or whatnot) and I don’t bother writing down the number until I know what the call is about. I have a friend who drives me crazy–every time he calls, he leaves these long, rambling messages that can sometimes literally go on for 5 minutes. And I _know_ his phone number, so that’s not even the issue! Mark me down as a proponent of short-and-sweet phone messages. “Just the facts, ma’am.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/24 "2008-07-28T17:25:57Z")
[QUOTE=muttrox] “I’m at four. One four.” (rolls eyes, writes down 414) “Two” (writes a 2) “Six” (writes a 6) “-teen Seven” (he explodes in anger. I already put the 6 in, there’s no room to back and put in a 1!) [/QUOTE] I knew someone who did that just to get a rise out of people. It worked. :rolleyes: While I totally agree with the OP, my current complaint is the exact opposite. It concerns paying a bill or taxes over the phone. Your current past due amount is One hundred thirty four dollars and eighty seven cents with an additional surcharge of two dollars and ninety five cents. for a total of One hundred thirty seven dollars and eighty two cents. If you would like to pay One hundred thirty seven dollars and eighty two cents which includes an additional surcharge of two dollars and ninety five cents, please press 1 now. _beep_ You have indicated that you would like to pay One hundred thirty seven dollars and eighty two cents which includes an additional surcharge of two dollars and ninety five cents If this is correct, press 1 now, otherwise, press 2 now. _beep_ Your credit card will be charged One hundred thirty seven dollars and eighty two cents which includes an additional surcharge of two dollars and ninety five cents… ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/25 "2008-07-28T20:25:44Z")
[QUOTE=matt\_mcl] I sometimes speak fast… [/QUOTE] Do you? I’ve never heard you, especially on the phone, but I have been calling Canada a lot lately and am not surprised. Southern Americans (not to be confused with South Americans) think Northerners like me talk fast but we don’t hold a candle to the denizens of Toronto and Montreal I’ve spoken with. Jesus, it’s like talking to a Mexican disk jockey, except they slow down for phone numbers. “Cinco … cinco … cinco … uno … tres … quatro … dos.” ---
**Author:** ![rainwalker78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rainwalker78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rainwalker78)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/26 "2008-07-28T20:40:47Z")
[QUOTE=muttrox] Kevin James (aka King of Queens) has a great bit about this. He also riffs on phone number rhythm. There’s a pacing to where the spaces are supposed to go. As he listens to the message. “I’m at four. One four.” (rolls eyes, writes down 414) “Two” (writes a 2) “Six” (writes a 6) “-teen Seven” (he explodes in anger. I already put the 6 in, there’s no room to back and put in a 1!) [/QUOTE] I saw it on [Sweat the Smal Stuff](http://www.amazon.com/Kevin-James-Sweat-Small-Stuff/dp/B00009W8NF). Very funny. You tube links to the appropriate segments: [Phone Number Rythm](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2U4REpdsg) [Tim Duffy Message](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdYOgMNm290&feature=related) As to the op, I agree. I say my number twice, and I try to pretend I am writing it so I say it slow enough. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/27 "2008-07-28T20:51:08Z")
For work, I leave lots of messages with lots of different people. I’ve adopted the name+number at the front and repeated at the back. Slowly. With time to write down the digits. What do I get for my troubles? People making fun of it. Ok idiot, for you it’s “TastesofChocolatewithAcmeWidgets.Callmeatfivefivefieonetwoonetwo.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/28 "2008-07-28T22:42:37Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] Anything more is for the conversation we have if I call you back. [/QUOTE] What gets me is when someone leaves the whole loooong story, so I call back with the answer. But they feel they must repeat the whole loooong story before I can just respond. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/29 "2008-07-29T05:19:54Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] What gets me is when someone leaves the whole loooong story, so I call back with the answer. But they feel they must repeat the whole loooong story before I can just respond. [/QUOTE] Or they call and ask for the information, but leave out the one piece of information you must have to answer the question; working in accounting, it’s incredibly frustrating how many other accounting drones leave messages about invoices and don’t give you the invoice number. Now I have to call back to get it, and THEN go searching for information on it and call back again. Way to double the time and effort for everyone, jerk. ---
**Author:** ![maggenpye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecc23a/32.png) [@maggenpye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maggenpye)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/30 "2008-07-29T10:58:23Z")
Ooh ooh! I can play too. Or they leave a message, just to say that they’ve listened to the outgoing message and they’ll call back during business hours. Or they wait for the answering machine to click on before they hang up. Or they leave (‘best’ effort, a couple of months ago) six - \*six \*freaking messages because they keep forgetting vital bits of info and then ringing back and forgetting which bit they corrected and trying to repeat it but now they’ve forgotten something else - so they have to ring back to repeat the info they think they got right in the first message, but probably forgot in the third. I hate ramblers. Our local postie stopped bringing in the mail when she walked in on me yelling at the answering machine “Just tell me what the fuck you \*want \*for fuck’s sake!” ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/31 "2008-07-29T11:29:01Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] Or they call and ask for the information, but leave out the one piece of information you must have to answer the question; working in accounting, it’s incredibly frustrating how many other accounting drones leave messages about invoices and don’t give you the invoice number. Now I have to call back to get it, and THEN go searching for information on it and call back again. Way to double the time and effort for everyone, jerk. [/QUOTE] sweet jebus, i HATE that … though I work in email mostly . I format the subject of my outgoing emails Our location ID number Their account number [or numbers if there is more than one] [and if it is already in collections, the collections account number] and in the body of the email I use the invoice number, or service month if I dont know the actual invoice number, and occasionally if for some reason or another if I cant find an invoice number or an account number the full service address. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858/32 "2008-07-29T13:35:57Z")
I do think some of this is Dilbertesque “running out the clock”…they have a deadline. They need a bit of information from you. However! If they finish this project on time, then they’ll just be given a new project to start from scratch. But if they can manage to stretch things out, they can goof off as much as they want. “Did you get that information?” “No, but I called and left a message. They haven’t gotten back to me yet.” This goes for faxes, too. I swear, there’s no way that someone deliberately faxes us a request for information using a 30th generation xerox copy as their fax original unless they have no intention of actually recieving that information. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gah-slow-down-when-you-leave-a-message/457858.md?page=1)