I pit all those callers who leave the message, “Hi it’s _____. give me a call”.
I changed MY outgoing messege to: “Who, what, when, where, why” to encourage callers to give me the reason for asking me to use my expensive daytime minutes.
Just today, 2 people left the same information-free message, “gimme a call”. ARRRRRGH!!!
Oh, yeah. I especially hate the ones who want you to call them back so they can try to sell you something.
“But I left a message.”
“No you didn’t. You left some meaningless drivel on my machine. A message, it wasn’t.”
So call them back at night when your minutes are cheap, ya tightwad.
Because I said so.
Maybe I’m going deaf in my old age, but I keep listening to “Hi, it’s ______. Give me a call,” and no matter how many times I listen, I still don’t hear, “Please be sure to use your expensive daytime minutes” in there anywhere. I tried listening to it backwards but I couldn’t understand anything other than the bit about the walrus.
I do that sometimes. Usually it’s because I wasn’t calling for real reason except to bullshit. I also feel stupid talking to machines, especially when I don’t really have anything to say. If there’s a real reason I need to speak to someone, though, I’ll say what it is on the voicemail.
Oh c’mon. All of them?
Ok, if someone actually has a message to give you (I need to hear from you before x with regards to y) and doesn’t, that’s fucked. But maybe they don’t have anything else to say other than they want to talk to you at some point.
Of course then I would assume I could get back to them when it was convient, as opposed to before x.
On preview, what several others have said.
I guess, jali, someone just wanting to talk to you is not an experince you’re familar with?
(Sorry…it’s the pit, I just felt the need to add something snarky 
)
I can deal with snarky! Makes me feel like one of the guys. (well, a so far non-paying for the services, one of the guys)
My close buds know that I don’t use my cell during business hours. If I get a call between 9-5, I generally thinks it’s something important, so I stop what I’m doing to call right back. A “whatcha doing” call while I’m at work just pisses me off.
Jali (who needs to cough up the 14.95)
One of my biggest pet peeves is people who don’t leave their number with their voicemail.
Hi, this is Thaidog. Gimme a call before I burning your dog! This my rock not yours. It disappear cause it not your rock, pemmican.
I’m known for 2 things:
1-Leaving long messages like I’m having a conversation with you. (People threaten to make a CD of them and sell them on the internet, much like this gal: http://www.sendamy.com/ )
2-Not answering VMs from friends who don’t give me a reason to. Tell me what you want and when you need it by. For me, same goes for emails (which are more likely to get a response, anyway). The important ones (can you pick me up after work/watch my kid for an hour today/meet me for lunch/etc) will get an immediate reply. The others can wait until I’m not working.
OK, a 3rd-I NEVER answer the phone. I work from home so it is better to leave a message. You know I know you know I’m home, but I am working. If I’m on the other line, please stop ringing back every minute so you can leave a message.
OK, I’m done. 
Hey, I’ve always wondered something: do you use up minutes when you listen to your messages, or is that free time? 'cause, if you’re paying for it, longer messages aren’t helping, either… especially since your friends have already used up more of their minutes by leaving you a longer message that you’re free to ignore and call back tonight when you’re home.
I get around the issue of when to use my minutes by not owning a cell phone. I never run out. Score!
Bah, I’ve got “Hi, this KidChameleon and I’m not here right now. The only other one around is Elsa and she doesn’t have opposible thumbs, so your out of luck there. If you’re looking for some one else, you’ve got the wrong number.”
“Hello, this is Juanita calling for Edward Chameleon…”
It fills me full of grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! :mad: :mad:
If someone just wants to chat, why don’t they say “hey, just calling to say hi” or just NOT leave a message? Why be vague?
I was recently mocked at work for leaving too-detailed messages but I believe in letting people know what you want so that they can be ready with the info when they call back. I personally hate (and usually don’t bother) calling people back when I don’t know what they want.
That’s my m.o. as well. I figure if it was important, they’ll call me again and give me a reason to call them back.
THespos, that’s one of my peeves, too - even if I have your number, sometimes I don’t want to be bothered going to look it up. You’re leaving a message, you know your number, just spill it, already.
Perhaps even more importantly, what’s the deal with going to the grocery store and getting a cart with a wobbly wheel? Am I right??
Yes.
Not if you use a landline to dial in to your voicemail.
I mean, if you’re going to be that much of a tightwad.
I have sort of the opposite (perpendicular?) problem. I call someone on their cell phone - generally work related - and leave them a detailed message as to exactly why I am calling them and what I need them to do / tell me. Invariably, they will call me back, having seen the missed call notification, without ever listening to my message, so I get to go through all of it again. grrrrr!!!
The other annoying VM problem occurs when someone calls my desk and either leaves a message, or hangs up after listening to my VM greeting. As soon as I receive a VM at my desk, the phone system starts calling my cell to deliver it. Usually, while I am in the middle of listening to their VM, or worse, their hangup, they will call me on my cell. More grrrrr!