# How Many Times Do You Change Your Personal Voice Mail Message? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 21, 2011, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283 "2011-06-21T13:35:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/21 "2011-06-23T13:11:34Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > My personal voicemail never changes ( **kayaker** , we have the same greeting), Your and my voicemail should hookup! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/22 "2011-06-23T13:45:08Z")
I change my work voice mail only when I’m on vacation. Our home voice mail is just a crappy “Leave a message and we’ll call you back.” When we first got married, we recorded an awesomely funny message with background music that was so great that people were hanging up and calling us back just to hear it again. One time I was having something repaired and when they called to tell me it was done the guy had everybody he worked with call our number just to hear our message. (He told me so.) Then the machine died. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/23 "2011-06-23T21:21:04Z")
> [@melodyharmonius](#): > > My new voice mail is kinda similar: > > "Hi you are about to hear a very silly message. To avoid this message, hit pound to go directly to the beep. > > Otherwise, you’ve reached [Melody] at [555-555-5555] and there’s probably one of four reasons why I did not answer the phone: > > a) I’m at work > b) My phone is still on vibrate from work and I didn’t hear you call > c) I’m avoiding your call and going to pretend that my phone was on vibrate so that you won’t be hurt > or d) the zombie apocalpse has finally happened and I’m saving my battery for some emergency calls later on. > > If you think that the answer is d, please hang up the phone and head to the nearest mall. Don’t forget your boomstick. Thank you for calling and have a nice day." I am so stealing that! You know, the next time I get around to changing my voicemail message. My work one almost never gets changed, unless I’m going on vacation (and thankfully, we can have multiple greetings so I never have to re-record my default). I use Youmail, so my cell gets changed randomly upon my mood since I can do it on the computer. It’s almost never my voice - right now it’s Eric Idle singing some goofy MP song. I also have custom greetings for certain people so they always here the same thing: My father gets The OSU fight song, my best friend gets the theme to The Godfather. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/24 "2011-06-28T22:44:03Z")
I change it on very rare occasions. Last time I changed it was because an unpleasant person was trying to make my life miserable, so I wanted to be sure to sound extra cheerful on my voicemail, to get her goat. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/25 "2011-06-29T01:40:44Z")
I have VM by default. I’m not in a situation where I’d ever rather have a VM than a text. I grudgingly check it on the rare occasion that someone leaves a message just to clear the insistent red dot off my phone icon. Also, listening to “You have… 1… new message, received on… August… 20… 1st, at… 5… 30… 8… PM” isn’t any less annoying in Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/26 "2011-06-29T01:56:36Z")
“You have reached 555-5555. Please leave a message at the tone.” No reason to change that. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Jagwasher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@Jagwasher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jagwasher)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/27 "2011-06-29T02:13:19Z")
It’s interesting that this thread came about, as I was recently debating whether or not to update mine. It’s been about 2 years since I’ve gone through that surprisingly stressful process. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/28 "2011-06-29T02:49:38Z")
I don’t remember when I changed it. I know I did it just so it wasn’t the default, because I hate the default. When I get that on other people’s phones, I often don’t know I’ve reached the right person because cell numbers change hands so often, so I hate it. I just made a message with my voice and name, so people know they got my VM, but heck if I can remember what it says. I guess I should check. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/29 "2011-06-29T03:17:41Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > I think it’s been the same since I set it up. It’s very generic. “Hi, you’ve reached **chizzuk**. I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now, but please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.” > > I did this because I couldn’t stand Verizon’s default message. “Your call has been forwarded to an automated voice messaging system. [NAME] is not available. At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press 5 for more options. _BEEP_.” Ugh. It seems like everyone has this. Mine’s pretty much the same as yours, chizzuk “Hi, you’ve reached [full name]. I’m sorry I’m unable to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, number and a brief message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible” I use my mobile phone for job searching when I’m in the mood, so I prefer to keep something as bland and identifiable as possible. I hate twee voicemail recordings with “funny” lists of why you haven’t answered the phone, or whatever. Just give me your name and if necessary instructions on how to work your VM system, and I’ll do what I have to do. ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/30 "2011-06-29T12:31:24Z")
> [@Sierra\_Indigo](#): > > I hate twee voicemail recordings with “funny” lists of why you haven’t answered the phone, or whatever. Just give me your name and if necessary instructions on how to work your VM system, and I’ll do what I have to do. Which is exactly why I start my message with telling you that # will take you to the beep. So you don’t have to listen to my twee message if you don’t want to. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283/31 "2011-06-29T13:10:21Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > “You have reached 555-5555. Please leave a message at the tone.” > > No reason to change that. Ever. I don’t bother including the number. If they can’t dial correctly, it’s on them.😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-times-do-you-change-your-personal-voice-mail-message/586283.md?page=1)