# You phone a business and a machine answers. Do you leave a message or not?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-phone-a-business-and-a-machine-answers-do-you-leave-a-message-or-not/649538>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 7, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-phone-a-business-and-a-machine-answers-do-you-leave-a-message-or-not/649538 "2013-02-07T02:08:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**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:** [February 8, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-phone-a-business-and-a-machine-answers-do-you-leave-a-message-or-not/649538/21 "2013-02-08T01:09:08Z")

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It depends on what I need.  
If I’m trying to find out if a local pizza joint is open on Christmas eve? I don’t leave a message and I’ll go find another place.  
If I’m trying to contact a contractor I’ve worked with, or that is recommended? I’ll leave them a message.  
At work, if I’m trying to contact one of my suppliers or customers, I’d really rather get a voicemail, if the person I need isn’t available. It’s much easier for me to leave a short message, than try to route that message through a third party.

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