Pet Peeves:
I don't know about you, but it drives me crazy to call a phone number and get a recording along the following lines - "you have reached 123-4567, please leave a message after the tone and we'll get back you".
Who exactly 'will get back' to me after the tone ??
Usually the message is delivered by a mild voiced female; even if you are calling a single male.
What is he or she afraid of that they cannot identify the 'party to whom you are calling' other than by a telephone number ??
It happened again to me last week. I called the number of a Realtor which appeared along with his name in Big Bold Letters on a massive Bill Board. Again - the meek woman's voice - you have reached number ....
In such cases there are three possibilities the caller must contend with:
First - that he or she had a wrong number to begin with and with "the voice" has linked with God Knows Who.
Or Second - that he or she has the correct number but dialed it incorrectly.
And of course, Finally, that he or she has the correct number, has dialed it properly and has reached his intended party and yet is still left in doubt since the 'one who answers' fails to identify themselves save for confirming their phone number which is said so quickly it fails to register with you in any event. Dah.
Again I ask, what is to be gained by just answering with your number. Is someone going to reach into your phone and throttle you by the throat. You would certainly think so.
I often wonder how they like getting their calls answered in the same manner? The three options above must go through their minds as well. And yet they persist.
Well there is a simple answer to all this confusion ...
And in the case of my call last week - for someone to do this in Business is even more incomprehensible. Do they not want you to easily reach them? Why leave an enquiring party (ie potential customer) in doubt?
Going back to the Realtor's name and number on the massive Bill Board - when I called I was expecting something along the following lines:
"Hi You Have Reached Fast Eddy, your Realtor's Realtor, can't come to the phone right now since I am out selling one of my valuable client's homes - leave a message though and I will get back to you just as fast as Fast Eddy can. And Remember - Nobody Out Sells Fast Eddy"
Or Maybe again, I wrote the number down incorrectly or dialed it incorrectly or ...
You get the idea.
As I see it..
'K.D. Galagher'
