I was unaware that there was any dislike for voicemail out there until I read this article. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but that could very well be because I don't have to use it very often.
I was wondering if any of our readers were aware of such negative feelings ( or have them themselves) about voicemail?
But now an increasing number of people are just plain avoiding voicemail (for my impromptu and unscientific survey, see the comments here, which are predominantly anti-voicemail). It takes much longer to listen to a message than read it. And voicemail is usually outside of our typical workflow, making it hard to forward or reply to easily.
I was wondering if any of our readers were aware of such negative feelings ( or have them themselves) about voicemail?
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7 comments:
Personally, I hate voicemail. If I am calling someone and get it, I am much more likely to leave nothing and follow-up with a text message or an e-mail instead. Overall, my day always starts out on a bad foot, if I walk into work and there is a voicemail waiting for me. Of course, I always prefer written communication to vocal anyway, since I am a writer.
That being said, there are several services out there today which will take in a voicemail and transcribe it into a text message for you. If you have unlimited texts, or if you use very few of them, it is a good alternative for cellular phones.
I'd much rather have an e-mail as it typically forces the person to be more concise and clear. That being said, I'm about 50/50 on whether I'd rather send an e-mail or leave a voicemail.
Good article on voicemail transcription services: http://www.blackberryforums.com/aftermarket-software/315-visual-voicemail-voice-text-automatic-transcription.html
I still wish Apple and AT&T included this "free" with the iPhone 3G.
I dislike voice mail. Very often the caller forgets to leave the callback number or speaks so quickly that you cannot write it down in one or two passes through. Many times the person (I work in accounting in my job) has a very heavy foreign accent and is impossible to understand. At least if you get the call you can ask them to repeat or just tell them that you cannot understand them.
I MUCH prefer email. I can read and answer at my own pace and there is no question as to understanding. There is always a way to get back to the person ("Reply"). I can determine if the message needs to be read right away or can be put off. Voice mail must be listened to in order.
My vote is for email!!!
I am not a fan of voicemail. It takes me for ever to get through them. The time and date as well as phone number are said at the start of each message. Then depending on the person, a painfully lengthy message could be left. And to top things when I go to delete the message, I have to confirm the deletion. I am a bigger fan of caller ID.
I like email best, since there is a "paper trail" that is easy to reference. But I don't really have a strong negative opinion of v-mail. I find it easier for me to communicate a large amount of information through speaking than writing, and I can emphasize things easier and communicate the meaning better.
But then, I am a voice talent:)
After reading the very same article you linked to (plus several others) I began a website for other fellow voicemail haters such as myself. If you or your readers are interested, it is here at http://antivoicemail.blogspot.com
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