The Dreaded Voicemail

"Hi, you have reached Bob. I can't answer the phone right now. Instead of leaving a message, why don't you call back the receptionist and give her a hard time. BEEP!"

I will never understand why people don't know how to leave a voice mail message. I know that we are in a time where instant gratification is so easy - a quick text instead of a phone, facebook chat rather than sending an email, but seriously people? If you call someone (esp. at their work) and they don't pick up, its not that hard to leave a quick message. Cell phones - ok, that's different, you'll have a missed call and most of the time, you'll know who it is. But anyways, if you call someone's office, and get transferred to their line and end up getting a voice mail, wouldn't it be so much easier to just leave a message there as opposed to calling back, getting the receptionist, and stating "Ummm, I got Linda's voice mail...what should I do?" Umm...what do you think should you do!? You would not believe how many people I have to instruct to leave a message. Maybe they think we're a small office and I take personal messages for all employees? Too bad we have almost 300 employees in t his office, and no, I don't take their messages. In fact, I probably wont even see them, so leaving a message on their voicemail is the smartest thing you can do. Oh, but what do I know. As one woman rudely pointed out to me "You mean, you LITERALLY just transfer calls and have no idea if people are going to pick up their phones?" Yes, exactly! That's exactly what happens!!! I'm glad someone gets it :)