Why does it take so long to leave a voicemail?
Has anyone noticed that the standard greetings on voicemails are getting longer and longer?
What happened to the good old days when voicemail greetings were like this:
You have reached "XXX-XXX-XXXX". Please leave a message. [BEEP!]
This is an example of one voicemail greeting I painfully listened to recently:
You have reached "XXX-XXX-XXXX". The person you are calling is not available. If you would like to leave your call back number press 5. If you would like to page this person press 9. At the tone, please record your message. When you are finished recording you may hang up or press # for more options. [BEEP!].
Do people really need detailed instructions everytime they want to leave a voicemail? It seems like people need instructions on how to use an answering machine about as much as they need instructions on how to put on a pair of socks. Almost everyone knows how to do it. I agree that usablility is important but all of the different options being explicitly laid out to me each time I want to leave a message seems like overkill.
How much time everyday do you waste listening to the options on how you can leave someone a voicemail? I would guess that I lose a minute a day to this. Over the year that adds up to 6 hours I cant get back.
Does anyone actually use any of the options that are given by these greetings or do most people just wait through the entire greeting and just say a few quick words?
Thoughts on this?
