I'm not sure if I like voicemail or not. I like getting messages when I'm either away from the office or on another call, the security of knowing I don't miss a call is nice. I hate voicemail when I know someone is hiding behind it, letting it take my call as opposed to answering themselves.

But this post is created not from those likes and dislikes, its creation is a pet peeve of mine - the voicemail where the caller merely says "Call me when you get a chance."

It happened again today and I can't stand it.

Why did the person call? Is it urgent? Should I immediately return the call? Can I wait to return the call after I handle a more urgent issue? Is there something I need to do?

I worked with a salesperson once that used to leave me this type of voicemail all the time. I never had the slightest idea what they wanted and never knew if I should hunt them down or not. Probably 9 out of 10 times they wanted to discuss some trivial issue that could have waited or been addressed with a return voicemail or email from me. Rarely if ever was there anything urgent.

What really got me with this sales person though was they used voicemail the same way with their customers. They'd call customers and prospects and just leave a Message that said "Call me when you get a chance." Guess what? Many never got that chance.

I recall this salesperson telling me about a prospect he hadn't been able to connect with for two weeks, we owed the prospect a proposal and were to schedule a demo as part of the delivery. My salesperson had called probably 10 times in two weeks, never leaving a message for about 7 of those calls and only leaving a message of "Call me when you get a chance." for the remaining 3 calls. Guess what? The prospect never got the chance to return the call.

I'm not an expert on the use of voicemail. I just know that you need to communicate with people if you need something to happen. People are on the move and some people are never at their desk. Leave a message that is meaningful if you call someone and get their voicemail. If you need something, ask for it. If it's not urgent, say so. If it's urgent, make it clear. If you need to speak directly, state why and ask for the best time to call.

Voicemail is a reality of business. I'm still not sure if I like it or not. Do you have an effective way to use voicemail in your business?