I really want to call you back.
October 17th, 2007
Okay, at the risk of sounding a bit too preachy – I have a little suggestion to make the world a better place.
This morning I got out of an early morning meeting and listened to my phone messages. I have this thing about returning phone calls. I really try to do it. I am not 100% perfect – but I sure try to return my phone calls.
Here is what I had on voice mail today. One message without a phone number. (A person who is looking for a job, so surely I can take the time to find his resume.) One with a phone number spoken pretty fast. I only had to repeat the message twice to get it. And then — a phone number spoken so fast that literally the last three numbers seem to make a whole new number. I never got it.
So here is my thought for the day. If you have to give a number, because you think someone needs it… speak as clearly and distinctly as you possible can. Then say it again.
OXOX
Other posts by Robbin.
Nobrainer says:
I have to agree: always give your phone number twice. It’s rare that I manage to write down an entire number when I only hear it once.
It’s even better if you give it at both the beginning and start of the message.
October 17th, 2007 at 8:23 amAdam Landrum says:
My favorite message is the “call me back” message. No reason. No purpose. Just “call me back.” Why do you want me to call you back? Maybe I can take care of it before I call you back, or better yet, if I call you back and I get your voice mail, then I know what message to leave you and close the call loop. With out the reason of the call, the loop indefinitely remains open.
Great podcast on the subject: http://www.43folders.com/2005/11/09/43f-podcast-how-to-leave-a-voice-mail-message
October 17th, 2007 at 9:03 amBranding Agency says:
Is this really a worthwhile post from the owner? Seems a little trivial to me. I was hoping for something insightful or disruptive…
I’ll wait patiently by my laptop.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:17 amJB says:
Whoa, man. That guy who called about the job, but didn’t bother to leave a number- he doesn’t really want the job. His mom put him up to it.
October 17th, 2007 at 12:08 pmBilly says:
Aren’t you the owner of your own “branding agency,” Scott? Perhaps you should find less trivial things to do with YOUR time.
Certainly there are more insightful, meaningful and “disruptive” things you could be doing besides waiting patiently by your laptop for somebody else to say or write or post something “less trivial.”
You have never… ever (or at least in the past 2.5 years) said, written or posted anything insightful or meaningful or otherwise beneficial on this blog, and your own site — by the way — looks like the Purple freakin’ Cow crawled in, laid a big patty and then exploded on it. And breakdancing stick figures? Really? Operation? Really? Who’s being trivial?
I PROMISE that there are better things you could be doing with your time besides waiting patiently for somebody else to do something “less trivial.”
I tried reading your blog to see if maybe I have rushed to judgment on you, but that chick won’t shut the hell up long enough for me to be “enlightened” by your “me-me-me-bullcrap.”
Believe me, you have plenty of things you should be doing besides waiting patiently by you laptop.
>
October 17th, 2007 at 1:28 pmBranding Agency says:
Wow, so mean spirited. Actually I’m semi retired so I have lots of free time. The fact that you don’t like the design of our website means nothing. You can’t please everyone that’s for sure.
I like to read other agency blogs, it’s fun and you can learn a few things but how I choose to use my time is really up to me.
p.s. the stick figures aren’t break dancing. That’s called Disco Dancing. And we like it.
But thanks for the comments. Now go be mean to someone else….
October 18th, 2007 at 12:13 pmBranding Agency says:
Ah, Billy you’re a former employee of Brains on Fire. Now I get why you’re being so hostile. Well at least you have guts going out on your own. It’s not easy but it’s very rewarding.
Brand Identity Guru wishes you much success!
p.s. If you love Huey Lewis how can you not like Disco?
October 18th, 2007 at 12:46 pmBilly says:
I never claimed to love Huey Lewis. I just said we believe in him.
And thank you so much for your well-wishes. I can almost smell your sincerity.
October 19th, 2007 at 7:08 amScott White says:
Well we would never bash anyone on another companies blog (it’s unprofessional). We save that for our blog. But one thing I’ve learned in my decades of doing this is people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
October 19th, 2007 at 8:03 amJake McKee says:
Yes! This is one of my biggest biz pet peeves. I try to speak slowly, and have found when I sound (in my own head) like I’m so slow it sounds like I’ve actually forgotten my own number, that’s probably just about the right speed for my voicemail listeners.
I swear, there are too many people that seem to be competing for the fastest time to completion for the sharing of the phone number. When I lived on the east coast, I swear it was a bigger underground sport than dog fighting.
Thanks for letting me share my irritations
Sometimes it’s good to step away from the “insightful” and have a little fun.
October 21st, 2007 at 7:11 am