DISQUS

Web Business by Ken Burbary: Is Voicemail Dead? | Web Business by Ken Burbary

  • Shannon Paul · 1 year ago
    Ugh. I hate voice mail! I hate leaving them and listening to them.

    It takes too much time to go through too many long-winded messages that leave the crucial call-back information at the end.

    Between caller-id and text messages, voice mail seems redundant on both ends. Plus, if you need to reach someone who's in a meeting, they can quickly text back an answer to a question without interrupting the flow of business. This is impossible with voice mail.

    I can't wait for voice mail to go away.
  • Danny · 1 year ago
    Just this very day, got a VM, listened to 5 seconds and just ran over to see the person and talk about the concern. Even changing floors and finding the person in question, that was more effective than listening to the whole VM! (somepeople use VM like they are dictatating a novella to their ghostwriter...)
  • Brent Hoover · 1 year ago
    Problem is that not everybody is at the same level of adoption. And I have begun to hate IM in favor of going back to the phone call, but leaving VM is an inferior substitute. I think some sort of "phone call scheduling" app that would set a window of time to talk and then monitor when both parties are ready and notify them in realtime (or just connect them if that what's they select). Um, I just patented that idea so back off.
  • Brad Shorr · 1 year ago
    I use voice mail reluctantly, only when clients favor phone over digital communication. Shannon stated my feelings about VM perfectly. Political candidates around here (Chicago, IL) have developed a habit of leaving ridiculously long VM campaign messages, more than one a day as the election nears. They must be trying to lose votes!
  • cathy healey · 1 year ago
    It depends on the person. Some people respond to VM more than email and vice versa. I am finding more often that facebook or twitter are more effective for connecting with people. I'm getting to like facebook because the conversations are organized by each person. I'm gettign to hate email. The only thing email is good for is telling me someone sent me a facebook or ning message.
  • Albert Maruggi · 1 year ago
    Don't be divisive, save that for politics. No need to take sides on VM vs text.

    Ok just being a wiseguy, but to each their own. There are services that turn voice mail into text messages if the recipient would rather get a text.

    One can make the case that voice mails are eaiser to compartmentalize and therefore better for the recipient to manage their time.


    How about this idea. Voice is a richer medium and in some states (like MN where driving and texting is against the law) more productive because it is a passive medium (I can multitask asier with audio).

    Perhaps services like www.utterz.com voice allows you to be more detailed, instead of "hey call me back" you can leave a longer piece of information. Yeah, now you’re talking. That is usually easier to compose longer messages with voice than text.

    Surely we'll see how different formats will be used now that we have unlimited storage bandwidth and the capacity to deliver/receive it anywhere.

    cool post
  • Derek Loyer · 1 year ago
    I never use voice mail. I check it maybe once a week. I use my missed calls as a "who i need to call back" list and use text messages from those people if it is important.
    When I call people back and they ask me "did you listen to my voice mail" it is frustrating, NO i didn't listen to your voice mail I called you back instead tell me what you want.
  • A. J. Mahler · 1 year ago
    I am ambivilent on voicemail. Sometimes I like it other times I wish it would go away.

    One solution is to use a system like Asterisk. Your voicemail can be sent to you via email as an audio file. At least your message stream is unified somewhat.

    No voicemail, no tag! Voicemail isn't a conversation, it usually is used as a means to get your attention. It is usueful when someone is leaving you the information you needed.

    Your right about callerid doing the job of getting your attention!
  • kburbary · 1 year ago
    @A.J. Thanks for the comments. You're right, a Digital telephony system does make it much better. We have one here and I receive all voicemail messages in my email as an audio file. All I need to do is click play and listen. I haven't actually logged into the phone system via a telephone handset in 2 months. In the land of voicemail systems, it's pure heaven. That sad, my feelings overall on VM usage haven't changed. I prefer text, IM, Twitter or other forms of messaging.