Dear Ann Landers: Would you please address an etiquette question I haven’t seen in your column before? I’m talking about voicemail, which is common in many offices these days. I hope you will offer people some suggestions:
1. When leaving a voicemail message, say your name slowly and clearly, and state it at the beginning and end of the message. If your name is unusual or difficult to figure out, please spell it.
2. Always leave your telephone number, even if you think the person already has it. People retrieve their messages from business trips in other states, vacation trips in Europe and from the grocery store. They might not have your phone number handy. And say it slowly, please. There is nothing more irritating than having to play a message back over and over in order to write down all the information.
3. Get to the point. Don’t ramble on for 20 minutes, search for files, locate missing information or research something while you are on the phone. Have whatever you need ready before you make the call.
For those who receive voicemail, here are some suggestions for you:
1. Answer your messages, even if you are no longer doing business with the caller. It is simple courtesy to let them know their message was received.
2. Check your voicemail throughout the day. Some messages are urgent. And if you allow your message box to fill up, not only will you miss calls, it will be impossible to answer your messages in a timely manner.
3. Don’t hide behind your voicemail. Be responsive. If you have no intention of returning calls, change your voicemail message to indicate that you prefer to be contacted by snail mail, e-mail or via your secretary.
Thanks, Ann. I feel better already. — Polite in Grand Forks, N.D.
Dear Polite: Your suggestions are perfect, not only for voicemail, but also for answering machines. I do not have voicemail in my office, but whenever I call someone who does, I make sure to speak clearly and slowly. I know it’s appreciated.
Dear Ann Landers: I would like to respond to “Needing Romance in Ohio,” who was ready to leave her steady, unexciting husband, “Joe,” for a man she met online. You told her to stick with Joe. Your advice was good, Ann, but not enough.
Sometimes, people are married for so long they forget why they fell in love in the first place. Joe might be comfortable and set in his ways, but she can bring him out of his shell. Instead of being romanced by someone new, she ought to create romance in her own marriage.
When Joe comes home from a business trip, she should pick him up at the airport with nothing on under her coat. She could drive him to a motel instead of taking him home. She could plan a romantic evening out at a fancy restaurant and go dancing afterward. Why is she waiting for Joe to do everything?
New love is always exciting. If she wants romance in her life, she should arrange it herself and not expect Joe to read her mind. — Don’t Need Another Divorce in the U.S. of A.
Dear Don’t Need Another Divorce: I have often recommended that my female readers take matters into their own hands when it comes to romance and excitement. It should not be entirely up to the man to arrange these things. Some men have no idea how to romance a woman. However, women who teach their husbands what they like will be well-rewarded.