Voice Mail

[Philip Peake]

In article <1991May30.073220.1610 at resam.dk>, andrew at resam.dk (Leif Andrew Rump) writes:
|> In <60710 at sequent.UUCP> edw at sequent.UUCP (Ed Wright) writes:
|> >----- News saved at 23 May 91 16:31:28 GMT
|> >In article <1781 at babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> abmg at cathedral.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu (Aliasghar Babadi) writes:
|> 
|> >Although we have voice mail here at sequent, I have a hard time seeing the
|> >big difference between it, and a $29.95 kmart answering machine, other
|> >than perhaps the cost.
|> 
|> With a company with more than one or two employees then the answering machine
|> won't work!

Ok, I'll take the bait ... why won't the answering machine work with
more than two or three people ?

Whilst on this subject, I would like to point out that I *hate* voice mail
systems - particularly the semi-automated variety.

Given the choise I won't deal with companies that use it.

A typical problem (for me) is that I call a Californian company (there is a
9 hour time difference, so there is a very small overlap in the time that
both myself and the person I'm trying to contact are in the office at
the same time).

I call the direct number on his buisness card, and what do I get ?
Voice mail ! - that was a wasted transatlantic 'phone call.

So, I call the company switchboard, ask to speak to Mr. X, and am connected
to (you guessed it) his voice mail !!!

(A second wasted transatlantic 'phone call).

I re-call the switchboard, and explain that I want to speak to the person,
not a machine, so can she get the person on the 'phone before connecting
me ? "Our system doesn't support that" she says ...

The moral - if you *insist* on using this retrograde technology, list
THREE numbers on your buisness card - one for the company switchboard,
one for yourself, and one for your voice mail system.

Philip