Here’s a voicemail message many leave at work:
“I’m either on the phone or away from my desk.”
Wow! Isn’t that helpful?
Other reasons the person COULD have been unavailable....
• The person was busy fighting a rampaging killer aardvark in the office.
• The person was practicing pogo stick climbing of the Eiffel Tower.
• The person was playing catch with live alligators.
• The person was eating paint.
• The person was fighting off Lex Luthor and kryptonite at the same time.
Truly, it’s nice to know that this person is safe and either on the phone or simply away from that desk, isn’t it?
“I’m either on the phone or away from my desk” is trite.
Overused.
And fairly meaningless.
It’s the equivalent of saying “I can’t take your call because I can’t take your call.”
OR
“I don’t feel like answering the phone right now, so leave a message.”
Not quite the message we might want to give to a colleague, client, or potential employer! And, we can do better!
Employers may call us at work; it’s important to be not just professional, but also to use common sense as well. Therefore, if your voicemail has the phrase “I’m either on the phone or away from my desk,” change the trite phrase to something else:
• “This is Randi Zorch. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message and I’ll return it as soon as possible.”
• “Mike Florb, here. Please leave a message at the beep with your name and number. I’ll call you back.”
• “This is Zeke Flibbo. I’d like to return your call, so please leave your message at the tone.”
• “This is Ed Cell. Please leave a message at the tone, or, if you need to reach me right away, please try my cell at 813-555-1212.”
Any of the 4 above is still short, to the point, and avoid the useless phrase of “being on the phone or away from my desk.” After all, we kind of figure you AREN’T available if you aren’t answering the call. So, why remind us?
A more professional message on your voicemail at work can ALWAYS be helpful.
And, as you can see, it’s not hard to do.
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