What’s your VMLT?
I had the horrible, dreaded icon-I-hope-I-never-get flashing on my mobile phone when I walked out of the subway this morning.
I had a voice mail.
You should know a few things about me: Or one thing, specifically: I HATE VOICE MAILS.
I believe the concept of voice mail should be eliminated. There should be no voice mail. If someone doesn’t answer the phone, leaving them a one-minute (or more!) rambling message where you string together five different contexts and end it with “OK, so, call me” is beyond pointless. Are we still that backwards? Chances are, we’re calling you from a smart phone that could land a 747 heavy on 5th Avenue, yet we’re recording our voice for you to listen to it later? I’m amazed we’re not hitting Zero and asking Mabel to connect us to Nightingale 6 3020.
So what’s your VMLT? Voice Mail Listening Tolerance? On a scale of 1 to 10, where 10 means you listen to every single voice mail, mine is most definitely at about a negative seven. I try. Really, I do. But just like I delete emails from people who don’t know how to write, I find my finger itching to hit the “7″ button more often than not within ten seconds of the email. And with good reason! There’s no reason to leave me a voice mail, where there are so many more immediate ways to get in touch with me that force you to work on your brevity – which is a good thing!
In fact, my outgoing message says “Listen to this message. Do not leave me a voice mail. TEXT ME. Email me. Do anything else before you leave me a voice mail. Unless I’m on a plane, I promise to return your text in mere minutes, if not seconds. But if you leave me a voice mail, you’re looking at a few days, perhaps a week.”
Some might think that’s mean, or short-sighted. But… now I get perhaps one voice mail every two weeks. Does that mean I don’t get contacted? No! I’m getting and returning close to 100 texts per day, and we all know how many emails I get. And it’s easier! I can type from anywhere. I don’t have to worry about being loud on a bus, or annoying fellow passengers on the runway or in the club. And hey – I offer email as an option. Can’t text? Email. That’s fine. I’m equal opportunity for everything except wasting time.
Best part? I don’t have to listen to someone tell me, like I’m a time traveler who just arrived from 1760, HOW to leave a voice mail. “At the tone, record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up.”
REALLY? THAT’S WHAT I WAS DOING WRONG! WHEN I WAS FINISHED RECORDING, I WOULD PUT THE PHONE IN A FISH TANK! THANK YOU, VOICE MAIL LADY!!
Use the power of having a VMLT of Zero. Try it for one week. I bet you’re more productive.
What’s your VMLT?
November 20th, 2009 at 9:23 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Peter Shankman and prblogs, Michelle Staley. Michelle Staley said: @skydiver What's your VMLT? http://is.gd/4ZDL4 – Answer and ask friends! I LIKALOT! [...]
November 20th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Mean? No. Short-sighted? Nah. Efficient? Yes.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Interesting! Never thought about it this way, but I keep nodding my head “yes” while reading this post. Guess I assumed it was just me. I am adopting a new mindset on this issue.
Great example of self-knowledge and setting limits to create an environment that supports your success!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:31 am
I love the phone and I love getting and receiving VM’s. I know a lot of people like you that text or e-mail but I find it impersonal and boring. Give me your personality, your tone, your kindness in the spoken word.
Marian from Houston, TX
November 20th, 2009 at 9:34 am
This is why I love the voice mail transcription I get through Google Voice and Vonage. I never have to listen to a voice mail, but I can take them and still respond accordingly. What’s a little screwed up, though, is that I sometimes feel like I have to leave a voicemail for someone to get their attention. They are flooded with e-mails, and haven’t gotten to, or responded to, mine, but I feel like I have to call to get their attention. Maybe just to get them to read my e-mail. And if I don’t get them, I leave a voicemail to let them know it is important enough, urgent enough, to call. That said, I can’t stand them myself.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Absolute zero. As in -273. I never, ever listen to them. I totally ignore the icon on my phone and now they magically autodelete too without me going near the answerphone.
The really nice bit is that I get a text saying I need to listen to a message before it is deleted. It doesn’t tell me who it is from or anything to prick my conscience that I have ignored someone important. It just gives me a warm glow as I know another message is about to be obliterated in a puff of smoke. It also gives me a clear indication of just how many people ignore the call to action in my voicemail saying “email me at…. or text me”, just as yours does.
I think it should be an option from your mobile/cellphone provider. It would save untold server space for them, and hence costs, if they weren’t saving messages no-one will ever hear.
Lovely post. You are preaching to the converted here!!
November 20th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I hate voicemails too. My VMLT is probably 6. I use google voicemail now so most messages get transcribed, and normally I’m busy if I dont pick up so I just txt the people back.
November 20th, 2009 at 9:51 am
Hate ‘em, and don’t even like calling people. I’d rather write something and let them respond when they are prepared and can address whatever issue I have correctly and fully.
Family or friend “just chat” calls are different, of course, but any message that requests/requires action, I’d rather handle through some kind of written communication.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:13 am
That’s why I switched to Google Voice – for those people who insist on leaving a voicemail. Google transcribes it and sends it to me as a text and as an email. Best of all, the transcription is sometimes so off that it becomes funny and a game to try to figure out what the message was. If I want to return the call, I simply click on the phone number. I never have to listen and occasionally I go to Google Voice and ‘DELETE ALL!’
November 20th, 2009 at 10:16 am
I find that Google Voice takes most of the headache out of vmail for me. I do agree that we all know how to leave a vmail so it’s time we lose the instructions!
November 20th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Oh man, I am with you on voice mail. My number would definitely be zero except for you gave me the option to go negative, so I am like a negative 10…..
November 20th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
What we need is for VM’s to be converted to text and sent to the phone automatically. That way we don’t have to type either !!!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
You have the Droid, yes? I saw some Tweets about it the other day. I’d highly recommend the Visual Voicemail. Do you still have to listen to voicemails? Sure. But you can do it on the subway, while waiting in line, etc. and the best thing is you don’t have to dial in or put your password in, hit pound, press one, etc. All the messages are just downloaded to your phone.
Sure, it’s a hassle, but I’m the same way as you. Can’t deal with voicemails a lot of the time and just don’t want to. But when I can see who it is, delete it instantly if I want and listen to it when I have a minute, fine by me.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Peter, this is classic! I am adopting it as of today… and I will be mentioning you on my outgoing message. Credit where credit is due!
Hmmmpphhh though, that I was deleted from your FB friend and left as a mere fan! I’ll get over it one day.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Ah… another good reason to be thankful for being born without working ears :) Seems no one ever returns VM calls anymore — when family members call friends and they don’t call back… happens 99.99% of the time.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Amen brother! I hate voicemail. Sometimes days go by where I don’t even realize i have them…yet I am lightning speed with text and email. Great post.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
The worst are unsolicited phone sales VMs! Especially those sounding like they’ve known you forever!
You are right, for those carrying Blackerry’s and having 24/7 access to e-mail, text, VM is a pain!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
I almost never answer my phone at all anymore. There are very few reasons why anyone would need to talk to me – and like you said, it’s usually distracting to people around me. Text me, Tweet me, e-mail me, come find me in person, but please for the love of God don’t call me. And don’t EVER leave me a voicemail. I mention my website/email in my outgoing message for a REASON.
Funny/true stuff :)
November 20th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Passionate about this aren’t you Peter! I’m with you all the way – I didn’t realize how much I hated them either until I was nodding to your email. And the VM instructions – yes, really very annoying. I’m at a negative 5.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
While I understand where you are coming from, I think it’s important to recognize that the entire world is not into texting and emailing and that there should be some consideration for people not of that mindset who want to reach out to you. My father is 94 and doesn’t have a computer, I-Phone or BlackBerry, but if he needed me and left a voicemail, I’d want to get it. I can suffer the inconvenience of hitting the #7 key a few times.
On the other hand, I have zero tolerance for the sea of people I encounter talking loudly on their cellphones in public places — restaurants, planes, trains, etc., and those talking and texting in their cars. I do not want to listen to other people’s personal or business conversations, nor do I want to be the victim of some distracted driver who can’t wait a few minutes or pull over to make a call.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
This is what I read from your post: communicate with me in the manner of my preference, or I will blow you off. Sounds like you’ve come to the point where you no longer need to attract new sales!
Of course, I work in a place where we only started having access to voice mail a year ago. Before that it was the ever-popular “phone message taken by a third party who really has no idea what information you need from the caller.” Now those I really hated!
By the way, you say we no longer need instructions on voice mail, but I still get at least one call a day for someone else in my department because the caller didn’t get the “press 1 for voicemail” idea.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I love this post… I am laughing.
I usually just avoid the VM and call the person back. Although, there is a risk you’ll get put on the spot when they refer to something they were inquiring about in the voicemail – and it is always seems to be something bad … they need help moving, need a ride to the airport.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
HATEHATEHATE
Even after getting visual voicemail -still drives me crazy. The worst is the “hey, call me back” voicemail
November 20th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
It’s true. You do really respond within minutes to e-mails!
November 20th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
“Emily, this is ____ (fill in the blank) I called to talk to you about….” CLICK.
What’s that, about three seconds? Yep, good enough for me. I’ll call you if I need to talk, or send an e-mail.
November 20th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
In 1997 had a professor who’s VM message was “If you want me to return your message, email because I don’t bother to check Voice Mail”. When I started teaching I adopted the same VM message.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
OMG! I thought I was alone. I don’t check my voicemail ever. Seriously it can be weeks, months, (coming soon) decades. I’m with you Peter; I’m a -7 on the VMLT meter!
November 20th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
What do we do with the retired folks in West Texas that think touch tone dialing is new fangled and want to reach you or a child that misses you and leaves a message – does your VMLT stay less than zero for them too?
Lump all the sales calls, unknown callers and energy sucking bottom feeders in the trash but you gotta pick it up sometime. And no more vm tag just so you can say you called back but didn’t really want to…..
November 20th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Better yet, ask callers WHY ARE YOU CALLING? If something or someone is not burning, bleeding, or giving birth an e-mail or text will do.
I hate the interruption that calls cause in my work. Sure, there are some very real reasons to interrupt, but I can tell you for certain that your making a sales call to me is not one of them.
I “quick 10 minute call” can easily become a half hour discussion that means that I’m 30 minutes behind getting ready for a scheduled call.
Voice mail is much harder for me to check and respond to for 90% of most working days for me. There’s a reason I tell people that e-mail is my preferred contact mechanism.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
In Praise of Low VMLTs…
I never realized it, until the estimable Peter Shankman, of HARO and GeekFactory fame, crystallized it into a fine blog entry: I too have a low VMLT. Which is to say, Voice Mail Listening Tolerance. I dislike voice mail -……
November 20th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Hear hear (or perhaps that’s inappropriate in this case). You can add those @#$% automated voice systems that require at least a dozen keypresses before a live human can be reached. Tolerance level for all forms of voicemail: remarkably low. Bah.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I personally love getting personal voicemails, but then I’m not using them for business. If I was, I get your point and would be annoyed for sure.
It’s a time consuming life sucker.
Question: Isn’t having Voicemail on your cell an paid option?
It’s not a mandatory requirement. So for those of you who hate it that much and would rather delete the msg than even listen to it.
My advise, cancel the voicemail service. Period. End of problem.
November 20th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I totally agree with you! I usually just avoid the VM and call the person back. Although, there is a risk you’ll get put on the spot when they refer to something they were inquiring about in the voicemail – and it is always seems to be something bad … they need help moving, need a ride to the airport.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Maybe it’s a Houston thing, but I’m with Marian on this one. I really like the personality that comes through the spoken word. Label me old school, but after having e-mail and text exchanges go on and on when a quick phone call would have been best, I’m for a balance of it all – e-mail, text and v-mail. At least I fall as a 10 on some scale – my VMLT :)
November 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
I started using MCI mail back in 1990 because I hated voice mail so much. I guess you could call me the ORIGINAL vm hater…so I think that makes my VMLT about -666.
November 20th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Perhaps higher than it should be…..
November 20th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
My VMLT is 10+!
For many of my customers technology is new and they appreciate the help I give in placing orders or using technology to take one of my classes. Reactions range from “WOW, thank you for returning my call” to “WOW thank you for answering the phone!”
I’ll always use other technology to maximize my time so I can continue to listen to every word and delight in the personal tone of the voice in this impersonal world!
November 20th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
How weird that this got posted on the same Day Gina Trapani’s Harvard Business Review blog about “Stop Wasting Time On Voicemail” got posted (http://blogs.harvardbusiness.o.....email.html). It’s like you plannned it! :)
November 20th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
My VLMT is 10. Remember boys and girls, marketing communications is about relationships. And texting, e-mailing and blogging doesn’t replace face-to-face and voice communications.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
10. Sometimes a quick voicemail can explain more than an hour-long email or text chain. Don’t discount tone and voice modality as effective means of getting your point across.
The same rules of communication still apply – get your point across quickly and clearly.
November 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Wow. I am enlightened. And now my VLMT is a 1. Thanks, PR HERO!
November 20th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I agree with Susan and Marian. I much prefer listening to someone’s voice where you can get a sense of their tone which gives lots of clues. Clues are impossible for me to decipher in texts – in fact most of the time it takes me longer to read a text with all the shorthand than it would to listen to a quick message. I know, most of you are shuddering, but, hey – we’re all different and that’s what makes life interesting!
November 20th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
I want to leave you a voicemail… just to be annoying…
November 20th, 2009 at 5:55 pm
I think this all comes down to an individual’s preference for speaking vs. writing and reading. I also prefer the written word, but I have some clients who hate it so much they don’t even have e-mail. Hard to believe in today’s world, but it’s all about being flexible enough to put the client’s needs first. But many is the time I’ve deleted a long, rambling voicemail from someone who doesn’t understand the value of brevity. If Twitter is teaching us anything, it’s that brevity reigns!
November 20th, 2009 at 7:57 pm
Postel’s Law:
Be conservative in what you do; be liberal in what you accept from others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robustness_principle
November 20th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I feel so much better knowing I’m not the only person in the world who despises voicemails. It’s definitely a writer thing, though.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:04 pm
I’m around an 8. I don’t get bent out of shape over voice mail. Who has energy for that? But, I agree that some don’t use it to its best effect. Overall, using the right method for the message is really what we should be focusing on.
November 20th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
Peter,
I just urinated on myself laughing (not crying) from your post. I have a tolerance of -6.
My grandma takes the all time cake (thank you Iphone for evidence) when she left me a 3 minute voicemail (Yes, three minutes). Included in that voicemail is an entire conversations, her reading the newspaper to me, then losing her place, then calling for my aunt, then reading. Sighhhh….. I love her to death and also hate voicemail to death
November 20th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
Dear Mr. Shankman,
I like a good documented message via text or email, just like everyone. However, voicemails are essential at least for myself, when I need to leave a message, especially while driving. Have you ever tried texting while driving? Not safe of course! Now, I at least try not to drain the airwaves with a long an drawn out message. My VMTL is an 8.
November 21st, 2009 at 1:44 am
Peter – the best part of your post is all the people defending the world of voicemail!!! I mean – it’s as thought the VML (Voicemail Lady) is human and you have offended her personally.
I am with you. Shoot me at sunrise but don’t leave me a flippin’ voicemail!
November 21st, 2009 at 3:10 am
Peter,
What if someone wants to speak with you instead of text you? Wouldn’t they end up on your Voice Mail if you didn’t answer? And, if you didn’t answer and they wanted to speak with you instead of text you, what would you recommend? They hang up and call again? If so, couldn’t you simply say so on your outgoing Voice Mail message?
Sometimes, Voice Mail has nothing to do with space-age technology but simple human qualities that need or want to speak instead of text. Yes?
Om, peace.
November 23rd, 2009 at 10:51 am
I dislike listening to VMs at work the most. And I am in PR – so that’s not a good thing.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I signed up for Google Voice recently- but hadn’t really used it. This morning, I had a voicemail from someone dialing a wrong number. It was beautiful, I didn’t have to listen to it at all…. Google had transcribed it for me! Perhaps VMLT is soon to be a thing of the past.
November 23rd, 2009 at 7:39 pm
[...] Shankman, was just writing about Voicemail the other day… and what a waste of time it is. (http://shankman.com/whats-your-vmlt/). He’s right. People have a 5 minute conversation with themselves, and often don’t [...]
November 26th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I seldom listen my voice mails. Maybe I should try the google voice, couchsurfingori was talking about
November 26th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
People have lowered their standards and accept lousy customer service as the norm. Many if not all businesses have designed and blindly placed impenetrable voice mail and an automated phone system in the way of so-called good customer service. The reason for all the “voice-mail hell” is organizations ignorantly think it is less expensive than paying a person to answer the phone-they are wrong. What it does it creates is a huge demilitarized zone between the organization and the customer. Furthermore, creating the appearance of a cold and indifferent organization alienating, frustrating, not to mention playing phone tag a real time waster, and driving customers and their money search of more approachable source of satisfaction. And to add insult to injury the voice mail informs me the conversation may be recorded for training purposes. Excuse me is everyone a new hire on training including senior management? Where are we going here? Nothing beats a real, hope fully after the second ring an old-fashioned, friendly human being on the other end of a telephone.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi Peter,
I’m with you on the voicemail hatred. Half the voicemails offer no new information and it takes me 3 minutes to check it (x many voicemails daily this adds up). I really despise the mumbled phone number to call back on. What did they say? Listen again, and again. No more. I have a message on my phone that says “don’t leave me a voicemail, here is my email address”. Serious.
I’m thinking of getting one of those transcribe your voicemail systems. They’re pretty good and shoot you an email of your voicemail transcribed and with an .mp3 of the message so you can listen if you choose to.
You should come jump with us sometime! I’ll call ya and leave a voicemail all about it ;-)
KFC
December 1st, 2009 at 7:29 am
I love my voicemails. I have a handful of friends and family around the world that leave me two minute streams of consciousness, meandering through their days, their moods, their lunches or the details of a movie scene they’re watching that they know I’ve seen 50 times anyway.
They don’t call with an agenda. They just call.
However preoccupied I become with life and its stresses, I can always stop to listen to those messages and, for two minutes, my entire world makes sense.
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:12 pm
Just say no to VM!! I hate it. And don’t have time for it. Much prefer a text or email. Plus – my attention span doesn’t allow me to listen to all the droning on so I am certain I miss out on key info once the caller finally decides to say something important!
December 4th, 2009 at 4:51 am
I tell people I have voicemail at home so that folks on the PTA feel like they have accomplished something by leaving a message and voicemail at work for people in the workforce who dont know me.
I travel 45 out of 52 weeks a year, I even know if there is a phone on my desk at the office. VMT? ZERO!
You wanna talk to me? Hit me with a text! OK – I’ll admit it…OR facebook me.
December 4th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Google Voice was the best thing to ever happen to me!
December 6th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
My voice mail tolerance is VERY low. I rarely listen to all my voicemails, I see who called and then I call them back… it’s that simple. if you need to tell me something specific, email me or text me. I’m too lazy to sit there for a minute and a half to listen to you ramble.
GREAT post!
December 8th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
VMLT=negative – I am known to have 10 VMs on my phone for days at a time. That is after I have deleted the ones that I know I don’t have to listen to.
December 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
VM’s are stupid. This might come across as anti-social, but seriously anyone that likes VM has way too much time to spend on the phone. If I can’t multi-task while I am either on the phone, e-mailing, or txting then I am certainly overly involved in the current video game I am playing. I mean seriously consider my needs of getting a cross-map head shot.
To be honest if you leave me a VM I (a) either delete it the second I receive it, (b) ignore it until my mailbox is full so no other idiots can leave one, or (c) curse your name and your stupidity as you spend the next 60 sec – 5 min explaining your useless existence and why it is so inevitable that I call you back. SERIOUSLY hang up and call back a second time so I know that last head-shot to end my perfect CoD streak is worth giving up for something actually important. Maybe if you called back 3 times I would actually get out of the shower to answer your phone call.
After all this, just know my phone is only on vibrate so I always have the 1/2 truth of “Oh! I didn’t hear my phone!…Weird”. I challenge anyone to send me a VM that really truly persuades me to call you back with out listening. You can tell it is a Friday since I am taking this much time to rant on the VM topic.
DON’T SXT, OR TXT AND DRIVE!
PEACE!
December 15th, 2009 at 11:53 am
My voice mail saves me time every day. When that little red light on the phone starts buzzing and I’m in the middle of finishing up an important project, it lets me finish the project. A good VM prevents time hijacking…
December 21st, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I loved your post because I thought I was the only one. I have been known to ignore the Red Voicemail Indicator of Doom on my office (!) phone for weeks. Possibly over a month. It’s a shame I liken to living out of my clean laundry basket until there is nothing left to put away.
And now I’ve outed myself. How embarrassing.
But what I was *going* to say was how I had a similar outgoing VM message because for some time my phone wouldn’t let me call my voicemail. But “some time” was technically four days, and I left the message up for several months — long enough for people to follow directions and send me a darned email.
Love your stuff, Peter!
December 30th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I’ve actually filled up my own VM box with my own messages so no one else could leave one. That right there is a VMT of 0.
January 29th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
Yes, but as someone who spends HUGE amounts of time driving, I need VM. With bluetooth, I can answer the phone, listen to msgs, call people back, all safely through my steering wheel. Texts won’t get read or answered for hours!
If only other drivers would do the same – seriously tired of almost being hit by as***le drivers texting!!
January 30th, 2010 at 9:46 am
Dude! This post couldn’t rock any teeny tiny bit harder if it tried! I found myself wanting to quote pieces of it in my reply, but, then I wanted to quote too damn much of it! I just love it! I’m totally changing my outgoing message today! Booyah!!
January 31st, 2010 at 1:51 pm
I hear you Peter. I have been using Simulscribe for over a year now and have checked my voicemail maybe once in over a year. It is amazing how much time is wasted listening to voicemails. This service just transcribes the message and emails it to you so you can read it. Significantly easier and I highly recommend it!! Thank you to Tim Ferriss and the Four Hour work week for recommending it.