I don't get it...24/7 accessibility, yet voice mail?
By coffeebreak
@coffeebreak (17798)
United States
June 22, 2011 9:55am CST
I don't get it. Here we are in the new millenium...instant communication, 24/7 accessibility...contact via, landline, cell phone, email, twitter, text message, and even snail mail. Everyone is "accessible" 24/7/365.....yet when I call someone...I get put to voice mail and have to wait for a return call - nearly 100% of the time! And when do I get the return call? That is anyones guess... could be today, usually its tomorrow, but not surprised if it isn't till the next day. I just don't get it. I can't get ahold of anyone, yet everyone has multiple ways of being contacted. This mainly goes for business's but most often, personal contacts to. I just don't get it. And I don't believe everyone is that busy that they are on "with someone else" so much that they don't have time to get back to me...business especially...do they want my business or not? People...they see who's calling on their cell phones, and don't want to talk to me now...so voice mail. Then why bother with the cell phone? Just have an answer machine at home, and check it when you get home. I just don't get it.
If you want to be accessible 24/7 and have all these new fangled gadgets to do so..why send people to voice mail?
3 people like this
4 responses
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
23 Jun 11
I think it's everybody's way of trying to re-claim a little bit of privacy. That, or selective-answering. Along with all of these gadgets came caller-ID, which enabled people to see first who's calling. And with it is a few seconds to decide if the person calling is worth answering right away. Else, then it can just go straight to voice mail.
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
23 Jun 11
Ergo my quandry...why have all the things to be accessible 24/7 if you are going to pick and choose who you want to be accessible to? On the personal level it isn't as bad, but on a business level.. I mean come on... aren't your customer important to you? I have taken my business elsewhere many times cause the place didn't bother to help or accomodate me. Why should I pay them to ignore me! I know to a point, sometimes you have to let things to go voice mail as if you are on the phone all day, you can't get your other work done, but to not return phone calls for days...especially when there are deadlines involved or monetary transactions is unacceptable. Set aside the last hour or so a daya to return calls. But don't just ignore your customers. This bank has lost my business...soon as this loan funds, I am closing my accounts and going elsewhere. All cause they couldn't bother to keep me informed about my own business.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
23 Jun 11
When I made my response above, I was just thinking of the personal phones, and personal calls. But you're absolutely right! There is no excuse for unmanned phones for businesses. The customer is still king, and voice mail responses just means the customer is not that important all the time.
2 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
22 Jun 11
" Why bother with a cell phone?" Is my mantra. I hate phones so the best way to get in touch with me is to email me. As soon as I get an email, I respond! I have hated phones even before there were cell phones.So if anyone thought they could get me by phone , they were so wrong.
2 people like this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
23 Jun 11
My problem with emails in this situation is that no one wants to pick up the phone and make the call to ask a question so the issue is done in minutes. No, they want to send an email to ask the question...who knows when the receiver will look at their email and answer, and then most likely ask a question back and possibly not even answer my question, cause they need additional information before they can answer. So they email back and this email back and forth goes on for days!
i am currently trying to get a home loan and that is all anyone does.. "ill shoot them an email"..and days go by and no one ever calls me back! I call them and they say "well I emailed them, let me email again...". Good grief! So I finally got the phone number of the person making the decision and called them, they answered in minutes and we moved on! Now, my problem is...no one is returning my calls! I just lost my 30 day notice cause no one would call me back with status and now for every day they dwindle around... it is costing me $57. And all cause someone didn't want to "take a call".
2 people like this
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
23 Jun 11
I'm so sorry. There is no such thing as customer service anymore! See I Know I would be terrible over the phone so I don't even think about that type of work , But these days it seems like many who Hate phones Are in this type of work!
1 person likes this
@danishcanadian (28953)
• Canada
23 Jun 11
I have e-mail, cellphone, hubby has a cellphone, we have a landline in Canada, and VOIP number in AZ which we have plugged in here in Canada, etc. No snail mail, thanks to the postal strike. I'm also on Facebook, and of course here on MyLot. However, I am not a slave to my communication devices. If I am not available to answer something, I don't answer it. I did not answer this one the moment it came in. I answered it when I found it in my massive pile of e-mail. If someone's not available to answer the phone etc. at the moment the communication is received, they will get back eventually. Remember, there is only one of them, and possibly many people trying to reach them.
1 person likes this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
23 Jun 11
If it is a personal call...okay. THats your call...but still... why have 24/8 access if you aren't going to answer it as soon as you get it?
I have a cell my daughter gave me on her plan cause I have her kid sometimes, and I carry it with me, but if it rings and I am doing something, I don't answer it. People say "arent you going to answer that?" when they hear it ring and I say, "no, I'm busy right now". T Hey look at me like I'm an idiot!
But I hate it when I am in line somewhere...long line, cause the person at the current transaction is on her/his cell phone, not paying any attention to their transaction or the cashier and we all in line have to wait till they get done on their phone to then complete their transaction.
But the big issue is business's. Again, they have 24/7 access yet I have to wait 2-3 days for a return call?
@hardworkinggurl (37063)
• United States
23 Jun 11
You are so right! See a business has one chance when it comes to a customer asking a question, therefore, sending them to voice mail and waiting perhaps 1 - 3 days to call back is too late. A business has a window of 1/2 these days as no one will wait anymore.
So I am not sure why they do this but sadly they do. It use to be where a call was answered by a human and now these recordings have sort of taken over.
Why send them to voice mail, I am sure it is the employee doing as I am also sure a business owner would not appreciate it. Though the business owner is not at the company to see what they are losing out on.
2 people like this
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
23 Jun 11
I know! First impression and all! I made a call to a handy man and he didn't return my call for 2 days! Did he want my business? He didn't say he was really busy, sorry he took so long to return my call...just said "returning your call". I am looking for another one. Why? This one didn't display any way,shape or form, that he wanted my business, therefore, i don't think he has any ambition to do a good job. He lost a customer.
THis bank that is doing my mortgage loan...soon as it is done I am closing my checking account and going elsewhere. THey just don't seem to care about their customers! And they are goig to be making lot of money off me! So they loose custoemer, I won't be recommending this bank to anyone and all over no return of a phone call., They can't even call and say "we have no answer yet". Nothing. And now it is costing me $57 a day for everyday until this loan goes to docs. And that is money I was hoping to have to put into improvements to the house!
1 person likes this
