Personal Voice Mail Etiquette
When setting up your personal voice mail, create a message that is as informative as possible so callers may respond accordingly. Practicing a few basic voice mail etiquette tips ensures your communication needs are met.
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Stating Your Name
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Although this is your personal voice mail message, you should still state your name in the message so that callers are sure they are contacting the correct person. State your name clearly, so that it is easy to understand, especially if business associates call you on your personal line.
Provide Instructions
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Politely instruct your callers to leave their name, number and a brief message. Some voice mail providers offer features that allow you to retrieve the caller's information when you check your messages.
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Vacation Messages
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If you plan to be out of town for a while, state this in the voice mail message so that callers know when to expect to hear from you. It is also proper etiquette to provide an emergency phone number in your message in case a friend or loved one needs to contact you.
Message Length
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Keep the voice mail message as brief as possible while including all the necessary information; most outgoing messages should not be more than around 10 seconds long. End the message a few seconds before the beep so that callers will be prepared to speak.
Checking Voice Mail
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While you do not have to check messages on your personal voice mail as frequently as you would on your work phone, it is still proper etiquette to return phone calls from friends and loved ones as soon as you can. This shows that you value their time and enjoy speaking with them.
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References
- Photo Credit telephone image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
