I suppose this is a little bit of a rant, and a little bit solid advice for improving relations with your business clients and customers—my tip of the day is to slow down when leaving voice mail and other messages! As someone who takes messages and gathers information on a regular basis, I have to admit that the individuals who slow down and leave careful messages are the ones most likely to get their calls returned.
It may seem very basic, but I can’t count the times I’ve been unable to return a call or message because someone said their phone number so quickly that it couldn’t be copied down, or a name was brutally misspelled because the individual left a speedy, garbled message. My suggestion is that it is a good idea to spell your name for the message-taker or machine, regardless of whether you think it is a simple name or not. It’s also a good idea to repeat your phone number—saying your number, including the area code, through twice, slowly—will definitely make it possible for the message to be passed on in its entirety.
My final business phone etiquette suggestion is to only say what you need to say to leave the message—save all the explanations and extra information for the actual phone conversation. Phone messages can get incredibly convoluted when the person leaving the message gives far too much information or tries to conduct an entire conversation on the voice mail. Leaving name, title, purpose, phone number and information about when you can be reached is plenty—Oh, and be sure to say who the message is for! Even if you think you’ve reached the right voice mail or party, saying who you’re trying to reach further clarifies your business just in case!
See Also: Impress Customers By Returning Phone Calls