Returning Phone Messages

[westernrvparkow]

This is the off season for many RV Parks. Often you need to leave a message on an answering device to speak to a park employee. I have a few suggestions that will help that process.

1. Speak slowly, clearly, and repeat the phone number.
2. Include the area code when you leave that phone number.
3. Include your name in your message.
4. Include the reason for your call
5. Keep the background noise to a minimum, screaming kids and booming music won't speed up a callback or make it easier for us to understand your message.
6. Even if you are upset we didn't answer the phone, don't tell your spouse "They aren't $%&#ing, answering either" before leaving your message.
7. Leave a BRIEF message about what you are seeking, but please, don't leave an unpublished novel.
8. If you are calling to complain about one of our policies, it is best to wait until you are called back before starting your rant. I am very unlikely to return a call from someone who's message is "Why do you have the stupid policy that we have to have our dogs on a leash?"

We really do want to call you back, but nearly one out of every 5 messages in unintelligible. If you don't get a callback, it won't hurt to try again, because it is possible we couldn't understand your message, unfortunately it happens.

[noplace2]

DSDP Don wrote:
I see it differently. If you're running a business that is open from 9-5, answer the phone.

I could not agree with you more! If, during posted operating hours, I get a recording, I will be doing business with someone who will answer the phone.

[DSDP_Don]

Managing a retail store will most certainly be busier than an RV park and you're right, a customer in front of you would be more important. But.....how many customers did you lose by not having someone else answer the phone.

I've been to a LOT of RV parks over 40 years and most of the small mom and pop campgrounds just leave the office and do their thing. They show up later and hopefully return calls. This was fine 5 or 10 year ago, but customer service is more important than ever and technology can allow you to roam around without being tethered to an office phone.

Whenever I can, I try not to do business with companies that are too busy to take my call.

[TyroneandGladys]

DSDP Don wrote:
I see it differently. If you're running a business that is open from 9-5, answer the phone. In this day and age, it's pretty simple to link a business phone to whatever phone you're walking around with, even if you're doing repairs in the park or helping a camper at their campsite. At the end of the day, switch it back to the answering machine to handle after hour calls. When you do, take the time to review them a few minutes before you open for business.

On occasion we'll be on the road and select a couple of campgrounds from RV Park Reviews, the night before and then call them the next morning while driving, to see if they have room for the night. It's frustrating to get an answering machine and then have to wait hours for a call back. Sure, you can plan ahead, but often when just travelling, you don't always know how far you'll drive that day.

Managed Retail store for close to thirty years and my policy on the phone was very simple customers in the store more important than the one on the phone. Then AS SOON as there are no customers in the store start returning phone calls.
Think about it you are trying to check in after a long day and you stand there while they are talking on the phone.

[navegator]

Simple avoid the robo answering machine......press...... zero to get to a human.

That is what I do when I hear the sing song If you know your parties extension, or for English press 1, that triggers my immediate reaction to press 0.

This does not work with a regular answering machine, there you need to leave a message.

navegator

[mlts22]

It isn't the answering machine... it is the fact that a lot of people and businesses use them as a passive-aggressive cop-out where messages stashed on them are never returned. This is so common that people automatically assume getting an answering machine means to try calling back again.

As for frustrating answering machines, the ones that try to guide you by voice, cannot figure out what you are saying, then say, "please try back another time" are contraptions from a lower circle of Hell.

However, I wouldn't want to have this **** in the same sentence or paragraph as most RV parks. Virtually all I've interacted with do check their voice messages, so I do my part and leave a clear number, repeating the message to ensure it was received properly, especially on newer cellphones with worse call quality than the flip-phones from a decade ago.

[Lady_Fitzgerald]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I think when getting ANY answering machine, most folks immediately get frustrated! I know I do. What is worse, is to go through their automated voice mail system (push 1, 2 or 3. Now push 1,2, or 3. Now push 1, 2, or 3. Now push 1, 2, or 3...... please leave a messages!) Oh don't expect me to leave a very pleasant message. By then I am so frustrated I'm on the edge of stroking out!

I detest phone menus. I have ADHD and it's impossible for me to navigate those misbegotten things; the more menu layers, the worse time I have with them.

The one that irritates me the most, though, is being told to press 1 for English (or one of the many variants to accommodate Spanish speakers too lazy to learn English).

[navegator]

When giving the phone number to call back say each number clearly and enunciate it correct, say one as one and not something like hun and try not to bunch all the numbers as fast as you can, we do not know your number at all, if you want a call back make sure we can understand what you said in the first place, it is very simple:

After the machine answers and you hear the beep say slow and clear

My name is Xxx I'm calling for (reservation, product or what ever it may be that the caller needs) my phone number is area code X....X....X phone number is X...X...X---X...X...X...X

That way we have the basic message and a phone number that can be understood and will be called back, the delete button is very useful so as not to waste time trying to understand garbled pone numbers that turn out to be all wrong.

navegator

[DutchmenSport]

Hi, me again!

I was just thinking about this post and I remembered an event from my past. It made me so furious at the time, but after it was over, I laughed so hard I never forgot it.

"Ring, Ring, Ring" (Answering machine answers, but the caller REALLY doesn't realize this.)...

Answering machine: "Hello" (pause)
Caller, "Hey, this is Dave. Do you have any plans for Saturday afternoon, I just picked up a new ...."
Answering machine: "Hello! Hello! ... I can't here you. Would you please repeat that?" (answering machine pause again)
Caller, "Hey, this is Dave. Do you have any plans for Saturday afternoo, I just picked up a new ..."
Answering Machine. "I still can't here you. Would you just leave a message at the beep!" .... "BEEP!"

AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! (so cruel! But so funny!)

[DSDP_Don]

I see it differently. If you're running a business that is open from 9-5, answer the phone. In this day and age, it's pretty simple to link a business phone to whatever phone you're walking around with, even if you're doing repairs in the park or helping a camper at their campsite. At the end of the day, switch it back to the answering machine to handle after hour calls. When you do, take the time to review them a few minutes before you open for business.

On occasion we'll be on the road and select a couple of campgrounds from RV Park Reviews, the night before and then call them the next morning while driving, to see if they have room for the night. It's frustrating to get an answering machine and then have to wait hours for a call back. Sure, you can plan ahead, but often when just travelling, you don't always know how far you'll drive that day.

[wildtoad]

I hate it when someone takes the time to leave a message and then just says to "call me when you get this". Then when I do call them they want me to do something. It's much better to tell me what you want in the message.

[gbopp]

Fizz wrote:
There is nothing more frustrating than a long message with a garbled up phone number at the very end. You have to go through all of it again, hoping to catch it on the second try.

When someone does that to me, their message gets deleted immediately. If they call back I'll explain what happened. I don't waste my time trying to figure out what they're saying.
If I leave someone a message I give my name/number at the beginning and end of a very short message.

[Pangaea_Ron]

I usually give my name and phone number twice (once at the beginning, and once at the end) when leaving a message.

When I receive a message at home, I'll listen casually and then reach for a pencil and paper if needed. I then usually need to replay the message to get the phone number. I like it when the number is repeated (slowly) at the end so that I can write it down without repeating the message.

[2oldman]

Fizz wrote:
There is nothing more frustrating than a long message with a garbled up phone number at the very end.

You'd think after 40 years of using answering devices, people would eventually learn how to do it. Perhaps they don't have one themselves and have no idea how their gibberish sounds.

My usual offering? "702-xxx-yyyy, Chris, 702-xxx-yyyy". I see little reason to leave even a brief message since we're going to be repeating all of it on the phone.

I hope the OP has all those points spoken on his greeting.

[Fizz]

There is nothing more frustrating than a long message with a garbled up phone number at the very end. You have to go through all of it again, hoping to catch it on the second try.

[2oldman]

Use email. Much less confusing. Now that assumes the park will actually read it.
Parks often list an email addy as a token gesture to the wired world, but don't pay much attention to it.

I use the phone if there's no other way.