How many times has one of the following happened to you?

• You call someone and get his voicemail telling you that he will be out of the office until July 6^th. The only problem is it’s September 8^th when you place the call.

• You call a big organization but still can’t get in touch with a living, breathing person no matter what combination of buttons you push, and you’ve already left three messages and received no returned phone call.

• Someone leaves you a message, but you can’t clearly hear her name or number. The only part of the message that is really understandable is that the call is urgent.

When he thought up the idea of voicemail in the late 1970s, inventor Gordon Matthews’ probably never imagined that more than two decades later people would still be abusing and misusing his would-be office miracle.

Those types of encounters are annoying, frustrating, and a total waste of time you probably don’t have. The worst part is they happen by the millions every day and show no signs of stopping.

If you use a telephone at work, chances are you’ve been to voicemail hell. It’s a horrible place, and unfortunately most of us know it well. The good news is there are some steps you can take to stay out of this hotspot.

the Quality of Your Outgoing Messages: If you give people information that can help them help themselves, you will get them what they need faster and save yourself time as well.

1. Identify your name, organization, and telephone number in your outgoing message. Example: “Hi, this is John Smith with ABC Corp at 212-555-1234.”

2. State that you are not available and any other important information. Example: “I’m out of the office today, January 3^rd. I will be returning January 5^th. I will not check voicemail until I am back. If this is an emergency or you need immediate assistance, please call Bill Withers at 917-555-6543.”

3. Tell people how to leave an appropriate message. That’s right: if you want good information, ask for it. Example: “Please leave a brief message stating how I can help you, along with your phone number, and I will call you back.”

4. If you prefer email, offer that as an option to callers. If you have an unusual name or company name, spell out the email address. Example: “You may want to email me at jsmith@abcco.com

5. To cut down on repeat calls if you work in a high-volume call area, state that you will return calls within 24 hours or whatever time period your organization’s policy on return calls requires.

6. If you update your message when you go out of town, don’t forget to update it again when you get back.

7. If your system allows callers to bypass your message by hitting the pound key, tell them that, especially if you have an unusually long message.