Do you still use voicemail? Do you think there's a better alternative?

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willemmuller

Member
Location
London
Hi Electricians


I'm an app developer, exploring pain points around phone usage within the trade industry. Do you think voicemail is the optimal solution to a missed call?


Alternative solutions solutions I can think of...
- presenting caller with option to see your current location you are when you can't take the call
- an automated service that lets callers browse for gaps in your online calendar to schedule a viewing


Are you satisfied with the current solutions around voicemail and missed calls?


Regards
Willem
 

iwire

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Massachusetts
Generally we keep the forum closed to those outside the trade but in this case it might end up benefiting the trades.

That said, if you try to sell your product here the posts will be removed and you will be shown the door.
 
Do you think voicemail is the optimal solution to a missed call?
Sure, works quite well.

Alternative solutions solutions I can think of...
- presenting caller with option to see your current location you are when you can't take the call
I'd never let a random caller know where I am, it's none of their business. Might tell a few people, but that would be spouse and maybe the boss.

- an automated service that lets callers browse for gaps in your online calendar to schedule a viewing
What would they gain from that? What would I gain? More importantly, what would I loose? No.

Are you satisfied with the current solutions around voicemail and missed calls?
Yes, for me v/m works well. If you need something fancier, google voice has those features. This is not problem that's suited to a handset-based application.
 

iceworm

Curmudgeon still using printed IEEE Color Books
Location
North of the 65 parallel
Occupation
EE (Field - as little design as possible)
.... Do you think voicemail is the optimal solution to a missed call?
Yes - If I'm not in my office, there is a reason. If my cell is off, there is a reason

Alternative solutions solutions I can think of...
- presenting caller with option to see your current location you are when you can't take the call
No - What! (typed with great increduilaty) See the one above
- an automated service that lets callers browse for gaps in your online calendar to schedule a viewing
No - The phrase "Leave a message and I'll call back" means I'll select the gap
Are you satisfied with the current solutions around voicemail and missed calls?
Yes

"Pain points"? Now that is some interesting jargon
 
Last edited:

willemmuller

Member
Location
London
Thanks @iwire for letting me ask the question

I don't have a product that I'm selling - just exploring if there's a need for anything like this among trades people.

And I think the feedback so far from the members says voicemail works just fine ;)

Willem
 

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
For now live person answering the phone is the best and as back up voice mail works fine.

There is no need for them to know where we are at. Besides if they call the company land line it will not help them (the customer) to show where the office is.

You may think about this, If the call goes to a voice mail give the customer the option of sending an email after leaving a voice message.

Or after leaving a message they get a coupon popped up on their phone.
 

John120/240

Senior Member
Location
Olathe, Kansas
Or after leaving a message they get a coupon popped up on their phone.

I'm no computer whiz, But with a smart phone if the e-mail address showed up automatically on the screen it might be a plus. If I had to manually listen & then write e-mail address with pencil & paper whats the point ?
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
I understand not all the rest of the world operates like I do, but I already have my established customers that I possibly drop what I am doing when needed if they have a problem. I don't need to give any random person my location, and quite frankly there are times they just don't need to know period, I like to think I am a human being and not a machine. I am self employed, but if I had an employer, it may be ok for the employer to know where I am at - while on duty, otherwise it is typically none of their business when off duty, did I mention I am not a machine? We already have technology in some trades or professions that do track locations. Many truck drivers or anyone that works out of a vehicle have technology in the truck that tells the dispatcher where the truck is - some maybe don't know real time location but is updated pretty frequently so you know pretty close to where they are.
 

Fulthrotl

~Autocorrect is My Worst Enema.~
Hi Electricians


I'm an app developer, exploring pain points around phone usage within the trade industry. Do you think voicemail is the optimal solution to a missed call?

yes. a live person is nice, but not necessary.
voicemail and text are interchangeable. email is best.

i use youmail on ios. it's overkill. the only thing it's got
going for it is i can take all my spam marketing calls, and
put them into a contact called PFC, and assign it a very
special ringtone, and special voicemail, saying the previous
owner of this phone number has entered the witness protection
program, and is unavailable.

Alternative solutions solutions I can think of...
- presenting caller with option to see your current location you are when you can't take the call

absolute fail. if i want someone to know where i am, i call them and tell them.

- an automated service that lets callers browse for gaps in your online calendar to schedule a viewing

no freaking way. how busy i am is my business.

Are you satisfied with the current solutions around voicemail and missed calls?

yes.


Regards
Willem

...
 
VM works fine.
Text/email are already fine alternatives.
Nobody should automatically know where I am located.
I need to schedule all my appointments personally. (That may work for a large service type company)

The only improvement to voicemail I can think of would be having the customers phone give them a shock if they don't reference WHY they want me to call them back.
 

1793

Senior Member
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Occupation
Inspector
VM works fine.
Text/email are already fine alternatives.
Nobody should automatically know where I am located.
I need to schedule all my appointments personally. (That may work for a large service type company)

The only improvement to voicemail I can think of would be having the customers phone give them a shock if they don't reference WHY they want me to call them back.

LOL

VM and texting are all I need. I agree with others on many of their thoughts and reasoning.
 
Google voice works for me

Google voice works for me

I use Google voice, and when there's a call I can't get to, miss, or phone is turned off, the calls go to my G Voice account, get posted as an email with Google's best voice to text conversion, I get a text of that voice to text translation, and my phone has an app that I can listen or read the v mails. Also my office can see, read, & listen to the v mails as well to help maintain accuracy and efficiency.

Hi Electricians


I'm an app developer, exploring pain points around phone usage within the trade industry. Do you think voicemail is the optimal solution to a missed call?


Alternative solutions solutions I can think of...
- presenting caller with option to see your current location you are when you can't take the call
- an automated service that lets callers browse for gaps in your online calendar to schedule a viewing


Are you satisfied with the current solutions around voicemail and missed calls?


Regards
Willem
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
the app should have an option where it sends people who have set their caller ID to private direct to voice mail.

It should also have the option to send anyone from a specific list direct to voice mail.
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
I sometimes can't understand some customers when they're saying their address or return phone number. Some customers I'll ask to repeat it Like D as in dog, A as in Apple. etc... Sometimes their accent is so thick I can't understand the letters. In that case I ask them to text it to me.
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
petersonra ''The app should have an option where it sends people who have set their caller ID to private direct to voice mail.

It should also have the option to send anyone from a specific list direct to voice mail''


Some blocking apps already do that.




( FWIW My reply with quotes is not working)
 

Steve Sink

Member
Location
NC
I think that voicemail works just fine. When I get a voicemail, i check it. But, I do not leave voicemail and I think that there are many people out there now who no longer send voicemails, especially the younger people. I think that as time goes on people will doing more and more with text messages and email. Personally, I would rather have a text or an email because most of the time they are short and to the point and I do not have to worry about whether or not I can understand what the person is saying. Most of the time, I tell people to just text me.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
the app should have an option where it sends people who have set their caller ID to private direct to voice mail.

It should also have the option to send anyone from a specific list direct to voice mail.
Should also be able to detect marketing calls and tell the caller where to stick it:happyyes:

I think that voicemail works just fine. When I get a voicemail, i check it. But, I do not leave voicemail and I think that there are many people out there now who no longer send voicemails, especially the younger people. I think that as time goes on people will doing more and more with text messages and email. Personally, I would rather have a text or an email because most of the time they are short and to the point and I do not have to worry about whether or not I can understand what the person is saying. Most of the time, I tell people to just text me.
I think text messaging is fine for sending simple request or simple answer to a question or just an informational note.

What I hate about text messaging is when I am trying to work and someone wants to keep the conversation going, or those that think they have to send a message about what they are doing, what they saw, etc. every few minutes - how the hell do these people ever get anything done. Some days I just leave the phone in the truck and only check it every couple hours for messages or missed calls, or I wouldn't get anything done but mess with the stupid phone.

When can you come? -- A lot sooner if you ever let me finish what I am doing now.
 
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