Do we need voicemail any more?

Apparently, my headline writer only punches out questions today.

As prep for an upcoming workshop on virtual teams, I talked with the North American head of human resources for a global manufacturing company this week. She's got people in half a dozen locations, reports into the global head of HR in Europe, and spends a lot of time on planes and in conference calls. No surprises there and a great example of the need for better virtual teaming behaviors, spécialité de la maison.

What surprises me is this - her estimate that she receives perhaps three (as in one-two-three) voicemails a week. A week. Put that up against her daily dose of 100 emails.

When's the last time you got - or left - a voicemail? For me, it was with this exec. Instead of writing an email as our first communication (I'd been told to call her by someone in her organization and she was expecting to hear from me), I keyed in her number and got vmail. Moments later, she called back. Interesting technology. Leave message, receive response.

So I've been thinking. How many vmails do I actually receive? The dentist office calls to remind us of appointments - an actual person. The doctor's office calls and leaves a frightening message delivered by a robot: "This...iz...a...culll...forh...Jezzika...Leepnuck..." And every now and then, "Don't be alarmed!" says a very alarming voice. "There is nothing wrong with your account!" What account? Why the alarm? "To take advantage..."

Please, my friends, call me. Now I feel really terrible.

Comments

[Bob Flahy]

Ha! Good question, and someday voicemail might be phased out in favor of rapid text messages or something of that nature that can be read and responded to instantaneously (my main complaint with vmail -- you have to listen to it in real time. Who wants that?).

But, think about industry differences. I know lawyers who converse ENTIRELY via voicemail -- they never have live conversations with certain clients for whatever reason. Or think about small businesses that might take orders via voicemail (my wife runs one of these).

Plus, advanced voicemail often comes on the back of essential PBX features -- most of the entrepreneurs I know wouldn't give up their gotvmail accounts for anything. Virtual teaming and voicemail are often a package. So I think it'll always be around for whatever reason, even if it sooner or later gets marginalized -- cellphones sure ain't going anywhere.

[jessica lipnack]

Great point about the real-time nature of vmail, Bob, though, in fairness, it's not the sender's real-time :). And good one about leaving orders via vmail. Any chance I can entice you to be more specific about which companies find this essential?