People don't listen to my answering machine message

When I was young, before I went and entered the world on my own, wrong numbers were a rarity at my family's house. Yes, they did happen occasionally -- but not terribly often.

However, when I found myself in Pittsburgh doing a contract job, I found it necessary to get an apartment. So I had a telephone, and because I spend too much time online, the phone line had voice mail. The original message went something like this:

Hi, this is Art. I'm either on the phone or not home right now, so please leave a message after the beep.

Within a day I had a message for "RSL Industries". They didn't leave a number, so I couldn't call them back. I deleted the message.

The next day, I had another message for "RSL Industries". Without a number. The message was something to the effect of, "Hey Dave, this is Chuck. I have some work for you to get done. Call me." Somehow, I don't think Art sounds like Dave. The message changed to this:

Hello. This is Art -- not RSL Industries. I am either on the phone, or not home, so please leave your name and number after the beep.

You might think that this stopped all calls for RSL Industries, but it didn't. I had someone leave a message asking me for their new number, like it was my fault. I had calls that were just the same as the first two. I couldn't make myself care, so I just deleted them.

The day I moved out of the apartment, I received a message that went as follows:

Hi, this is Joyce calling for Jim and Carol. We're planning to meet you at 6pm at Frameworks for dinner. See you there.

It was deleted too.

I discovered, upon moving in with my wife, that she had a similar problem. So I created a new message:

Hello, you are fortunate enough to be hearing Art and Steph's answering machine. If your call is not for Art or Steph, you probably have the wrong number. Please leave your name and number after the beep, and we'll call you back.

Real specific. I didn't think anyone could screw up what I said there. I don't have a thick accent or anything, and I spoke slowly. But last night, when we got home from a trip:

Hi Rob, this is Carol. I'm willing to give you another chance sweetie, so call me back, ok?

Aargh!

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Names were changed to protect the guilty in the above node.

My story is simplier, but it was annoying never the less..

I had voice mail as oppose to a machine, if the phone was busy, voice mail picked up. And with voice mail I can't hear if someone is leaving a message

My busy messgae used to say...

"Hi, this is Susie's voice mail box, I am on the other line right now, please leave me a message"

Key phrase.. I am on the other line... SO NOT AN ANSWERING MACHINE!!!

And yet every damn day I would get messages like..

"Alo?, ALLO? Susie? Can you hear this? PICK UP THE PHONE? I KNOW YOU ARE THERE..ALLO? "

Now think about it for a minute... That makes no sense...

I also have had similar experiences. The number of occurances lessened somewhat after I started including my name on my answering machine message, but I still get a fair share of non-paying-attention wrong number calls. Not only do I get calls for Jason, the guy who had my phone number at the fraternity before I did, I also get calls for Corey, who lived in the same room I did--but with a different phone number. Those always baffle me.

A large portion of these wrong-number calls are from telemarketers--they usually have you on hold until your message ends, thus missing your message and the point entirely.