Voicemail is for dinosaurs?

[Hikergirl]

My youngest doesn't have his voicemail set up.
My older two set it up when they were looking for jobs.
However none of them make phone calls ever.

 

[soccerdad72]

My youngest doesn't have his voicemail set up.
My older two set it up when they were looking for jobs.
However none of them make phone calls ever.

Overall, I'd say the phone is just this seldom used app on most youth's devices these days.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Text>return call to # that called me>visual voicemail>email>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>listen to voicemail

And I'm what the kids these days would call "An Old."

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I recently changed cell phone providers for me and my 19-year old daughter. I was texting her about something and it started to get complicated so I called her to explain. She couldn't answer the phone so she declined the call and I went to voicemail. Which would have been OK, except she had no voicemail set up. I texted her that she should set up her voicemail and she said "No"!

Apparently it's a Millennial thing to hate voicemail and that has continued into Generation Z.

I feel like such a dinosaur. Do you or your kids shun voicemail?

There is just no need for it now that you can text.

 

[ChrisFL]

I have my phone set up where it converts the voicemail to text, so I can just read it like a text message...it's pretty accurate too (Verizon). I pay a couple of bucks a month for that, but it's worth it not having to spend time listening.

Another thing I hate...I have a looong time friend who's in his late 30's....I send him a text, instead of replying on text he always calls me....grrr. If I wanted to talk on the phone I would have called you!

 

[robinb]

There is just no need for it now that you can text.

Again, I'm a dinosaur. I can certainly text but it takes me so much longer to type out what I need to say than to call and leave a VM. I tried to use the voice to text option but that doesn't always work as planned, lol. I also feel like texting to much more personal.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Again, I'm a dinosaur. I can certainly text but it takes me so much longer to type out what I need to say than to call and leave a VM. I tried to use the voice to text option but that doesn't always work as planned, lol. I also feel like texting to much more personal.

Voice to Text

What you say.
Did you get back together with your ex?

The text that results.
let's get together for sex.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Again, I'm a dinosaur. I can certainly text but it takes me so much longer to type out what I need to say than to call and leave a VM. I tried to use the voice to text option but that doesn't always work as planned, lol. I also feel like texting to much more personal.

I used to feel the same way until I installed the SwiftKey keyboard. Makes input so much faster.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/swiftkey?rtc=1&activetab=pivot_1:primaryr2

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Do you or your kids shun voicemail?

We literally never use it.

The only vm I get is from doctors' offices or telemarketers! LOL!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I agree I wouldn't consider hat day an emergency, but I would want to know about a shutdown. In all of DS's years in school, we never received a "hat day" type call, during regular school hours. Those were always messages sent home with him. It appears the answer is to let the schools know that non-emergency information should be sent home with the child or communicated in some form after school hours. I'm really surprised that any school calls about regular activities, during the work day. DS attended five schools through high school & we never received a call like that.

Just to clarify, “tomorrow is hat day” wouldn’t be a during the day call. But, the shear volume of non-essential calls received from the school has a lot of people basically ignoring these calls.

 

[Southernmiss]

Interesting because I never said that. ???

I did disagree that most people can get texts at work (that is what you had said) and then explained the way I got messages. Obviously each family is different - which was my point in telling you that neither my husband or I could get texts at work.

And many more people do not access their cell phones during working hours. As a teacher, I did not. My husband is an engineer in a secure environment and can't even have his cell phone in his office. Both of us were to be contacted from a main office if a call came in that there was an emergency with our kids. It was much more foolproof than if we happened to be able to look at our phones. We didn't get messages left on our cell phones until after work, so it wasn't our first contact number. Anyone who uses their cell as their first contact would most certainly check to see why the school called, wouldn't they?

Obviously, the more methods of contact the better, but I think you have to look at costs/effectiveness, etc. as to whether the system changes are warranted yet.

When a school secretary is calling a parent for an emergency, I'm pretty sure most parents would WANT to talk to an actual person and not just receive a text. I can see the bad press now if a school just texted a parent their child was injured!

First sentence 2nd quote. 'Many more people...' I believe many can look at a cell phone for a quick moment.

Correct I did not specifically quote it exactly in my reply.

I stand by my response.

I do agree schools and parents need to agree on a good means of communication for the best interest of the child.

And there is new technology that could be easy to use, cost effective, and beneficial. Just saying "this is the way that has been used for XX years" is not a good answer.

The mimeograph machine went away when copy machines came into use. Technology has already opened new avenues for cheap communication.

Just to clarify, “tomorrow is hat day” wouldn’t be a during the day call. But, the shear volume of non-essential calls received from the school has a lot of people basically ignoring these calls.

And if the caller id does not identify the phone call as "So and So School" I won't answer the call at all. It will go to voicemail where I may or may not choose to listen to it.

A text would be easy-and the Remind texts (just got one) identify the teacher and class. If I received a text of "This is Mrs. Smith at So and So School. We need you to call please, as soon as you can." I guarantee a parent would be on that pretty quickly.

Our district recently hired a well respected TV reporter as their PR director. She has implemented many improvements in communication district wide. Our district has an app, a Facebook and a Twitter. Push messages about school closures and important info for the district is sent out across all means to reach the maximum number of families. All of the schools have Facebook and a messaging service that is used by administrators for school wide announcements. It is important for districts and schools to modernize their communication methods.

 

[mamamary]

Both my kids had to set up their voicemail because of their jobs. I think that is the only place they get calls from.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Just to clarify, “tomorrow is hat day” wouldn’t be a during the day call. But, the shear volume of non-essential calls received from the school has a lot of people basically ignoring these calls.

Do your kids go to super tiny schools? Only time I have ever gotten a call from the school was when my child was injured. I can't even imagine our admin assistants having the time to call parents of our 700 students about non-essentials.
In 10 years of my kids being at the school I've think I've received couple calls from the office both regarding sick/injured kids.

i do have a VM at work. I get the occasional missed call with a message. I work in healthcare so not everyone has access to a workstation.
I do have my VM set up on my phone but only my Mom and the dentist office leaves messages. I may get rid of it.
Easy to check it. No excuse to ignore a message.

 

[robinb]

Do your kids go to super tiny schools? Only time I have ever gotten a call from the school was when my child was injured. I can't even imagine our admin assistants having the time to call parents of our 700 students about non-essentials.
In 10 years of my kids being at the school I've think I've received couple calls from the office.

i do have a VM at work. I get the occasional missed call with a message. I work in healthcare so not everyone has access to a workstation.
I do have my VM set up on my phone but only my Mom and the dentist office leaves messages. I may get rid of it.
Easy to check it. No excuse to ignore a message.

We used to get robo-calls from my DD's school district for this and that. Absences, reminders of special events, etc. The one time she was injured (she tore her ACL in track practice) I got the call and was able to pick up right away.

 

[gotomu212]

Do your kids go to super tiny schools? Only time I have ever gotten a call from the school was when my child was injured. I can't even imagine our admin assistants having the time to call parents of our 700 students about non-essentials.
In 10 years of my kids being at the school I've think I've received couple calls from the office both regarding sick/injured kids.

i do have a VM at work. I get the occasional missed call with a message. I work in healthcare so not everyone has access to a workstation.
I do have my VM set up on my phone but only my Mom and the dentist office leaves messages. I may get rid of it.
Easy to check it. No excuse to ignore a message.

I wasn’t the poster you were quoting but ours are robocalls where they record a phone message and push it out to the 4000 or so contact numbers (kids, both parents). That’s why we laugh when school is cancelled every phone in the house goes off, while the text, and email notifications sound on 3 cellphones and 3 ipads....we always joke we’re either about to be hit by an asteroid or it’s a snow day.

 

[scrapquitler]

I recently changed cell phone providers for me and my 19-year old daughter. I was texting her about something and it started to get complicated so I called her to explain. She couldn't answer the phone so she declined the call and I went to voicemail. Which would have been OK, except she had no voicemail set up. I texted her that she should set up her voicemail and she said "No"!

Apparently it's a Millennial thing to hate voicemail and that has continued into Generation Z.

I feel like such a dinosaur. Do you or your kids shun voicemail?

In my house, it's my husband who won't use voicemail. It's set up, but he leaves his box full so nobody can leave him a voicemail, and he never checks it.

The 22 year old in the family has it set up and she uses it.

 

[CdnCarrie]

We used to get robo-calls from my DD's school district for this and that. Absences, reminders of special events, etc. The one time she was injured (she tore her ACL in track practice) I got the call and was able to pick up right away.

I wasn’t the poster you were quoting but ours are robocalls where they record a phone message and push it out to the 4000 or so contact numbers (kids, both parents). That’s why we laugh when school is cancelled every phone in the house goes off, while the text, and email notifications sound on 3 cellphones and 3 ipads....we always joke we’re either about to be hit by an asteroid or it’s a snow day.

Got it. No robocalls here. I do get an email alert if kids are late. They use an app for attendance.

 

[blana]

I'm 42. I have my voicemail set up on my cell phone & figure if you really want to get up with me, you'll leave a message. DH is 43 and while he had it set up on his cell, he didn't check the messages for YEARS so I quit trying to leave one. He recently told me he had finally cleared out the back log so people from work could get up with him so it was okay for me to leave them now. At work, we each have a personal line and I get voice mails on it all the time.

Honestly, I like voicemail. I can call and tell you all the details, and you can replay it if I talk too fast or delete it if you got the info needed. Much less complicated than texting and half the words being misspelled, etc.

ETA: our school is like the PP's robo call schools. We get calls on both cells, the house phone (yep still have one), plus both work phones. Plus texts and emails. And twitter notifications.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Do your kids go to super tiny schools? Only time I have ever gotten a call from the school was when my child was injured. I can't even imagine our admin assistants having the time to call parents of our 700 students about non-essentials.
In 10 years of my kids being at the school I've think I've received couple calls from the office both regarding sick/injured kids.

i do have a VM at work. I get the occasional missed call with a message. I work in healthcare so not everyone has access to a workstation.
I do have my VM set up on my phone but only my Mom and the dentist office leaves messages. I may get rid of it.
Easy to check it. No excuse to ignore a message.

It’s a robo-call.

 

[katie01]

Another thing I hate...I have a looong time friend who's in his late 30's....I send him a text, instead of replying on text he always calls me....grrr. If I wanted to talk on the phone I would have called you!

I hear you, but one caveat to that is that sometimes people are driving and (thank God) aren't going to text and drive, but they can talk over the phone hands-free. Also, sometimes there are things of a private nature that I'd much rather discuss over the phone than have a text record of. Sometimes things get forwarded or seen by the wrong person accidentally when it's written out in text form