What an interesting thread to read. What I find most interesting is that many of us are one member or two member run businesses. We are individuals that are not only our clients' assistants, but our own assistant as well. In the corporate world, many business owners and executives have someone managing the phone for them. I actually did this often in almost every administrative, management and executive assistant role I was in. Routing calls, taking messages and also screening them so telemarketers don't get through - simply because the person I was answering calls for was in the middle of something or in the case of telemarketers, just didn't want to be bothered. Many VAs already do this for their clients too, in fact, I do this for one of them.

So, taking that into consideration, my voicemail is my assistant when it comes to telephone calls. While I do not have my ringer turned off, I do have Caller ID. When the telephone rings, I decide whether I want to answer the call or not (if it is a call I am answering for a client, I do pick-up). If I don't answer a call, it goes to my voicemail. Then messages are sent directly to my email. I can listen to them right away if I wish and then call back right away or at a later time.

Darlene

__________________
Darlene Victoria Gonzalez
The Voice & Vision Behind Your Business

Originally Posted by D_Victoria_Virtual_Assistance

If I don't answer a call, it goes to my voicemail. Then messages are sent directly to my email. I can listen to them right away if I wish and then call back right away or at a later time.

oooh! I want this! What program/service do you use to get your VM sent to your email?

__________________
Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

I probably should have explained voicemail to email a bit better. I get a notification email that a voicemail was received and an MP3 of the voicemail is included in my email notification. We have our telephone service through our cable company.

However, if you sign-up for Google Voice (I think you still need an invite for this), you can set it up so that your business number forwards to your Google Voice number (or vice versa).

You can then set it so the messages you receive, are sent directly to your email (almost like the email notification I explained above). The only difference is that in the email you receive, you click on a link to listen to the message in your web browser. You also receive a transcript (albeit sometimes not an accurate one) in the new voicemail notification.

I used my Google Voice number for the Holiday Sing-a-long I did for my podcast, because the service allows you to also download the voicemails in MP3 format.

There are other phone services out there that allow you to receive new voicemail email notifications with an audio file of the voicemail attached. You may want to check with your current telephone provider, because it is possible they offer the feature. They just don't advertise that they do!

__________________
Darlene Victoria Gonzalez
The Voice & Vision Behind Your Business

Thanks, Darlene! I will check into Google Voice!

__________________
Lily Chambers, The Virtual Office Goddess, LLC
Author "How to Do Your Own Small Business Bookkeeping"

Oh Darlene, I have Google Voice too and love that I can forward my calls anywhere. I also have a phone with voice caller ID so I can here the number/name of the caller so I can decide to pick-up or not.

Everyone has their own processes and that is the great thing about us is that we set our own rules. I am not a fan of automated phone calls but do understand if i get voice mail for someone. It just depends on how long it takes to return the call as to how I will proceed.

__________________
Lee Drozak
My Office Assistant

Vonage also sends voicemails to your email if you set it up that way. If you've got a cell phone as your primary business line you can also try YouMail.com. I don't use it for my business, but all my personal calls are on my cell. I can customize the message based on the phone number calling (Google Voice does this also) and voicemails are emailed to me. I can also call in to get the messages (just like any other voicemail) or go online and check them.

__________________
Sherra Scott

I'll third that idea--I get my VMs emailed to me as audio files with my toll-free Kall8 number.

__________________
AnnaLisa Michalski, Sunny Words Writing Services

When I call any business and do not get an answer I get annoyed! I am even near annoyance it the phone rings for too long, that is 3 or 4 rings plus. Answering is important but answering promptly also makes a big difference!

I don't know...maybe it's just me...but, I really don't mind getting someone's voicemail. I actually prefer it at times because I can leave a message with exactly what I'm calling about and the other person can be prepared for when they return the call. Helps with overall time management.

On the flip side, I really don't have a hard and fast rule about whether or not to answer the phone. I use my cell phone as my business line so it really just depends if I am in the middle of a project or if there are any background noises at the time that would be unprofessional.

For me, the question I quickly run through in my mind is whether or not I am able to convey a professional image by answering the phone at that particular time and in that particular circumstance. I always err on the side of portraying the best image possible and, sometimes, that just may be my voicemail.

__________________
Susana Sifuentes-Prieto
"A partner in your success - virtually... strategically... wholeheartedly."

I completely agree with Susana. I use my cell phone as a business line and I never answer if there is background noise or if I can't give the client my full attention. Sometimes voicemail is just better than what they would get otherwise!

wow - so many great things to consider. I am an email person because of the hard copy, CYA and history/continuity. Voicemail - hate phone tag, great I can leave a message and then sometimes I can get the answer in a message back as well. I NEVER answer my phone. I list it as voice message. ALL my clients have my cell and all know 1.) I prefer email 2) leave voice msg or email if don't have to talk to me or not in a hurry. I am able to screen my calls and triage that way. BUT I return calls a.s.a.p. with the information they need - or at least email/confirm receipt of the message and let them know I am working on it.

I have magicJack at home for my landline and it can go anywhere there is computer service. I only pay less than $20/yr and I have voice mail, v.m. that goes to email, call forwarding, conference calls etc.

I am sorry - I didn't phrase that correctly. All my clients have my cell phone. Primary contact then is my cell and email. If they don't have to talk and no access to email then go to my voice mail and I will return msg a.s.a.p.