Listen To The Message FIRST

[HYHYBT]

They can do the same with a voice mail, and in both cases, some people, for some reason, take it as incredibly rude if you don't read/listen to their message RIGHT NOW and respond immediately, never mind that you might be busy, or even in a place where having your phone on would be inappropriate.

[Sunsetsky]

That drives me up the wall when it happens with clients at my work. Sometimes our vets will leave a long detailed voicemail about a pet who is currently at the clinic or returning a client's call who had a question. Hours later we get a call back from the client saying:

"Yea...someone from there called me."
"Were you expecting a call back from us?"
"I think so..."
"Was there a message left for you?"
"Yea."
"Did you listen to it?"
"Well...no...I just saw that you called."

Usually the vet is with a patient and can't come to the phone so we tell the person to listen to the damn message.

[Exaspera]

That drives me up the wall when it happens with clients at my work. Sometimes our vets will leave a long detailed voicemail about a pet who is currently at the clinic or returning a client's call who had a question. Hours later we get a call back from the client saying:

"Yea...someone from there called me."
"Were you expecting a call back from us?"
"I think so..."
"Was there a message left for you?"
"Yea."
"Did you listen to it?"
"Well...no...I just saw that you called."

Usually the vet is with a patient and can't come to the phone so we tell the person to listen to the damn message.

THIS is the main thing that drives me crazy. Thank you!

[Hyena Dandy]

If someone leaves a message that says "Call me back" I figure that whatever else they said in the message isn't the entirety of their thoughts.

And I assume "Did you call" isn't an honest inquiry. Its sort of like an equivalent of 'hi'

[freeatlast]

I do collections and most of the time have to leave a message. My messages specifically include the customer's account number so that when the customer calls back, the person taking the call does not have to perform a lengthy search for the account. When I answer an incoming call, the first thing I ask is for the account number that was left in the message. And...about 90% of them say "I didn't listen to the message - I just saw that you called." So then you begin the call by spending several minutes searching for the account before you can tell them the reason that we called.

[Red Panda]

I think its acceptable to call without listening to the message if the person just called. Like you didn't reach your phone in time or its less then a few minutes later. In my mind calling back that quickly is just like answering the phone