I am amazed how many people leave a message on my office voicemail asking me to call them back without leaving me their phone number so I can do so. Maybe they assume I have caller ID on my office network phone. I don’t.

Others call and leave a slow and lengthy two-minute message and then scramble their phone number in 2 seconds at the end at auctioneer speed. They call me later with another message, angry I have not called them back — and then they don’t leave a phone number at all.

This happens more often than you might imagine and is why my voicemail message encourages people to send me an email for faster service. And, yes, I leave my email address on the message.

Several years ago, I learned our office voicemail system would allow me to set the length of the message time. The shortest option was 30 seconds, and that seemed reasonable to me. What I learned was that the vast majority of callers who were leaving messages could not do so in 30 seconds or less, even when I warned them of the time limit on the message. So, these callers would then leave two or three messages. That was not the result I was seeking.

I received great advice during training several years ago about leaving voicemail messages. The presenter said to clearly state your full name and phone number… twice… at the beginning of every message, as the people you are calling become frustrated when having to listen to long-winded messages while waiting for your contact information. And he said to leave your email address in the message, too. Bingo.

Willy Müller started this mess. He invented the first automatic answering device in 1935 with a 3-foot-tall machine. In 1960, the Ansafone, created by Dr. Kazuo Hashimoto for Phonetel, was the first answering machine sold in America. In 1971, PhoneMate introduced one of the first commercially viable answering machines, which weighed 10 pounds, screened calls and held up to 20 messages on a reel-to-reel tape.

Several decades ago, my dad ran a small business in a small town and didn't have an office phone. His customers caught him when he was at lunch or at his shop or at church and would ask him to do work for them. Others would call him on his home phone. I thought he might appreciate an answering machine, so I bought him one. I could tell by the look on his face that he thought this was the worst gift a person could receive. A few weeks later, he told me, “You know, I think I am getting more business as a result of this thing.” Unless, of course, the caller didn’t leave a call-back number.

Despite all the improvements in technology, some things never seem to change.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, and thanks for reading.

Shane Goodman                                                                                    President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305
www.thedailyumbrella.com

See Shane Goodman's other columns here.

FOOD DUDE
Centro — grandeur salvaged

By Jim Duncan

From today’s perspective, Centro proved to be perfectly named. It is the heart of downtown now. But it seemed like an eccentric pipe dream at the turn of the millennium. In fact, the Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson building that houses it, then the Masonic Temple, was on the hit list of powerful players including the mayor, his architectural advisor and chauvinists of the Chipperdale library next door.

City Council meetings then were raucous affairs religiously attended by activists for preservation led by firebrand Nan Stillians and her enthusiastic posse. They held things up long enough for two voices with clout to notice. Against the advice of most of their business friends, Harry and Pam Bookey determined to save the Temple from the wrecking ball.

650 16TH ST., DES MOINES
SALE DATE: 2024-07-10
SALE PRICE: $2,315,000
SELLER: BRADY COOPERATIVE HOUSING ASSOCIATION
BUYER: THE BRADY LLC
ACRES: 0.642
SQUARE FEET: 19,107

New again
Residents share their home renovation experiences.

By Sean Dengler and Jackie Wilson

For many homeowners, the day comes, sooner or later, when they look around their abode and wonder when the carpet was ever stylish, the wall color ever stunning and the layout ever functional. They realize new curtains, throw pillows and artwork won’t be enough to freshen things up, and the only solution to the weary look of their home is to bite the bullet and invest in some major improvements. And, when the work is done, their home — and enthusiasm for it — feels new.

Creating the perfect closet
Deciding what home improvement projects one wants to tackle can be based on a variety of reasons. When Nga Vuong decided to update her closets, it was for practical reasons.
“I decided to redo my closets because I wanted a more organized and efficient space that fit my lifestyle,” she says. “Over time, I realized that my old closets weren't making the best use of the space and felt cluttered.”
It took time before Nga decided to take action.

These celebrities were born on this date: Bella Hadid, Landon Barker, Megan Moroney, Tyler James Williams, Ben Shelton, George Kittle, Louis Hynes, Lecrae Moore, Cole Preston, Jacob Batalon, Sharon Osbourne, Any Gabrielly, Liam Woodrum, Scotty McCreery, Steve Burns, Steve Burns, Tony Shalhoub, Brandon Routh, Sean Lennon

SUBMIT: Send your birthday greetings and congratulatory notes to: tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

The answer to yesterday's riddle:

Why was the robot couple’s anniversary in the fall? BECAUSE THEY WERE AUTUMN MATED (AUTOMATED)! - Gail Tomlinson, William Snyder, Shane Goodman, Jolene Goodman (Credit for close enoughs!)

Today's riddle:

What do you call a lazy kangaroo?

Have a guess? Email tammy@iowalivingmagazines.com

To advertise in the Daily Umbrella or the Johnston Living magazine or weekly, contact:

Andrea Hodapp
Account Executive
Office: 515-953-4822 ext. 322
Mobile: 515-883-0523
andrea@iowalivingmagazines.com

©Big Green Umbrella Media, Inc., all rights reserved.
www.biggreenumbrellamedia.com. Add webmaster@dmcityview.com to your address book to ensure delivery. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Click here to get it delivered to your inbox for FREE!