Voicemail...

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

For some reason, voicemail has never caught on in China. What's the deal? In the US, there is voicemail on everything. I became rather dependent on it both at the office, and when trying to reach someone on their cell. When you ask someone in China about voicemail, you get a blank stare. They don't seem to know what it is, or even understand the need for it.

 

[GZBILL]

For some reason, voicemail has never caught on in China. What's the deal? In the US, there is voicemail on everything. I became rather dependent on it both at the office, and when trying to reach someone on their cell. When you ask someone in China about voicemail, you get a blank stare. They don't seem to know what it is, or even understand the need for it.

 

 

I never could quite understand it either.

 

If your phone or cell phone is switched to voice mail, 99.999% of the time people just hang up without leaving a message.

Edited May 21, 2009 by GZBILL (see edit history)

[whome?]

I never understood it either but I think it has to do with the fact most beleive you should always answer the phone regardless of what you are doing.

 

When I explained to my wife that I used voice mail to screen calls when I am busy or doing something I do not want to be bothered by outside distraction you would have thought I was telling her I would kill a person .... she was apalled that I would even consider not answering the phone (as long as I know who it is of course).

 

Maybe it is a respect thing ...

[Sebastian]

Yup - totally different setup.

 

The phone is important, always must be answered.

 

If you work for a MNC, there's a big chance there is a voicemail system on yer worksite. Otherwise, the 'point' is lost.

[Zhou Zhou]

It is different from our ways....but my lao po caught on right away. She would leave messages and also tell me to meet her at Yahoo, etc. ZZ

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

I never understood it either but I think it has to do with the fact most beleive you should always answer the phone regardless of what you are doing.

 

When I explained to my wife that I used voice mail to screen calls when I am busy or doing something I do not want to be bothered by outside distraction you would have thought I was telling her I would kill a person .... she was apalled that I would even consider not answering the phone (as long as I know who it is of course).

 

Maybe it is a respect thing ...

 

That's true. There were plenty of times I may have been in the middle of something at work, or home, and simply didn't want or have time to answer. I knew there was voicemail, and anyone calling would leave a message if important. Otherwise, I would see the missed call and call back later.

 

Cell phones are like an accessory in China. Seems like everyone has one. When I'm traveling on the subway, or bus, everyone's got their phone in their hand pushing buttons on it and doing something.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Yup - totally different setup.

 

The phone is important, always must be answered.

 

If you work for a MNC, there's a big chance there is a voicemail system on yer worksite. Otherwise, the 'point' is lost.

 

No voicemail at the office, which was a big surprise to me, as it's not difficult to configure. It just seems that Chinese people are not much interested in it; at least at this point.

[david_dawei]

It seems a pragmatic choice to me... I get it.. voicemail cannot be trusted; talking directly to a person can be.

 

If no answer; just call back a few times; let the person on the other line have time to try to answer again.

 

It's a two way street; those calling only want to talk to someone; those answering know the coin may be on the other side one day and so want to answer.

 

In many US settings a phone being "on" is considered rude and meet with stares if someone's is ringing during certain sitations.

 

But in chinese circles, this isn't the case; I've seen in yoga or Taiji class, where some silence and attention to a teacher is expected.. the phone is still often on and answered. Whereas a US teacher might chide someone with "turn off the phone", I instead heard my chinese teacher say, "please answer your phone" !

 

Thinking about Jin's Taoist topic.. it may carry some form of respect for others too...

Edited May 21, 2009 by DavidZixuan (see edit history)

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

It seems a pragmatic choice to me... I get it.. voicemail cannot be trusted; talking directly to a person can be.

 

If no answer; just call back a few times; let the person on the other line have time to try to answer again.

 

It's a two way street; those calling only want to talk to someone; those answering know the coin may be on the other side one day and so want to answer.

 

In many US settings a phone being "on" is considered rude and meet with stares if someone's is ringing during certain sitations.

 

But in chinese circles, this isn't the case; I've seen in yoga or Taiji class, where some silence and attention to a teacher is expected.. the phone is still often on and answered. Whereas a US teacher might chide someone with "turn off the phone", I instead heard my chinese teacher say, "please answer your phone" !

 

Thinking about Jin's Taoist topic.. it may carry some form of respect for others too...

 

So very true David, regarding leaving cell phones on all the time, with a loud ring, and answered in any and all situations. I've made several trips on the train between Nanjing and Shanghai. It's about 2 1/2 hours each way. So, when you've got to go there and do business, then get home the same day, you can get a little tired. Invariably, there is always someone, if not just about everyone using their cell phones during the entire trip. Phones ringing, then, you hear a loud, "Wei," (hello in Chinese) proceeded by what seems to be a conversation being carried out on the tarmac of a major airport.

 

Cell phones are very important here. When you're on the subway, if someone doesn't have a newspaper in their hand, they are sitting doing something with their cell phones. Most Chinese don't seem to much like sitting quietly. They are busy, and always going.

[Guest Tony n Terrific]

Voice mail was designed for people who do not wish to visit with sales people and government employees. Why is our econonomy in shambles?Sales people can not see their buyers because of this.

[Randy W]

Voice mail was designed for people who do not wish to visit with sales people and government employees. Why is our econonomy in shambles?Sales people can not see their buyers because of this.

 

Most of them are smart enough to not waste time with people who don't want to listen - they'll just hang up without leaving a message.

[Guest ShaQuaNew]

Voice mail was designed for people who do not wish to visit with sales people and government employees. Why is our econonomy in shambles?Sales people can not see their buyers because of this.

 

Most of them are smart enough to not waste time with people who don't want to listen - they'll just hang up without leaving a message.

 

 

The thing about voicemail though, is if you're busy, and you need to reach someone, you can call, leave a message, and be done with it.

[Zhou Zhou]

>>Cell phones are very important here. When you're on the subway, if someone doesn't have a newspaper in their hand, they are sitting doing something with their cell phones. Most Chinese don't seem to much like sitting quietly. They are busy, and always going.<<

 

Very true about Chinese folks keeping busy...in the bars there are games and they always can resort to "rock, paper, scissors"...I recently was on a domestic hop and there was a guy that was yelling into and would not get off his cell prior to take off...I grabbed the flight attendant (that could have been a Chicago Bear Guard) and he took care of it.

[Bert]

If I don't call my fiancee before she goes to bed, she calls me at work. If I am leading a meeting, I can't answer. She will call several times and I just have to ignore. She gets pissed and says, "Work's more important than me!" She just doesn't understand. She expects me to answer the phone no matter what, if only to say, "I will call you back later." She doesn't mind leaving messages telling me I had better call her back ...lol.

 

It can be annoying in a cinema when people answer their phones in China. When I pay up to $15 a piece to watch a crappy movie, I expect to be able to hear it.

[jsa23]

Phones ringing, then, you hear a loud, "Wei," (hello in Chinese) proceeded by what seems to be a conversation being carried out on the tarmac of a major airport.

 

This is probably what gets me more than anything - not the answering of the phone, as much as the talking at a volume level about 5 times louder than necessary. I don't know if it's a way of showing that "THIS CONVERSATION IS VERY IMPORTANT" or it's something else, but I do find this irritating.

Edited May 23, 2009 by jsa23 (see edit history)