More Americans Say: ‘No Voicemail, Text Me’

The number of people who are leaving voicemail messages on phones is down 8 percent in July compared to a year ago, reports Vonage, an Internet phone company.

The finding affirms a behavioral shift that has been taking shape: Fewer people are showing a preference for voicemail and opting for text to send and retrieve their messages.

More people say "they hate the whole voicemail introduction, prompts, having to listen to them in chronological order," says Michael Tempora, Vonage’s senior vice president of product management.

In an effort to try to save voicemail, some companies are rolling out new voicemail transcription services, which convert voicemails to text that are then sent either via e-mail or text messages.

A USA Today article notes that “as with most declining technology, the exodus [of voicemail] is led by younger, more impatient users who are quicker to embrace alternatives.” Also, more people are turning to texting apps to add to their phones like WhatsApp and Google Voice, which allow a way around extra charges by their wireless carrier for sending and receiving texts too.

Source: “Voice Mail in Decline with Rise of Text, Loss of Patience,” USA Today (Sept. 3, 2012)