The message that is no use at all
“Call Mr Martin back.” Who hasn’t found this kind of sticky note on their desk? Which Martin? On what number? About what? Is it urgent? The recipient ends up trawling through the call log, guessing, or calling back a number that lands in a stranger’s voicemail.
It is not a question of goodwill. The person who took the message was in a hurry, the caller spoke fast, and nobody had defined what a message should contain. The result is wasted time on both sides, and sometimes a customer annoyed at having to explain everything again.
Who is calling, and how to reach them
Identity is not limited to a name. You need the spelling when it is ambiguous, the company or the relationship with the business (existing customer, prospect, supplier, neighbour of a worksite) and, if possible, a reference: file number, job address, date of the last order.
The contact number is a fragile element. A number dictated quickly can easily end up with two digits the wrong way round; the simplest safeguard is to read it back aloud to the caller. Add the times when they can be reached, because calling someone back in the middle of a meeting just adds one more message.
The subject in one sentence, the deadline in plain terms
The subject should fit into one sentence that the recipient understands without context: “wants a quote to replace three windows on the first floor” rather than “question about windows”. This sentence makes it possible to prepare the callback, gather the documents or even pass the message on to a better-placed colleague.
The deadline is what allows prioritisation. This is not about the vague label “urgent”, which everyone risks ending up ticking, but about a fact: “has to sign the preliminary sale agreement on Friday”, “the guests arrive on Saturday”, “the water is still running”. A fact can be ranked; an impression cannot.
What has already been said, and who it is for
If the person who took the message has already given out information, a price, a timeframe or a promise to call back that day, it must be written down. Otherwise, the colleague calling back risks contradicting what was announced, and the business looks inconsistent.
Finally, a message must have a named recipient. A message addressed to “the team” or “the technical department” belongs to everyone, and therefore to no one. Naming who calls back also means naming who is responsible for closing the request.
Closing the loop
A message is not finished when it is written down, but when the caller has been contacted again. To handle its messages well, a team needs a single place where they arrive, a rule on callback times and a simple way of marking those that have been dealt with.
This discipline avoids two classic failures: the message called back twice by two different colleagues, and the one left languishing at the bottom of an inbox because everyone thought someone else was dealing with it.
A shared spreadsheet, a tracking tool or a dedicated inbox is enough, provided the whole team uses the same one. The worst setup is one where messages arrive on sticky notes, by text and in everyone’s personal inboxes all at once.
Messages taken even at three in the morning
Alyas helps build this kind of message: the voice agent leads the conversation, asks for the caller’s contact details and the subject of the call, then makes the transcript and summary of every call available in your client area. You can test it free for ten days on your own calls.
Frequently asked questions
What are the essential elements of a phone message?
The caller’s identity, a checked number with the times they can be reached, the subject in one sentence, the real deadline, what they have already been told and the name of the person responsible for calling back.
How can you avoid mistakes in phone numbers?
By always reading the number back aloud to the caller before hanging up. It is a simple, effective check when a number is dictated quickly.
Should you write “urgent” on a message?
It is better to note the fact that creates the urgency, such as a signing scheduled for Friday or an ongoing leak. A fact makes prioritisation possible, whereas an “urgent” label risks ending up on every message.