People Phone Service Message Home Company Answering Machine

There are several ways that people in the U.S. manage their calls when they can't answer the phone. In the workplace, people may have "voicemail," a service people can get from the phone company to record messages from people who call. There's nothing to install on the phone. Instead, the phone company's computerized system keeps your messages. When someone wants to hear their messages, he or she dials a phone number and types in a password.

Often, doctors and dentists, and other professionals who may need to be reached for emergencies, have an "answering service." An "answering service" is a company you hire with people who will answer your calls when your office is closed. The service can either leave messages for you to read when you return to the office, or call or "page" (send an electronic message to) you in an emergency.

People who have home telephone service may have an "answering machine," a machine you buy to record messages from callers. People can also subscribe to a voicemail service through the phone company and pay a small fee each month for this service at home. Even with the popularity of voicemail services, many people still prefer an answering machine because it allows them to "screen" their calls. "Screening a call" means to have the answering machine turned on even while you're at home so that you can hear the message that a caller leaves. If you decide you want to talk to this person, you can "pick up the call" and speak to them; if not, you can pretend that you are not home and allow them to continue leaving their message.