Everyone has, at one time or another, had to place a phone call they wished they could avoid. Perhaps you would like to avoid hearing your supervisor`s voice when calling in sick (because you are actually just sick of work). Maybe you made a promise to call an old friend you bumped into on the street (but the reason you have not spoken in years is because you never liked them in the first place). Then, there is the uncomfortable I will call you that follows a spectacularly unsuccessful date.

In any of these cases, it`s practically a given that each digit of the phone number is punched with an emphatic please do not answer Yet those always seem to be the types of calls that are answered on the first ring. A good majority of today`s cell phone users have voicemail. Would not it be a blessing if some of those uncomfortable calls could be sent directly to voicemail without running the risk of them being answered at all?



In many cases, the good news is that now they can generally between two phones using the same service provider (such as Verizon to Verizon or T-mobile to T-mobile). With some systems, you call in as though you would like to check your own messages. Within the system options, there is an option to record a message. At this point, you enter the other party`s cell number, record the message and then send. They receive your message without their handset ever ringing. Its relatively easy to use, whether you are a SuperGeek or completely electronically challenged.

In addition to this method, there is also the option to use a direct-to-voicemail service. MobileSphere, a communications technology organization, offers a service called Slydial. Currently available in the United States only, a user calls the Slydial number and, at the prompt, enters the U.S. cell phone number of the person they wish to message. The call is sent directly to voicemail, avoiding any unpleasantness. Some might call this sly, others will call it courteous.