If you’re calling your former employer to track down a payroll check, and you get voicemail, do not leave a message where you manage to both ramble in Valley Girl-ese and speak so quickly that they can’t entirely understand your name or your mailing address (“Oh mah God, where’s my paycheck?”). Take your time. Spell your last name (especially if it is pronounced differently from how it looks). And most important – INCLUDE YOUR PHONE NUMBER. And maybe, if you’re feeling generous, include your area code.
I tell ya, it’s really like herding lobotomized cats sometimes.