Answering a phone call I missed & leaving a message to the voice mail

[HaraKiriBlade]

Here's the situation:

I wasn't there to take the call when somebody called today, and since most cellphones notify any missed calls with the caller's number, I phoned the number, not knowing whose number it is.

Well by the time I called whoever called me wasn't available either, and the familiar automatic voice message came up: "You've reached "blah blah masonry blah blah. Sorry I'm not here to take your call, but if you leave your name, phone number, the date of your calling, and a brief message I'll get back to you as soon as I can, thanks."

Well I left my message, but not without stuttering and pauses in futile effort to search for words to use.

Hi this is HKB, I don't know who I'm speaking to but I got a call from you and I wasn't there to take your call at the moment and I'm calling you back. And I have no idea who I'm taking the call from but... if you want to call me back, I... have school most of the day tomorrow but I'm available most of the time the day after. Well... the phone number is... you called me so you must have it.

This is sort of the message I left, and since I reconstructed what I 'said' on the phone to the best of my effort, it may not seem the most effective phone message you heard.

Here's my question: When I'm calling back the person that I don't know because the person called me, and the person seems to have called from a company of some sort (the voice message said 'something masonry association'), should I refer to him as 'you'? And is the phrase "I don't know who I'm speaking to" ok in this situation? I wasn't actually speaking to a person, but was leaving a message, wasn't I? I wasn't speaking to anyone, but that phrase was the only thing I was able to recall and put to use at the time.

See, I don't remember where exactly I was stuck while leaving the message at the time anymore. So I'll ask the following question, too.
If you were in my situation, what kind of wording would you use? how would you leave the message?

[MikeNewYork]

Originally Posted by HaraKiriBlade

Here's the situation:

I wasn't there to take the call when somebody called today, and since most cellphones notify any missed calls with the caller's number, I phoned the number, not knowing whose number it is.

Well by the time I called whoever called me wasn't available either, and the familiar automatic voice message came up: "You've reached "blah blah masonry blah blah. Sorry I'm not here to take your call, but if you leave your name, phone number, the date of your calling, and a brief message I'll get back to you as soon as I can, thanks."

Well I left my message, but not without stuttering and pauses in futile effort to search for words to use.



This is sort of the message I left, and since I reconstructed what I 'said' on the phone to the best of my effort, it may not seem the most effective phone message you heard.

Here's my question: When I'm calling back the person that I don't know because the person called me, and the person seems to have called from a company of some sort (the voice message said 'something masonry association'), should I refer to him as 'you'? And is the phrase "I don't know who I'm speaking to" ok in this situation? I wasn't actually speaking to a person, but was leaving a message, wasn't I? I wasn't speaking to anyone, but that phrase was the only thing I was able to recall and put to use at the time.

See, I don't remember where exactly I was stuck while leaving the message at the time anymore. So I'll ask the following question, too.
If you were in my situation, what kind of wording would you use? how would you leave the message?

Had I been in your situation, I wouldn't have called at all. It was probably a wrong number.

[Tdol]

I would just say that you are returning their call and leave a number and let them sort it out, though, like Mike, I wouldn't call back- I never return calls from unknown numbers.

[HaraKiriBlade]

Ok, but let's say I do want to call back and leave a message, just for the heck of it.

I basically want to say the following in a refined, civilized manner.

"I am HKB, I don't know who you are but you called me while I wasn't there to take your call, and if you want to call me back again you have my number, I have school tomorrow so it would be better to call me back the day after. bye."

This is why I asked questions regarding the use of 'you' when I'm leaving a voice message - people talk different English when they're on the phone: one such example would be referring themselves as "this is moot" as opposed "I am moot". But that is pretty much all I know, and once I read examples from native speakers of English I can employ the knowledge in other situations. Any help in this will be greatly appreciated.

[Tdol]

The use of 'you' is fine there.