While calling to schedule a doctor’s appointment, I was greeted with a rather long recorded message that I imagine contained their most frequently asked questions. However, one segment of the recording really baffled me. In between a variety of potentially relevant info, the recorded voice said “Our phone number is…” and proceeded to read out the digits.

Why on earth would you take the time to tell people your phone number when they obviously just called it? That’s like putting your driving directions on the wall, where they’re only visible to people who already managed to find the place. No matter how you look at it, the takeaway is the same. If the context dictates that customers already know something, don’t waste their time by restating the obvious.