“Hey, it’s me.”

When you start a conversation or, worse, start a voicemail with “Hey, it’s me,” you’re being extremely rude to the person you’re leaving the message for or speaking to. Yes, in this day and age of Caller ID, they probably know or can figure out who called, but maybe not. You were thinking of them when you called them – that’s why you called – but they weren’t necessarily thinking of you. Their mind could be very focused on something or someone else, and it’s very hard for them to jolt out of their thoughts and figure out which of their inconsiderate friends “me” is. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a time and a place for “Hey, it’s me,” if you really want to use it. If you speak to someone every day at basically the same time, or if they answer the phone with a tone that indicates that they know it’s you on the other end, then it’s perfectly fine to identify yourself as “me.” But when you’re calling someone up out-of-the-blue, be considerate enough of their busy life to acknowledge your actual name so you know that they know who it is they’re talking to.