This story first appeared on Evening Magazine in 1996. It's part of Evening's #Throwback30, celebrating 30 years on the air.
She talks to thousands of people on the phone every day.
She gives millions of messages.
She's on your elevator, and in your grocery line.
"I would have to say that sometimes, I can't get away from myself."
Joan Kenley Ph.D. is the voice of phone companies, voice mail, you name it and she says it.
For the phone company, Joan records the messages and numbers that a computer puts together when you call information.
She records the numbers zero through one hundred three different ways, so the computer can use them to make every possible phone number.
And when recording those messages she knows what customers don't want to hear.
"When something is rather negative, 'sorry, that number cannot be reached at this time.' We always record those types of prompts with a smile on our face."
Joan started out as an actress, who became a psychologist, who started voicing commercials in her spare time.
Phone and voicemail companies heard those commercials and decided SHE HAS a voice people like to listen to on the phone.
Joan admits that perfect voice is a little too perfect for real life.
“It is a character, it's a person that lives inside of me, that has tonal quality that only goes on a computer chip, because anywhere else people would probably look at me strangely if I said 'Good morning, how are you?' and you see it's just too planned, and yet works on the phone because it has melody, has a smile in it.
Some people actually like it. Some people say they come home and the only calm thing in their life is me asking them to press one"
It's a voice some men have even fallen in love with.
"This man came running up to me and said, I’ve been in love with you for years, I can't wait to talk to you about everything."
Joan Kenley is thrilled to be the voice of choice for phone and message companies, and to you, the faithful, frequent listeners Joan would like to say....
"Thank you for calling, goodbye."
