People are calling the Manchester Court just to hear its automated voicemail — and it's absolutely unhinged

Automated voicemails are frustrating, mostly because you hear the boring monologue time and again. No matter who you call, it's the same, monotonous script that always feels like déjà vu. However, unlike most, not all automated voicemails are lifeless. A hilarious video shared by Joseph Timan (@josephtiman on X) proves just that, as he captured an anonymous man speaking on the Manchester court's automated voicemail, and it's the way he speaks that has everyone cracking up.

"Thank you for calling the Manchester Civil Justice Centre. The civil and family court of Manchester is now closed. Please call back between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday to Friday," the man on the voicemail announced. Until now, everything was absolutely normal, just as all automated messages are supposed to be. However, it was the man's over-the-top, strange, and sudden voice modulations that caught widespread attention. Every time the man began speaking, he maintained a calm and normal tonality, only to end it like he was narrating a horror story. " Throughout the call, which went on for more than a minute, the man kept his quirky tone, like he was auditioning for a sports commentator's position.

Moreover, the man overly emphasized the ending syllables of certain words, disrupting the natural flow of the sentences. "The man in the automated message on the Manchester Civil Justice Centre phone number genuinely sounds unhinged. It only gets worse the longer you listen. Just wait for the bit about bailiffs. Who approved this?" Timan asked in the caption. The post received an overwhelming response on the platform, with some netizens calling the voicemail "creepy."

For instance, @barrysloane commented, "Clear example that in the acting/voice acting/performing profession, 'less is more.'" @phobophobiophi1 pointed out, "There's a bank of words and numbers that have been recorded onto the system, and the message is generated from a text input. It was recorded inexpertly, so it sounds deranged." Similarly, @lordclifton2 wrote, "It sounds so creepy/laughable. 'If you would like to SEE a bailiff, just stand in front of your bathroom mirror and say bailiff three times, Monday to Friday between 10 am and 2 pm.'" @dannydenay shared, "This is great. I'd actually listen and not miss the option I want. Which would likely be bailiffs regarding debt."

@oakhamuk commented, "Reminds me of my childhood when I used to hide behind the sofa when that lady used to pretend she could see children from inside the TV (Romper Room)." On the other hand, @ayohugh commented, "It’s a modular recording with the variants recorded in segments that are reconstituted by the VMX system on the fly. It’s impossible to get the intonation right as a result, although the manic cheeriness of the sentence roots doesn’t exactly help. It will be much worse when it’s AI." Meanwhile, @alanweston said, "There seems to be a tendency now for public services representatives to act as if they’re comedians (which they definitely are not) — some of the announcers on the London Underground have been adopting this style for years."

@taffystang revealed, "Terrible. I had to call the Pension Regulator and couldn't hear what was going on due to a baby crying and a dog barking. They did apologize as they were working from home!"

You can follow Joseph Timan (@josephtiman on X) for more viral content.