A Canadian couple recently returned from vacation and checked their voicemail only to find a message that they’ll never forget: a man apologizing for stealing nine violins from their home while they were away.

According to news reports, the couple had left an acquaintence in charge of looking after their cats while they were on vacation. During this time, a man — whom the police are still trying to locate — broke into the home and ran off with the musical instruments, ranging from $15,000 to $60,000. The man also stole a stereo amplifier and a gold necklace. He then took the items to various pawn shops, likely to pocket a large sum of cash for himself.

Through special computer software, the police were able to track the items at the pawn shops, and have returned eight of the nine violins to their owner. Apparently, the thief felt remorse for his deeds after committing what he knew was a crime, and just wanted to tell the owners that he was sorry for his actions.

If the couple had modern voicemail, they wouldn’t have needed to wait until they returned home to receive the eerie message. The latest advancements in telephony allow individuals and businesses alike to receive voicemail messages in their email inbox, which can be checked from anywhere. If the individual has the internet on their mobile phone, they can listen without even being near a computer. What makes this type of technology better than standard voicemail that is instead of listening to messages to via a menu of various prompts, which many find difficult and frustrating, one only needs to click on an mp3 file to hear the recorded message. Additionally, the email will contain the number of the caller in the subject line, which is helpful in tracking down crooks, pranksters, or even simply an individual who didn’t talk clearly enough when they left their phone number on the system.

Individuals, businesses and organizations both great and small would do well to integrate this type of voicemail into their phone system. It may not only help improve communication, but could also have some other unique uses as well.

For more information about the benefits of modern voicemail, visit https://www.voicemailoffice.com