The telephone was invented on March 10, 1876, and the first telephone-answering machine was introduced in 1950. How did we ever survive 74 years without hearing “Hello you’ve reached Worldwide Widgets”? Today, we're offering some basic dos and don’ts for answering machines and telephones. If you don’t have a secretary or a live answering service, and use voice mail or an answering machine, instead, don’t have your greeting begin with “hello.” Ever call a number and start talking and then realize it’s an answering machine? That’s why "no hello." Use common sense to avoid confusion. Also, if you have a home office, have at least one dedicated business line. A warm greeting by an enthusiastic six-year-old isn’t professional or welcome. To save money, purchase a combination fax, phone and answering machine -- all in one unit. And that's the On The House tip for today.