Do you want to get something done? Is it important to you? Then do it in person. Don't do it by phone.

For example, you may want to do berurim about a potential date. You can make life much easier by doing it by phone. However, if a serious person offers you important information, then you can accomplish the job much better in person.

The phone is a good medium for urgent messages, but people on the phone do not always take it seriously enough. They may do other things while talking to you, but you do not know that they are not giving you their full attention and consideration. Unless you are using a picturephone, you are not likely to know that they are not paying attention.

Furthermore, the other person's body language is lost on the telephone. Only the weak verbal statements remain. That's not always sufficient, especially if you want to understand and evaluate somebody's feelings about an issue.

Granted, you can often obtain factual and valuable messages by talking to people on the phone. Do use it when you do not have the time or when it is not convenient for you to speak to somebody in person. However, this alternative should not be your priority for important issues.