Here's another vote for the phone tree system.

On a related note I can tell you that the answering machine can really come in handy in some situations. When my son was ill - and later died - last December we got dozens and dozens of calls from friends and relatives. I was telling people the same depressing details over and over again until I felt I was going to scream. Then a friend suggested that I leave a message on my answering machine that people could access when they called the house. It saved a lot of wear and tear on my emotions. And we could screen the calls to see if it was someone we wanted to talk to at the time or if it was someone that could wait until later. Plus people could get the info they needed if we were home or not. And at times like this you spend a LOT of time at the hospital. There is only so many times that you can hear "You are in our thoughts and prayers" and "Is there anything we can do? "

It's just a suggestion. And it might come in handy when the next earthquake/flood/crisis happens. And I hate to say it but in todays world it's WHEN not IF.