What are some of your tricks to resolving small marital issues when you need to take your S/O's personality into consideration?

I have small issue to resolve, and I’ve been thinking about how to go about it, because my husband is extremely sensitive to anything that remotely feels like criticism of him (and after having met his father, I can see why…..) He’s getting better, but I’d rather avoid “hurting his feelings.”

When a message is left on my cell phone, the phone emits a beepbeepbeep…beepbeepbeep anytime you try to place a call, or answer a call. It’s like, a call comes in, you answer and go “Hell….” and get cut off by a “beepbeepbeep….beepbeepbeep.” Sigh, “Hello?” It’s annoying as hell and you have to go listen to the message before it’ll go away! Well, my husband is out of town a lot and he tends to leave a lot a voice messages, but 99% of them are “It’s me. Call me back!” DUDE! I have caller ID, and my phone haunts me if I have a missed call!

Now, I could just ‘splain it that way to him. I could, but I know he’d flash and say, anything from “Okaay Val!!” kind of angrily to “Fine! I’ll just never call!” I mean, he doesn’t stay mad, but it’s just this reaction he has!

So, I think, that I shall, start leaving him messages that say, “It’s me. Call me back!” Bet that takes care of the problem with no shots fired!

What are some of your tricks?