As we all know, talking to someone on the phone is better than just emailing or texting them. You are able to ask more detailed questions and receive better answers when talking to someone. People do not mean to be "short" with their communication but in today's world of technology, we all have to embrace the one line response, message, tweet or email. With that being said, how does it apply to your recruiting process?
First off, depending on what level a college participates in (D1/D2/D3/JC/CC) will have to follow their respective regulations set forth by their governing body. Most commonly known is the NCAA for D1/D2 recruiting regulations. If you call a coach of a D1 school before September 1 of your junior year, they are not allowed to call you back. Many times they will explain this in their voice message so you will know not to expect a return call. There are some minor exceptions such as "camp" questions. If you call and ask about an upcoming camp, then a coach may return your call and answer only questions pertaining to the camp. Most of the time however, they will email you that information to avoid any issues.
If you are a junior or senior, a coach can call you and can return your call. Typically, you will start with sending an introductory email with your video and bio information. This will normally get the process started and you can correspond back and forth a few times getting all the normal questions taken care of. If a coach tells you to call them, do it! This is an open invitation to ask questions and get to know the coach better. It is also a great sign that the school is interested in you because there is not enough time for coaches to answer/call back every single person. If you are at the point of making a decision to attend the school, an offer has been made or you have decided not to accept the school's offer, then by all means call the coach and speak to them personally. Do not take the chance on any confusion with any part of the process when you get down to decision time. If they really want you there, they will answer or call you back.
As always, be realistic. Picking up the phone and calling the #1 ranked school in the nation with no introduction or pre-qualifications is not going to be very successful. You should be mindful of the coach's schedule and understand how the process works. Do not take any of it PERSONAL. The recruiting process is the same as a job interview. They have to like you, get to know you and then offer you. You get to do the same with them. Either party can say "not interested" for their own reasons. Remember this to avoid getting frustrated or down on yourself because you hear "no" more than "yes". Good luck!