Is It All Just Wasted Time?

The other day I tried calling a lawyer I sometimes work with. 

An assistant answered the phone:  Jeff Foster's office.

Me:  Hello, this is Max.  May I speak with Jeff please.

Assistant:  He's not in right now.  Would you like his voice mail?

Me: No, that's okay.  Please just ask him to call me when he returns.

Assistant:  I can't take a message, as I work in a different part of the building, but I can give you his voice mail.

What the hell?  Why do you waste my time to answer the phone and then ask if I want voice mail?  Why not save me the time and just send the thing to the damn voice mail?  I have noticed this particular phenomenon with lawyers and other consultants.  What is the point of having a useless person answer a phone?  It sure doesn't suggest "high class office" but rather screams, "We're pretty dumb and pretentious, and we presume you are too!"