Pogue Mad as Hell about Carrier "Beep" Policy; Asks for Our Help... 57
We didn't get Visual Voicemail on the Pre. Which means we have to call in to our voicemail to hear our messages. ...Which means waiting while that hateful woman (who, come to think of it, is probably related to the Creepy Palm Pre Ad Girl) gives us instructions, eating up minutes.
In today's Pogue's Post, New York Times tech columnist, David Pogue has asked for our help in his proposed "Take Back the Beep" campaign.
These messages are outrageous for two reasons. First, they waste your time. Good heavens: it’s 2009. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THE BEEP [...] Second, we’re PAYING for these messages. These little 15-second waits add up–bigtime.
His post is a rallying cry that we ought to jump on:
We’re going to descend, en masse, on our carriers. Send them a complaint, politely but firmly. Together, we’ll send them a LOT of complaints.
Pogue has provided links (Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile) to make it even easier to participate.
Maybe Pogue is today's Howard Beale ("Network"). If this campaign works, we vote the next one be about SMS price hikes. The one after that, paying for incoming calls and texts (people in Europe don't). Maybe, just maybe, by then we'll be ready to take on Verizon's App Store limitations.
57 Comments
Maybe on Sprint. That still leaves 3 national carriers and plenty of regional ones. Last I checked it does use minutes on AT&T, for one.
Remember, not everyone here has jumped to Sprint to get the Pre--some are waiting for contracts to run out, some are waiting for other carriers to get webOS phones, and some may have other reasons. And that's just in the US.
Wow. Officially calling this the lamest "rally the troops" event of the year. Besides, I DON'T constantly use voicemail, so I'm more than happy to have the reminder of what to do.
Or, ya know, you could just memorize the menus like I'm sure most people do. It took me all of five minutes; less time than filing a complaint with each company. I barely hear the voice. BTW, 1 skips the greetings (most?) carriers if you are trying to leave a message.
Further, if you're calling a Sprint customer and get their voicemail, pressing 1 at the first syllable of the greeting makes it go to the beep immediately.
I personally don't find the info provided in my Sprint mail box annoying. I DO hate other carriers' (esp. VZW) inability to provide a standard 'skip the greeting' button for that person whose voicemail box I've been to three times per week for years!
I swear, if I call my brother it takes a full 1:07 to get through the rings, greeting and instructions.
wow..didn't know we all had a "hard-on" for something so trivial....
Was really disappointed this phone didn't have VV. Can't wait for someone to come out with an app for it.
As I understand VV, it requires support on the carrier's end. Could be mistaken, but I wouldn't hold my breath for an app not stamped by Sprint themselves.
I shouldn't have to hit buttons! When the phone is next to my ear it should read my mind!!! Its 2009. I shouldn't have to use an energy to do something. geez people
Thanks!!
thanks to levi4u on sprint forums for this
How to disable it (for Sprint customers):
1.Call Your Voicemail
2.At the menu, press 3 for Personal Options
3.Press 2 for Greeting
4.Press 1 to change the greeting.
5.To enable/disable the instructions, press 3
(Oops.. wrong spot.)
Thanks!!!!
I have visual voicemail on my Pre. It's called, texting. It's what someone does when they call me and I don't answer.
isn't that kinda like saying, I have a Ferrari. It's called a Honda.
And none of this mentions Klausner Technologies, the company that own the patent on visual voicemail.
Apple had to settle -
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-9969909-37.html
If Palm didn't go for it, what makes anyone think a Homebrew dev would survive.
I doubt the iPhone would even have VV if Apple had to pay for it up front.
Not on Sprint - it's considered a normal call
Calling Voicemail uses no minutes on Sprint, just like calling customer service *2 or billing *3 or account info *4.
Some of the smaller carriers do not allow interuption during the voicemail and some even the menus. That would frustrate me. Sprint & verizon allow presses during voice. Not sre about the others but... Who really listens to that?
Or you could just go into the settings and change it so you don't have to hear the instructions and save yourself the time/money. But that's just me.
Slow day in Palm Pre land, huh?
Wow, this is one of the most nonsensical rants I've read in recent memory. Really now?
I think all carriers charge for incoming text messages except smaller companies like US Cellular. It's always been that way, I remember when I first got a phone that had text messaging and you had 400 free texts a month and burning through them in about 2 days. I think it was like 25 or 50 cent a piece after that. It only took one bill to get me to switch to unlimited text messages for $8.
OR JUST GET A GOOGLE VOICE ACCOUNT.
I have one and it works great. Transcription is hit and miss, for instance when I tested it on my sisters gvoice account it got about 50% of the words right. BUT...it is good enough to see if it warrants further review urgently, or not at all. I tend to mumble and have NEVER found a voice recognition program that understands me EVEN when I speak as clearly as I can, so I'm thinking this is more an issue with me.
Secondly, I can check my Gvoice mail via the web on the Google Voice web app on the Palm Pre. It downloads my message as a streaming file. No airtime!
Finally two steps for cutting down, simply check your voicemail after 7PM. It's really not that hard, and it saves minutes. Honestly, I check my vmail 1-2 times a week tops. And secondly, eliminate the caller # and info, and go straight to the message via the custom menus.
BTW, I agree with David Pogue, just saying there are ways arount it, and I'm more a fan of fixing things than crying about them.
Google Voice doesn't help unless you're willing to give out a new number, though. That's the #1 reason holding me back from it.
I don't know about Verizon or AT&T, but Sprint has a voicemail option called "Expert Mode." It's been available since I bought my first Sprint phone 5 years ago.
Call your voice mail, choose 3 for persoanl option, and 3 again for "Expert Mode."
After you turn this on your callers will receive no instructions from the "voicemail girl." Just your greeting.
Call my phone and you'll simply hear; "Hey, this is Vern. Leave a message" short pause,*beep*
Also, if you get the voicemail of a Sprint customer press 1 to skip to the beep. I think it's 7 for Verizon, and for AT&T say "Sboj Evets" backwards.
Tell your friends and loved ones. We'll all save some minutes.
Ha ha, how timely. More Magazine has a blurb on its coveer this month: "How Not to Act Old. Rule #1: Never Leave a Voice Mail." Apparently only old people leave VMs. Young people just trust the call history and caller ID or text if it's urgent. I guess Pogue just dated himself.
Calling your VM is NOT mobile-to-mobile minutes. Check your detailed bill (online if you don't get a hard copy). It's free only during off-peak hours or if you have an unlimited minutes plan.
************* I just went into my voicemail settings (in the voicemail of course) and made it so only my voice is on it when someone calls me. It's pretty easy. I starred this (if that's a word) so people would know that it's possible. **************
I'll quote windzilla for instructions...
thanks to levi4u on sprint forums for this
How to disable it (for Sprint customers):
1.Call Your Voicemail
2.At the menu, press 3 for Personal Options
3.Press 2 for Greeting
4.Press 1 to change the greeting.
5.To enable/disable the instructions, press 3
~windzilla
Another thing is you can check your sprint VM from a land line. Just hit star star or is it pound pound then enter the pin.
What an interesting problem...
I am so glad I didn't find any use for voicemail.