Take Back the Beep:Take Back the Beep

Up to discussions in Take Back the Beep

Original Post

38 Replies Last post - 5 months ago by goygacon

by voicemailguy

Sprint Employee
14 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

Jul 30, 2009

Take Back the Beep - howto

Hi!

Jack here, the Voicemail guy at Sprint. I work to set up the voicemail systems for your cellphones. Why did we set up the voicemail prompts to be so long? Well, we have to assume everyone is a beginner, though, so we give them as much instruction as possible on how to use voicemail. For our advanced users we have some shortcuts:

How to Streamline your Sprint Voicemail Experience:

To skip your Passcode**,
Dial into your voicemail, press 3 for personal options, select 1 for settings, then select 1 to skip passcode**.

To Turn off Numeric Paging option at the end of your outgoing out going message:
Dial into your voicemail account, select 3 for personal options, select 1 for settings, then select 6 to skip the Numeric Paging option.

To turn on Expert Mode – this helps you navigate more rapidly through the voicemail system by shortening the voice prompts you hear at each level.
Dial into your voicemail account, select 3 for personal options, then select 3 to turn on expert mode

To turn off message date and time
Dial into your voicemail account, select 3 for personal options, select 1 for settings, and then 3 to turn off message date and time.

To turn off caller instructions aka "TAKE BACK THE BEEP"

Dial into your voicemail accout, select 3 for personal options, select 2 for greetings, select 1 for main greeting, select 3 for add or remove caller instructions, then press 2 for do not play instructions. (thanks StarmanDX)

** If you choose to disable your passcode, your voicemail account will be vulnerable to unauthorized access. Sprint strongly recommends that you use a passcode. This is the best way to protect your account from unauthorized access.

Please note – these options only apply to Sprint CDMA voicemail systems, not iDEN or Visual Voicemail.

I want to thank Will for setting up this forum this afternoon - I'll be monitoring your comments out here going foward!

Thanks,

Jack

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Tags: voicemail, pogue, take_back_the_beep

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by Levi4u

Gold Expert
2,552 posts since
Sep 9, 2008

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1. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

Jack,

Here is a link on what they wish to accomplish here.

http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/the-mandatory-15-second-voicemail-instructions/

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by StarmanDX

Regular Visitor
25 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

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2. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: Levi4u

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

You can disable the mandatory instructions. Hold down 1 for your voicemail, (then press * if you have messages to go back out to the main menu). From there:

3 - personal options

2 - greeting

1 - main greeing

3 - add or remove caller instructions

2 - do not play instructions

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by jedodes

Newbie
2 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

3. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

While the expert stuff is nice, it doesn't do much address the larger issue. Why in the world does anyone leaving a message need to hear any instructions in this day and age? The beep, the whole beep, and nothing but the beep.

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by voicemailguy

Sprint Employee
14 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

4. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: jedodes

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

Jedodes - while you and I and pretty much everyone else using these Internet forums have full grasp on what to do with Voicemail and menuing systems, you'd be suprised at how many folks aren't this tech savvy. While I haven't done any studies or anything, I'd bet if we turned off all the prompts, we'd get lots calls from people wondering how to leave a message or use their voicemail.

We sure do appreciate these comments though - and I'm reading all of them. I can't talk about what we'll do in the future with the information from this forum, but it's great to hear the customers voice directly.

Thanks!

Jack

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by wonderbyrd

Newbie
1 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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5. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

@voicemailguy

A standard beep is something that's been happening since answering machines were invented. I really don't see people getting very confused about something they've been doing since the early 70's. Granted, some may not know about the "advanced options", but anyone who knows little about technology is likely to just hang up after they leave a message (in my opinion).

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by orpheus

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1 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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6. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

what's so difficult to understand for people about "Hi, you've reached XY. Leave a message"?

surely anyone who is calling a cell phone knows how to leave a message: there's a beep, you start talking. usually the owner has told you what to do, so why must the company do the same at endless length?

the length and complexity of the obligatory instructions - and the fact that there's no way to turn it off - makes it pretty clear this is simply a money-making scheme on the part of the cellphone companies. another reason to choose an iphone.

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by StarmanDX

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25 posts since
Apr 2, 2007

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7. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: orpheus

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

You can turn it off. Read my post on this very page.

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by MontanaXVI

Expert
479 posts since
Nov 30, 2008

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8. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: StarmanDX

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

StarmanDX wrote:

You can turn it off. Read my post on this very page.

Too many of them aren't even going to post here again. They are on a mission from Pogue to rid the cellular telecommunication industry from this huge rip off which according to him could net VZW over 600million a year (I'm not buying it).

Most of the posters are just making up random FIGHT THE POWER posts and have no clue that the option even exists to turn it off, or that Pogue updated his blog post to say that Sprint even allows you to turn it off, they just make their post, smile and think they just saved the world.

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by jedodes

Newbie
2 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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9. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: MontanaXVI

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

Montana, I for one appreciate the heads-up from Starman, whose initial comment about this I had missed. I just made the change, and am grateful! Also, for what little it's worth, a lot of people (incl. me) get Pogue's Posts via email, so if he updated his actual post re Sprint, I didn't get that.

It would still be awfully nice if the default were NOT to have these messages, but I'm happy to at least save people who call my cell some time here. Thanks again!

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by MontanaXVI

Expert
479 posts since
Nov 30, 2008

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10. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: jedodes

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

jedodes wrote:

It would still be awfully nice if the default were NOT to have these messages, but I'm happy to at least save people who call my cell some time here. Thanks again!

I won't disagree that the default should be off.

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by ctmurray

Newbie
1 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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11. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

Thanks to all who posted instructions. But the goal is to have the default to have all that unecessary verbage removed. The first company to actually make the default be "straight to the beep" will gain good will and customer loyalty, even I suspect switching customers. Think how you could advertize yourself as the customer centric cell phone company! This issue is all over the internet, I saw this from my Pogue email that I get, as well as on slashdot. It has attained the status of viral. I even signed up on your site (something I avoid if possible) just so I can let you know my feelings. I am a Sprint customer through a work supplied phone, so there is no cost / expense for me. Thus I have no bone to pick, but I think the phone companies should be held to a higher standard. We are letting you know how we feel and giving you the exceptional opportunity to show us what you can do (and possibly to be the first to do so).

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by craig.hansen

Regular Visitor
8 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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12. Jul 30, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

1) Even with these minimization instructions, "Sprint PCS" gets a free plug every time I fail to answer my phone. Why should my friends, associates, and clients have to pay for that? How about giving us the ability to record the full greeting, so I can just say "Beep"?

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by ilikeimac

Newbie
2 posts since
Jul 30, 2009

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13. Jul 31, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

This is not enough. Sure that lets me (if I were still a Sprint customer) save others from having to hear the instructions, but what about when I call people who haven't bothered to go through this tedious process?

What we need is a universal skip the instructions key, OR better yet, no instructions by default, and have the voicemail system be smart enough to launch into the instructions only after about 5 seconds of silence.

-Michael

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by rondoctor

Newbie
1 posts since
Jul 31, 2009

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14. Jul 31, 2009 Posted in response to: voicemailguy

Re: Take Back the Beep - howto

I totally agree with the campaign David Pogue started. The instructions you just provided are not generally known to your customers. I can't recall ever seeing anything offering a turn-off option. This needs to be publicized more and should be made an opt-in option rather than opt-out. Your salespeople can offer to set up the "beep" for customers who don't know how to do it themselves ... if they want it.

Ron Doctor

Portland, Oregon

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Take Back the Beep

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Take Back the Beep - howto

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Take Back the Beep

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Jul 30, 2009

Take Back the Beep - howto

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