Cell Phone Voicemail Rant
Why is it that cell phone voicemail systems insist on providing explicit instructions for leaving a message? As if we are all new to this whole "leave a message" phenomenon.
Actual examples:
Lisa says, "Leave me a message!" Her cell phone voicemail adds, "To leave a voice message, press one, or just wait for the tone. To send a numeric page, press two now. (long pause) At the tone, please record your voice message. When you are finished recording, you may hang up, or press pound for more options. Beeeeep."
Total time: 19 seconds.
Christine's cell phone voicemail says the same thing. Christine and Lisa use Sprint.
Verizon is my service provider. I made a special effort to descend into the voice mail options and eradicate the callback number prompt. If you reach my cell phone voicemail, instead of me, you will hear my personal greeting followed by, "At the tone, please record your message. When you have finished recording, you may hang up, or press one for more options."
Total time: 6 second! And that's the short version! Why, oh why, do our cell phone service providers not eliminate this lengthy disservice? Or, at the very least, provide a method for us to toggle the "instructions" off.
Are you annoyed, too? Most of us can shorten those compulsory cell phone voicemail instructions, and reduce our overall frustration level. For example, if you use Verizon, call voicemail and enter your password. (If there are messages, press * to enter the main menu, then...) Press 4 (personal options) then 2 (admininstrative options) then 1 (general options) then press 7 (turn callback number prompt on or off) and TURN THE DAMNED THING OFF.
This has been a public service rant.