Voicemail transcription from landlines?
September 29, 2010 12:02 PM Subscribe
I hate voicemail. For my private cell phone, I use Google Voice, so I don't usually have to listen to messages, but can just browse them. At work, I don't have access to GV. What can I do instead? Specific questions inside.
Rather than showing me how many messages or who called, my phone at work just says "Messages" and blinks red. I would LOVE it if I could reroute my number somehow so that I could
a) See who called and how many messages I've got
b) Read transcriptions of my voicemail
My work blocks Google Voice from computers on their network, so as far as I know, I can't use that. (I'm also not sure if it works with landlines anyway.) I have a direct line—you don't need to dial an extension to reach my work number.
Is there some way I could do this? It would take away a major source of stress in my workday.
I wish I could just avoid voicemail entirely, but when I have attempted to do that in the past (by having my message indicate that I was best reached by email) I was told by my boss that was unacceptable. I have to use voicemail, I just need to come up with a way to use it that works for me.
Rather than showing me how many messages or who called, my phone at work just says "Messages" and blinks red. I would LOVE it if I could reroute my number somehow so that I could
a) See who called and how many messages I've got
b) Read transcriptions of my voicemail
My work blocks Google Voice from computers on their network, so as far as I know, I can't use that. (I'm also not sure if it works with landlines anyway.) I have a direct line—you don't need to dial an extension to reach my work number.
Is there some way I could do this? It would take away a major source of stress in my workday.
I wish I could just avoid voicemail entirely, but when I have attempted to do that in the past (by having my message indicate that I was best reached by email) I was told by my boss that was unacceptable. I have to use voicemail, I just need to come up with a way to use it that works for me.
Response by poster: Electrius, you'll note from my post that I have tried exactly that, but that my boss told me I can't have a message that says I'm better reached some other way, even though it's true.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:11 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by ocherdraco at 12:11 PM on September 29, 2010
Best answer: Can you forward your number from your desktop phone?
Even the most basic digital phone networks should let you forward your number to your GV number, so that it'll ring through to your GV voicemail?
You may need to hunt down a PBX manual for this depending on your setup.
posted by Oktober at 12:14 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Even the most basic digital phone networks should let you forward your number to your GV number, so that it'll ring through to your GV voicemail?
You may need to hunt down a PBX manual for this depending on your setup.
posted by Oktober at 12:14 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Why can't you just have only the voicemail forwarded to google voice, and have the emails sent to your work email? That's what I do. Voice mails are sent as mp3 attachments to the emails.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 12:18 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 12:18 PM on September 29, 2010
Kinda what reptile said -- if you've got a secretary, have them transcribe them.
Try asking if '... I can also be reached at blahemailaddress if you need a quick response' would be okay to include in the greeting.
Other than that ... if your work is blocking G'Voice, they'll probably block the other kinds of voicemail-type programs as well. In which case you'll probably just have to deal with it once or twice a day.
posted by Heretical at 12:19 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Try asking if '... I can also be reached at blahemailaddress if you need a quick response' would be okay to include in the greeting.
Other than that ... if your work is blocking G'Voice, they'll probably block the other kinds of voicemail-type programs as well. In which case you'll probably just have to deal with it once or twice a day.
posted by Heretical at 12:19 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I had a similar phone setup (it sounds like) at one of my jobs and the IT guy was able to program it so that in the little window at the top of the phone I could scroll through caller ID. I was never able to know which of the calls left a message. My guess is you are going through a pbx and only the IT folks may be able to help. I was able to forward to an outside number after I discussed with IT and they put a no international calls block in my phone. If you can forward, send it to a Google Voice number and have GV email your work email with a transcript.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:19 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by JohnnyGunn at 12:19 PM on September 29, 2010
I think you might be able to hack this using Google Voice. As Oktober says, most office phones will let you forward calls to another number - forward to Google Voice (I used to do this but changed jobs and haven't figured out the new phone yet, plus I don't get many voicemails). You can't access GV at work, but GV can send you a text (to your personal cell) or an email with the transcription. If you do need to listen to the GV voicemail (garbled transcription, whatever), you can call your GV number (from your office phone or cell) and listen to it over the phone.
posted by mskyle at 12:20 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by mskyle at 12:20 PM on September 29, 2010
If Google Voice doesn't work for you for some reason, there are a ton of paid transcription services. The trick is to remember to forward your phone line whenever you step away from your desk.
posted by muddgirl at 12:24 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by muddgirl at 12:24 PM on September 29, 2010
Two ideas.
1. Get another cellphone. Change your work message to suggest that callers try to contact you on that other number. Use GV. Access it wirelessly separately from your work computer network.
or
2. Pay someone to call into your voice mail at regular intervals and email you the messages. There will be virtual assistant services who will do this for you.
ps: You were kinda rude to reptile who did indeed suggest a perfectly reasonable solution to your problem. Maybe your employer's point is that your work voice mail is meant as a convenience to the callers, not necessarily a convenience to you. Some employers would not be happy to have employees forwarding callers to a system outside of the company's control.
posted by Xhris at 12:28 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
1. Get another cellphone. Change your work message to suggest that callers try to contact you on that other number. Use GV. Access it wirelessly separately from your work computer network.
or
2. Pay someone to call into your voice mail at regular intervals and email you the messages. There will be virtual assistant services who will do this for you.
ps: You were kinda rude to reptile who did indeed suggest a perfectly reasonable solution to your problem. Maybe your employer's point is that your work voice mail is meant as a convenience to the callers, not necessarily a convenience to you. Some employers would not be happy to have employees forwarding callers to a system outside of the company's control.
posted by Xhris at 12:28 PM on September 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
SpinVox will do what you want. The message is transcribed and then texted or emailed to you (or both). The text is clipped but often enough to decide what you want to do with it
It costs but their second cheapest tier will send you a premium text message each month which means you don't have to claim it on expenses (or pay for it yourself).
Be aware though that some companies will frown on you doing this - so check first.
posted by mr_silver at 12:28 PM on September 29, 2010
It costs but their second cheapest tier will send you a premium text message each month which means you don't have to claim it on expenses (or pay for it yourself).
Be aware though that some companies will frown on you doing this - so check first.
posted by mr_silver at 12:28 PM on September 29, 2010
Response by poster: I didn't know forwarding was an option—but sure enough, it's there in the manual for my phone, and can forward depending on the state of the phone (busy, not answering, etc.). Assuming it will only forward calls from my direct line, and not from the other two lines that ring on my phone, this should work.
Thanks!
posted by ocherdraco at 12:39 PM on September 29, 2010
Thanks!
posted by ocherdraco at 12:39 PM on September 29, 2010
This forwarding to GV idea seems good, but...
If GV is sending you mp3's you find that they're blocked by your IT group. So you may never get them.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:28 PM on September 29, 2010
If GV is sending you mp3's you find that they're blocked by your IT group. So you may never get them.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 1:28 PM on September 29, 2010
Most PBX systems let you choose what types of calls to forward -- all calls, all internal calls, all external calls, busy calls, no answer calls, etc etc. Just forward the calls that would normally go to voicemail. This will be listed in the documentation of your office phone.
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 1:39 PM on September 29, 2010
posted by Geckwoistmeinauto at 1:39 PM on September 29, 2010
Response by poster: Okay, the new Google Voice number is set up with forwarding to my work email, and tomorrow morning I'll be setting up the forwarding for when my phone is busy or isn't answered. The long horror of voicemail awfulness has (almost) ended!
posted by ocherdraco at 8:57 PM on September 30, 2010
posted by ocherdraco at 8:57 PM on September 30, 2010
Response by poster: IT WORKS! Huzzah!
I am finally freed from the blinking light. I will never see it again. Oh happy day.
For anyone trying this themselves: the one imperfect aspect of this is that the emails I receive telling me about voicemail indicate that the messages are all coming from my work number, rather than the numbers of individual callers. But since the messages themselves clearly indicate who sent them, this is of basically no importance.
It is also interesting to note that I am able to access the Google Voice website by clicking on the links in those emails, even though it is blocked if I try to access it directly through my browser.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:23 PM on October 1, 2010
I am finally freed from the blinking light. I will never see it again. Oh happy day.
For anyone trying this themselves: the one imperfect aspect of this is that the emails I receive telling me about voicemail indicate that the messages are all coming from my work number, rather than the numbers of individual callers. But since the messages themselves clearly indicate who sent them, this is of basically no importance.
It is also interesting to note that I am able to access the Google Voice website by clicking on the links in those emails, even though it is blocked if I try to access it directly through my browser.
posted by ocherdraco at 12:23 PM on October 1, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Electrius at 12:10 PM on September 29, 2010