Posted by Hugh Nations Signing Agents of Austin on 5/22/10 11:41am
Msg #337672

Signing Agent Irritant #722

I thought the use of musical intros on answering machines had gone the way of Pet Rocks some 20-25 years ago. Apparently not. I just called to confirm a Monday closing, and got the machine, replete with musical introduction. That was bad enough. But it played almost the entire song. That was worse. But most irritating of all...

It was a rap song.

Heaven help me, I already really dislike this borrower.

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 5/22/10 11:46am
Msg #337674

LMAO....snoopdog? tupak? m&m?....sorry but this was funny.. n/m

Reply by Lee/AR on 5/22/10 12:21pm
Msg #337696

little kids, baby voices, being oh-so-cute n/m

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 11:56am
Msg #337676

Could be worse. There's also "christian" rap...There's a guy out here running for a state senate seat and a christian rapper too!

Reply by BossLadyMD on 5/22/10 12:01pm
Msg #337677

i like the ones that give 3 alternate numbers to try

just in case you 'really' need to get a hold of them and leaving a message obviously is not enough for them.....

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 12:02pm
Msg #337680

or the ones where entire family is on it n/m

Reply by BossLadyMD on 5/22/10 12:12pm
Msg #337689

and the dog barks at the end...lol n/m

Reply by C. Rivera Chicago Notary Services on 5/22/10 12:11pm
Msg #337688

what about those that leave personal messages

in famous actor's voices...ANNOYING!

Reply by BossLadyMD on 5/22/10 12:15pm
Msg #337693

or those who pretend to answer but its actually a recording

you start to leave a message and they say "GOTCHA - i cant come to the phone right now....."

Reply by Heather/NH on 5/22/10 10:35pm
Msg #337775

I have to honestly say that I am 100% shocked at your comment. "It could be worse" regarding a Christian rap artist. Why is that worse then any other rapper? If nothing else it is a cleaner message and I would think it would be regarded as somewhat better then the traditional rap which typically speaks of violence.
I am a Christian and so deeply offended by that comment and truly don't understand why Christian rap is worse.
Personally I do not like rap, Christian or not.

Reply by MelissaM_FL on 5/22/10 2:59pm
Msg #337722

My personal least favorite answering

machine recording was the older woman who sang "Amazing Grace", 3 verses, and obviously had never been told she couldn't sing. At the end was "God Bless"...and no beep. I guess her intro message was too long, so you couldn't even leave a message!

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/22/10 3:03pm
Msg #337725

Sometimes if you hit 1 on your keypad you can bypass

an answering machine message, as well as outgoing voice mail messages.

I try it on all of them.

I would say that 75% of the time it works for me.

If it doesn't work, it just keeps playing. No harm done.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 3:13pm
Msg #337727

Re: Sometimes if you hit 1 on your keypad you can bypass

It's the # key to bypass the message

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/22/10 3:18pm
Msg #337728

I say that the 1 works fairly often.

The # key by passes my messages in my voice mail.

I am talking about outgoing messages.

I know you have been in telecommunications, but I'm not pulling your leg about the 1.

I don't know where I learned it. I've just known it for several years.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/22/10 3:20pm
Msg #337729

And, by the way, James...

I am not saying the # doesn't work, too.

I just know that the 1 is my friend for lots of messages I encounter. I will also try the #.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 3:26pm
Msg #337731

Brenda I will accept anything you say....

:)

Reply by MikeC/NY on 5/22/10 7:30pm
Msg #337758

Re: And, by the way, James...

Depends on what carrier you're dealing with... I've heard that with Verizon, it's #. Of course, you don't know what carrier is involved when you make the call, so the best bet is to keep on pressing buttons until it stops

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 7:43pm
Msg #337763

FCC and IEEE All operations must be the same -regulated

F Y I

Reply by MikeC/NY on 5/22/10 7:49pm
Msg #337765

Re: FCC and IEEE All operations must be the same -regulated

In theory, maybe... Google David Pogue's articles on this in the NY Times. He found that each carrier had their own kill button, and some were not too willing to disclose what that was.

Reply by BrendaTx on 5/22/10 9:44pm
Msg #337771

I found those bypass key articles! Thanks, Mike

Just for the record...I am calling company phone systems (my sister's at work, those in the system I work in) and my mother's answering machine message, my step mom's answering machine message, and so forth when I have good luck with this. I think it occurred to me to try it after one person's voice mail or message had, "Press 1 to bypass this message and to leave your message..." and, like I said, it works for me around 75% of the time. I don't think it is a state thing, I think it is the answering machine or phone system programming. Just a guess.

As far as cell phones, it looks like I am calling a lot of Sprint phones...

"It turns out that each carrier offers a “bypass the instructions” keystroke that takes you directly to the beep. (It bypasses both the person’s own recorded greeting and the 15-second carrier nonsense.)

To be as evil as possible, the carriers do not promote or tell you about the existence of this keystroke. Furthermore, the key to press is different with each company:
* for Verizon

1 for Sprint

# for AT&T

# for T-Mobile

Every time you dial a number, you’d have to know which carrier that person uses. Which is, of course, impossible.

And you can’t just press *-1-# in a row, hoping to cover all bases—because if you press the wrong keystroke for the wrong carrier, you wind up boxed into that system’s voicemail menus.

If you’re clever, though, you can do the “one-star-pound” method recommend by this blogger:

STEP ONE. Press 1. If it’s Sprint, you get the beep, and you’re done. If you hear an error recording, go on:

STEP TWO. Press *. If it’s Verizon, you get the beep. If not:

STEP THREE: Push #. You get the beep for T-Mobile or Cingular.

You have to pause after each one, and you have to keep listening. But it’s one small way to fight back. Remember: One Star Pound.

Tomorrow in my e-mail column, I’ll offer a more sweeping suggestion. (Sign up at nytimes.com/email.)"

(From David Pogue's article here: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/how-to-bypass-stupid-voicemail-instructions/) THANKS, Mike! I knew I wasn't crazy.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 10:22pm
Msg #337773

Re: FCC and IEEE All operations must be the same -regulated

Good detective work Mike..glad my expertise is digital transport! Learn something new everyday is a good thing. Brenda norcal is ATT/Verizon country and Socal has majority of sprint cust along with ATT/Verizon..Ituse to be GTE..at least I'M sure of that.

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 3:25pm
Msg #337730

Re: I say that the 1 works fairly often.

Outgoing messages? Are you taking about the message you hear when you call someone ?

Reply by Notarysigner on 5/22/10 3:30pm
Msg #337732

Re: I say that the 1 works fairly often.

Here...If you hit the 1 it will start the message over again from the very start...I just tried it. That's Texas for you Lone star state got somethin nobody else has. BTW did you know that if you misspell Texas (like I just did) you get Taxes? LOL

Reply by LKT/CA on 5/22/10 5:45pm
Msg #337744

<<<Heaven help me, I already really dislike this borrower.>>>

Borrowers are probably clean cut, preppy people. It's like the female who lives alone and has her brother or a male friend record the greeting saying, "WE aren't available to take your call".....these people don't want anyone leaving a message unless they absolutely have to. Great way to get rid of telemarketers, people taking surveys and those collecting for charities. Not only will they not leave a message, they will probably place them on their "do not call" list. The homeowners don't need to ask to be placed on a "do not call" list. That answering machine rap greeting takes care of that...who'd wanna call back and listen to *that*......great idea!

Reply by Susan Fischer on 5/23/10 2:47am
Msg #337791

<laughter> Hey, Hugh, is that your biggest gripe? Musac?

I bet you can schmooze right through this one, my *old* friend...

C'mon, cut the kids some slack, Mack. Ride a new train, Jane. Cue a new tune, Boon, just set yourself free...