Join Us to Fix Voicemail Notification - A Group Effort - Everyone's Support Requested

[badass bunny]

Originally posted by littlefuzzbear
What am I not getting here? You had your hone (phone?) off and you knew that when you woke up you had probably missed a couple of calls. Well, duh! How are you going to know if someone calls you and your phone is off? What difference would a message waiting indicator have made? You would have gotten an SMS to altert you that someone had left you voicemail once you turned on the phone. A MWI is just another form of SMS. What am I missing here? Why are you PO'd that you missed calls with your phone off?

im not sure but i think he's complaining that he got the sms indicator for his vm after he already checked his vm.

[twin720s]

Originally posted by littlefuzzbear
What am I not getting here? .... What am I missing here?

The second paragraph:

He said he checked his voicemail as soon as he woke up and had five voicemails. Then 20-some minutes AFTER he checked his messages, he got the voice-mail SMSs for the voice messages he had already deleted. His point was that MWI would NOT have alerted him to the new messages, since he'd already deleted them, but SMS did, because the SMSs had already been queued for delivery while the phone was off.

[sschelle]

It's worth noting that, no matter which voice mail notification method T-Mobile uses, (SMS message or MWI), BOTH messages travel over the SMS network, thus any backup, delay or failure in the SMS Service Center will delay/omit EITHER notice.

BOTH are literally SMS messages, one is a "true" text message, whereas the MWI is a specially formatted SMS that tells the handset to turn on/off the MWI.

One of the things carriers don't love about the MWI method (icon) is that it requires 2 SMSs be sent (one to turn the icon on, one to turn it off).

[badass bunny]

Originally posted by sschelle
It's worth noting that, no matter which voice mail notification method T-Mobile uses, (SMS message or MWI), BOTH messages travel over the SMS network, thus any backup, delay or failure in the SMS Service Center will delay/omit EITHER notice.

BOTH are literally SMS messages, one is a "true" text message, whereas the MWI is a specially formatted SMS that tells the handset to turn on/off the MWI.

One of the things carriers don't love about the MWI method (icon) is that it requires 2 SMSs be sent (one to turn the icon on, one to turn it off).

wow did not know that, i knowledge

[twin720s]

Originally posted by sschelle
It's worth noting that, no matter which voice mail notification method T-Mobile uses, (SMS message or MWI), BOTH messages travel over the SMS network, thus any backup, delay or failure in the SMS Service Center will delay/omit EITHER notice.

BOTH are literally SMS messages, one is a "true" text message, whereas the MWI is a specially formatted SMS that tells the handset to turn on/off the MWI.

One of the things carriers don't love about the MWI method (icon) is that it requires 2 SMSs be sent (one to turn the icon on, one to turn it off).

Thank you for the clarification; I think this was also mentioned earlier in this thread. The nice thing about an SMS sent to turn on MWI is that, if it's already on, nothing will happen. I don't like returning to my phone only to find a dozen SMS telling me I have 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, ... 12 new messages.

Well, I called 611 again and got a virgin CS rep who didn't quite understand what I was talking about. The education continues....

PS: I don't think that the second SMS to turn the indicator off is much of a cost-issue for them.

[mpallo]

Originally posted by twin720s
Thank you for the clarification; I think this was also mentioned earlier in this thread. The nice thing about an SMS sent to turn on MWI is that, if it's already on, nothing will happen. I don't like returning to my phone only to find a dozen SMS telling me I have 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, ... 12 new messages.

Well, I called 611 again and got a virgin CS rep who didn't quite understand what I was talking about. The education continues....

PS: I don't think that the second SMS to turn the indicator off is much of a cost-issue for them.

The education does continue...

In my calling yesterday I still keep finding it more difficult to get past the initial CSR and on to tech support. A nice gentleman helped me yesterday stating he could help me with the issue and said there was nothing that could be done and felt it would never change. He went on about it being something they do internationally with DT and concluded it was best suited here. When explaining about the Powertel people he felt it wouldn't be long before they were switched to SMS as well. He said once those people get SIM updates they will get the SMS as well. Holy Toledo! At that point you just say thank you and move on.

Finally I got through to TS and a nice guy knew exactly what I was talking about. He said if and when a new VM platform is rolled out it is definitely something they need to look at since most all new handsets support it. None of them have heard anything come down yet from product development.

Keep on pushin!

[~W~]

man o man, i have been sending a letter a week and 2 calls a month, and very very tiresome....

[sschelle]

Extra SMS is not a cost issue, it's a capacity issue, both in terms of the numbers of SMSs per second the SMSC can send and in terms of the congestion of the RF signalling channel that is used to set up/tear down calls AND send SMSs.

[mpallo]

A bit off-topic, but there is a thread over in the Verizon forum entitled:

"No more VM icon notification? WTF?"

It appears some markets are now using SMS as VM notification and after reading some other threads it seems some markets have moved to a new VM platform.

http://www.howardforums.com/showthre...52#post2805752

[Paulie]

Not to knock the thread or anything, but the only way anybody is going to accomplish anything is if a large number of people started to cancel their service citing the VMI as the reason.

Otherwise, calling them and faxing them is doing SQUAT. The only people you are educating are newbie phone reps who can do absolutely nothing. They could pass on the message, but the same message has been passed on many many times already.

Anybody in the company who actually has decision making powers is well aware about the VMI, it is the least of their concerns.

With current methods, I wouldn't expect any changes anytime soon or in the near future. Other then wasting bandwidth and time, this effort is too small and insignificant to get any message across.

[coastieboy00]

Originally posted by Paulie
Not to knock the thread or anything, but the only way anybody is going to accomplish anything is if a large number of people started to cancel their service citing the VMI as the reason.

Otherwise, calling them and faxing them is doing SQUAT. The only people you are educating are newbie phone reps who can do absolutely nothing. They could pass on the message, but the same message has been passed on many many times already.

Anybody in the company who actually has decision making powers is well aware about the VMI, it is the least of their concerns.

With current methods, I wouldn't expect any changes anytime soon or in the near future. Other then wasting bandwidth and time, this effort is too small and insignificant to get any message across.

This effort IS DOING SOMETIHING though. Corperate has heard the complaints and some people have gotten responses. The FAX and Letters are being sent to the Office of the President. You are correct that calling CS might not be the best action but then again, it is notated on your account which is reviewed by supervisors. I think it is safe to say that this is a vaild way to seek action. Look at the letter wrting campaigns in the past. I mean Star Trek Fans got a special named Enterprise just by writing letters.

Tom

[mpallo]

Originally posted by Paulie
Anybody in the company who actually has decision making powers is well aware about the VMI, it is the least of their concerns.

Thanks for your input. I respect your opinions and viewpoint.

If these efforts to get this change implemented have done nothing but clog up precious bandwidth, explain to me why selective upper level execs & engineers at Bellevue HQ have recently turned this feature on to see what the "noise" is all about?

In my eyes we have gained a lot of ground on what you would consider an insignificant issue.

Bottom line is that numerous polls have been conducted (both here and other discussion groups) and a majority of folks prefer or would at least like the option of having an MWI over an SMS. It's an issue that can't be ignored and must be given a long hard look at.

[Telekom]

Originally posted by Paulie
Not to knock the thread or anything, but the only way anybody is going to accomplish anything is if a large number of people started to cancel their service citing the VMI as the reason.

Otherwise, calling them and faxing them is doing SQUAT. The only people you are educating are newbie phone reps who can do absolutely nothing. They could pass on the message, but the same message has been passed on many many times already.

Anybody in the company who actually has decision making powers is well aware about the VMI, it is the least of their concerns.

With current methods, I wouldn't expect any changes anytime soon or in the near future. Other then wasting bandwidth and time, this effort is too small and insignificant to get any message across.

If you think that having a MWI is the most important thing for you then yes, you should think about finding a service that gives you what you want. Many people would prefer a MWI but it's not so important that they'd leave the service because of it. Contrary to what folks might want to believe T-Mobile is not the odd duck or the only service that uses that method of notifying for voicemail. Yes, it would be nice if they implement it, but if you are so dissatisfied with T-Mobile because they haven't implemented a MWI instead of a regular SMS notification you probably should find something that works better for you. Considering that this "campaign" has been going on for only a few weeks I'm really not sure quite what everyone is expecting. If they're expecting the whole system to be changed overnight they're likely in for a disappointment.

[wobbly_ears]

I have been sent out few faxes. Hope this works.

To Littlefuzzbear: Ever heard of collective action, my boy? No company/govt/entity can withstand the collective will for long. Agreed, T-Mobile might not heed very soon, but believe me they will. This campaign has been going for only fre weeks.

Atleast T-Mobile isn't like Dubya!

[Wireless]

Well it looks like Verizon won't be one of the carriers to escape to for the PRO-MWI community. This was just posted in alt.cellular.verizon on Wed 04-15-2004

Marc <none@all.com> wrote:
Today I heard my VM beep from my nokia 3589 - Didn't think I had missed a call, but retrieved it - It was from VZW, telling me that after 5/15, my VM notifications will come in the form of a free txt message. No more beep and the VM icon on the screen.

Sounds like another nail in the MWI coffin.

Here is a DISCUSSION THREAD over at HoFo Verizon, as it is already a topic over there, for those interested.