"It’s 2009, We Know What to Do at the Beep"

I’ve been ranting lately about one particularly blatant money-grab by U.S. cell phone carriers: the mandatory 15-second voicemail instructions.

Suppose you call my cell to leave me a message. First you hear my own voice: “Hi, it’s David Pogue. Leave a message, and I’ll get back to you” — and THEN you hear a 15-second canned carrier message.

…

These messages are outrageous for two reasons. First, they waste your time. Good heavens: It’s 2009. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO AT THE BEEP.

…

Second, we’re PAYING for these messages. These little 15-second waits add up — big-time. If Verizon’s 70 million customers leave or check messages twice a weekday, Verizon rakes in about $620 million a year. That’s your money. And your time: three hours of your time a year, just sitting there listening to the same message over and over again every year.

…

Let’s push back, and hard. We want those time-wasting, money-leaking messages eliminated, or at least made optional.