Price: $9.99 per month for 40 messages. $.25 each additional message.
I hate listening to voice mail. It’s one of those things that you can’t really just take in at a ‘glance’ because speech is a linear way to deliver information. If you have an email you can speed up your reading by skipping over words or sentences to get a taste for what you’re reading. Luckily, there are now services to transcribe your voicemail and convert to email or text message. I’m trying one right now called SimulScribe.
Set up process
For SimulScribe, the set up is painless. You create an account then you receive an email with instructions based on your mobile provider for enabling selective call forwarding that forwards your calls to SimulScribe if you fail to answer the telephone. This works the exact same way your voicemail normally works. It’s simply rerouted to SimulScribe.
Using the service: Callers
On the caller’s end they receive your voicemail greeting after about six rings. SimulScribe includes a tagline for their service with instructions to speak slowly. The tagline can be removed in the account settings, however removing this tagline adds $.05 to each transcribed message. If I had few missed calls per month, I would probably remove this and pay the extra five cents.
Checking your voicemail
Each account has a voicemail number you can dial to listen to your voicemail as you normally would. On most phones, you can set up your voicemail speed dial key to use this new number, so that your process remains the same. As soon as a message is left, you can listen to it in your voicemail, even if the call has not yet been transcribed. You can also review a record of your voicemail messages at the SimulScribe website.
Receiving the call transcription
Once the call has been transcribed, you will receive a transcription message via SMS (text message) on your cell phone or by email on your mobile device or computer. The email transcript of the message will include an attached .wav file recording for review.
In two tests, I placed a call for 26 seconds and another call for 60 seconds, the limit for a voicemail message. For the 26 second message, the transcript was received within 5 minutes. For the 60 second message, the transcript was received within 15 minutes. This seems too long and the wait could be due to heavy usage, however this system was tested on the weekend, which is generally a slow time for call traffic. For important calls, I might end up calling voicemail, otherwise I’m fine with a delay of 5-10 minutes, especially considering how much quicker it is to read your voicemail than to actually listen to it.
Accuracy
In two tests, the transcription system was pretty accurate. It has trouble with acronyms and seldom used words, but the transcripts are more than enough to convey the meaning and content of the messages. SimulScribe also allows you to have the message re-transcribed by simply replying to the original transcript email.
In one of the tests, I read from the Gettysburg Address (Bliss copy version. Lincoln had several versions.):
Hi Chris,
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated (Call ended with SimulScribe ‘Goodbye’ message)
This was the transcribed result:
Hi Chris. (phonetic ‘Four score’) and seven years ago. Our fathers is brought forth on this continent and (phonetic ‘new nation’) conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war. Testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here, gave their lives,that that nation might live is altogether fitting a proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate. We cannot concentrate. We cannot hollow this ground. The brave man, living in dead and struggled here have (phonetic ‘concentrated’) it. Far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but I can’t what they did here. It is for us to living rather to be dedicated…
As someone who has a tendency to mumble over certain words and blend words together, the result is very good. Attached is a recording of my call.
Integration with home or office phone systems
To transcribe your home calls, contact your phone service provider and ask if “Call Forward No Answer” is available on your line. This feature is available on 80%-90% of landline phones in the US. If the feature is available, set up “Call Forward No Answer” to your SimulScribe number.
If your office phone system can send voicemail as an attached recording via email (approximately 50% of office phone systems have this feature including ours), have the email sent directly from the office phone system to “insert SimulScribe number”@my.simulscribe.com. SimulScribe will then transcribe the message and send it to the locations that you have specified in your user profile.
Conclusion
SimulScribe is very cool. If you hate voicemail, or have a lot of meetings at work where you can’t talk on the phone, it’s perfect. They have a free week trial if you want to test it out.
