Comments on: Visual Voicemail with Transciptions from PhoneTag; Extended Trial for BGR Readers http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:21:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Kevin http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-546372 Kevin Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:06:38 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-546372 Simulsays is GREAT, in theory, but TERRIBLE, in practice. Before I bought it, I loved the idea. Over the last 2 months of use, I've grown to despise the app. Hopefully, my experience will help someone not waste money on this. Here are the comments I just submitted during cancellation: I could not be more dissatisfied with this product as used on my Sprint HTC Touch Diamond phone. There are two main reasons I am canceling. First, is because of Sprint. They setup the VM forwarding in a way that generates $0.20/min charges during each forwarded voicemail call. Even though I have the "simply everything" plan. After discussing this with several tech support reps, there is no way around this charge. Last month, my bill was $20 higher for using this service. This is no fault of yours but I cannot continue to pay so much money for a product of such POOR quality. If SimulSays/PhoneTag had the visual appeal of a modern application, I'd even consider the $25/mo because I LOVE LOVE LOVE visual voicemail. Sadly, I just hate, hate, hate your interface. Which brings me to my second reason for canceling: the interface is HORRIBLE. Not only is the UI inconsistent and marginally functional, but it looks primitive, at best. Messages rarely ever play the first time 'play' is clicked. Often, they stick part-way through and I have to rewind and push play over and over. Many times the application just crashes. More annoyingly, the audio only plays over the speaker (like music) instead of through the earpiece (like calls and VMs). So I can only check my messages when I'm alone, which isn't often. Beyond these problems, the Interface designers have done a horrible job for windows mobile and this fact is amplified when compared to the stylish Touch Flo interface on my phone. All the graphics are text-based and pathetically unpolished. It appears as though ZERO effort went into styling the look and feel. I'm sure a middle-school computer science class participant could produce a more appealing front-end. The website is nearly as bad. Were the 'logout' and 'back' buttons I'm looking at, right now, designed by kindergartners? Even your logo is a graphic design nightmare. ALL OF YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS NEED TO BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY. Hire someone competent and sales will spike, guaranteed. Look at the iPhone's visual voicemail interface and capture at least a fraction of their quality UI design. Seriously, please consider firing your graphics people. ASAP!!!! Simulsays is GREAT, in theory, but TERRIBLE, in practice. Before I bought it, I loved the idea. Over the last 2 months of use, I’ve grown to despise the app. Hopefully, my experience will help someone not waste money on this. Here are the comments I just submitted during cancellation:

I could not be more dissatisfied with this product as used on my Sprint HTC Touch Diamond phone. There are two main reasons I am canceling. First, is because of Sprint. They setup the VM forwarding in a way that generates $0.20/min charges during each forwarded voicemail call. Even though I have the “simply everything” plan. After discussing this with several tech support reps, there is no way around this charge. Last month, my bill was $20 higher for using this service. This is no fault of yours but I cannot continue to pay so much money for a product of such POOR quality. If SimulSays/PhoneTag had the visual appeal of a modern application, I’d even consider the $25/mo because I LOVE LOVE LOVE visual voicemail. Sadly, I just hate, hate, hate your interface.

Which brings me to my second reason for canceling: the interface is HORRIBLE. Not only is the UI inconsistent and marginally functional, but it looks primitive, at best. Messages rarely ever play the first time ‘play’ is clicked. Often, they stick part-way through and I have to rewind and push play over and over. Many times the application just crashes. More annoyingly, the audio only plays over the speaker (like music) instead of through the earpiece (like calls and VMs). So I can only check my messages when I’m alone, which isn’t often. Beyond these problems, the Interface designers have done a horrible job for windows mobile and this fact is amplified when compared to the stylish Touch Flo interface on my phone. All the graphics are text-based and pathetically unpolished. It appears as though ZERO effort went into styling the look and feel. I’m sure a middle-school computer science class participant could produce a more appealing front-end. The website is nearly as bad. Were the ‘logout’ and ‘back’ buttons I’m looking at, right now, designed by kindergartners? Even your logo is a graphic design nightmare. ALL OF YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS NEED TO BE FIRED, IMMEDIATELY. Hire someone competent and sales will spike, guaranteed. Look at the iPhone’s visual voicemail interface and capture at least a fraction of their quality UI design.

Seriously, please consider firing your graphics people. ASAP!!!!

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]]> By: Nick http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-233983 Nick Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:36:04 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-233983 If you want to try out this feature, try YouMail (http://www.youmail.com). I love this voicemail service and I have never had a problem with them, either reliability or customer service issues. They now provide voicemail transcription for free and it is about 95% accurate, even on my friends that don't always speak clearly when they leave me a message. There is also a visual voicemail interface for the web, both desktop and mobile versions. I know this isn't an app, like the one listed above, but I find the service great. If you want to try out this feature, try YouMail
(http://www.youmail.com).

I love this voicemail service and I have never had a problem with them, either reliability or customer service issues.

They now provide voicemail transcription for free and it is about 95% accurate, even on my friends that don’t always speak clearly when they leave me a message.

There is also a visual voicemail interface for the web, both desktop and mobile versions.

I know this isn’t an app, like the one listed above, but I find the service great.

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]]> By: Dave http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-233690 Dave Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:28:22 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-233690 Pouya, We are always looking to improve our service, which is how SimulSays came about in the first place. We have recently added contact book integration to the service which correctly spells the caller's name. Also, we have a referral program for people who love the service, but don't want to pay for it. Every PhoneTag customer has a unique link that they can give out to anyone they think would benefit from the service. The link gives both the existing user and the new user 30 days of free service. Sign up twelve friends and the service is free for you for an entire year. Pouya, We are always looking to improve our service, which is how SimulSays came about in the first place. We have recently added contact book integration to the service which correctly spells the caller’s name. Also, we have a referral program for people who love the service, but don’t want to pay for it. Every PhoneTag customer has a unique link that they can give out to anyone they think would benefit from the service. The link gives both the existing user and the new user 30 days of free service. Sign up twelve friends and the service is free for you for an entire year.

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]]> By: Pouya http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232998 Pouya Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:26:39 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232998 @Dave - you're right. That was some shoddy math on my part. In the interest of full disclosure, I'll say that I use the Simulsays service now, and I generally like it for the visual voicemail, but there are still a lot of glitches that make the product inconsistent and thus not worth the actually money of paying for transcription portion. That's what I still stand by my point that the price is too high. Your two plans are essentially 'small' and 'supersized', but there's nothing in between that would fit the middle. Further, the inconsistency in the connection to the service to actually receive the VM as well as the various inaccuracies of when they are transcribed makes it not worth the money. If it's only picking up the 50% of the words accurately in the message, and randomly can't connect (without alerting you to its ails) to receive the messages then it doesn't seem worth the risk of paying for. I do really like the visual voicemail your company has brought forward, and I hope it can get better, and I would love to support it financially, but there are a variety of issues that just haven't made it a reasonable expense. I can speak for myself and two others I've referred to your service, and those are their gripes as well, for what it's worth. Which is a little less than $0.25... @Dave – you’re right. That was some shoddy math on my part. In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll say that I use the Simulsays service now, and I generally like it for the visual voicemail, but there are still a lot of glitches that make the product inconsistent and thus not worth the actually money of paying for transcription portion.

That’s what I still stand by my point that the price is too high. Your two plans are essentially ’small’ and ’supersized’, but there’s nothing in between that would fit the middle. Further, the inconsistency in the connection to the service to actually receive the VM as well as the various inaccuracies of when they are transcribed makes it not worth the money. If it’s only picking up the 50% of the words accurately in the message, and randomly can’t connect (without alerting you to its ails) to receive the messages then it doesn’t seem worth the risk of paying for.

I do really like the visual voicemail your company has brought forward, and I hope it can get better, and I would love to support it financially, but there are a variety of issues that just haven’t made it a reasonable expense. I can speak for myself and two others I’ve referred to your service, and those are their gripes as well, for what it’s worth. Which is a little less than $0.25…

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]]> By: Hossein http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232696 Hossein Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:11:36 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232696 Hey Zach, just a correction: the linked article is from 2007, so its a bit over a year old. Also, SimulSays is a different product from from what you stated. It is a free product you can get at simulsays.com that is the same as PhoneTag but does not have transcription enabled. The version with transcription, Simulscribe, has be renamed PhoneTag. Hey Zach, just a correction: the linked article is from 2007, so its a bit over a year old. Also, SimulSays is a different product from from what you stated. It is a free product you can get at simulsays.com that is the same as PhoneTag but does not have transcription enabled. The version with transcription, Simulscribe, has be renamed PhoneTag.

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]]> By: Dave http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232674 Dave Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:04:41 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232674 Pouya, Not sure what kind of calculator you're using - last I checked 40 messages for $9.95 comes out to less than $0.25 per message. One missed call a month while you're in a meeting could be a lot more costly. I work for PhoneTag BTW. Pouya, Not sure what kind of calculator you’re using – last I checked 40 messages for $9.95 comes out to less than $0.25 per message. One missed call a month while you’re in a meeting could be a lot more costly. I work for PhoneTag BTW.

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]]> By: Dave http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232656 Dave Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:51:44 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232656 I work for PhoneTag - SimulSays now works on all BlackBerry models 8700 and up. I work for PhoneTag – SimulSays now works on all BlackBerry models 8700 and up.

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]]> By: Pouya http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232650 Pouya Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:46:56 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232650 Not LOL at the fact that it costs $0.40 a message to transcribe for the $10 cost? it's a good service and if they did something more reasonable I'd get the transcription plan, but for most people who have a bb, you're paying at least 70. Close to half your bill for a little service just doesn't make economical sense. Not LOL at the fact that it costs $0.40 a message to transcribe for the $10 cost? it’s a good service and if they did something more reasonable I’d get the transcription plan, but for most people who have a bb, you’re paying at least 70. Close to half your bill for a little service just doesn’t make economical sense.

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]]> By: Joshua M. http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/16/visual-voicemail-with-transciptions-from-phonetag-extended-trial-for-bgr-readers/comment-page-1/#comment-232587 Joshua M. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:57:45 +0000 http://www.boygeniusreport.com/?p=4277#comment-232587 LOL at the fact that everybody in the North drinks Poland Springs. That water is the shiz. LOL at the fact that everybody in the North drinks Poland Springs. That water is the shiz.

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