Vonage Visual Voicemail

Having Vonage while living overseas is a LIFESAVER. Basically the way it works is you set it up in the United States with a U.S. phone number, then when you take it overseas, you plug in the phone adapter to the internet, and BAM! whenever anyone from the U.S. calls that U.S. number it rings in our house in Jakarta, Indonesia all for about $20 a month unlimited. Sweet right?

Well, another fun and interesting feature is the "Vonage Visual Voicemail" that you can set up. Basically, there is some electronic service that transcribes the voicemail messages left on our Vonage line and sends that transcription as an email message to my Inbox. So I usually know I have a voicemail by my email before I bother to check the phone. This is where it gets AWESOME! The transcription service they use gets my name wrong EVERYTIME. In fact, some are down right hilarious, which now makes this an even AWESOMER (I know that's not a word) service because it gives me a good laugh every time I read them. I now view the Vonage Visual Voicemail service as totally worth my overall $20 bill every month in and of itself.

So, if you want to give me a good laugh, leave a voicemail on my phone (my family would probably argue I don't ever answer the phone anyway, so it's pretty much your only choice, or you can hang up, which would be LAME). I recommend longer messages with random vocabulary words. Below are some examples of my transcriptions I have received lately. By the way, I have never been given the same name twice!

September 14, 2010

Voicemail left by Melanie:

Real Voicemail: "Hey Chezzie, it's me. Just calling to say hi. Bye"

Emailed Transcription: "Hey jazzy, it's me. Just calling to say hi. Bye "

(My favorite name so far, Jazzy, arrived in my Inbox just today! Thanks Mel!)

September 8, 2010

Voicemail left by my Dad:

Real Voicemail: "Cherylyn, this is your dad. Talk to you later, bye."

Emailed Transcription: "Sheldon, this is daddy. Talk to you later, bye."

August 31, 2010

Voicemail left by my friend Jenna:

Real Voicemail: "Hey Cherylyn, It's Jenna. You know your message on your phone sounds kinda depressing, like you're depressed. Anyway, I always feel a little depressed after hearing it. Just calling to say hi and see how things are going and see how Clark likes preschool just calling to check up so anyway, give me a call when you can. Thanks. Talk to you later. Bye"

(FYI, I changed my greeting after I got this message :-)

Emailed Transcription: "Hey Sarah, man, it's John. I I you know your message on your phone. Sounds kinda depressing like your crap. Anyway I was so depressed after here but I say hi see how things are going see how Clark Lakes preschool. Just calling to check up. So anyway, give me a call back when you can. Thanks. Talk to you later. Bye "

(I love how Cherylyn was changed to Sarah, man. I also loved that they somehow threw the word crap in there!)

August 22, 2010

Call from Melanie:

Real Voicemail: "Cherylyn, it's 845 in the morning. Where are you call me. Bye"

Emailed Transcription: "Dylan and it's 845 in the morning. Where are you call me. Bye "

August 15, 2010

Call from Melanie:

Real Voicemail: "Hey Chez, it's Mel. Sunday night here, Monday morning there. Anyway, just calling to say hi. If you get this call me back. Bye"

Emailed Transcription: "Hey Chad, it's mom. Sunday night here Monday morning there. Then anyhow, just calling to say hi. If you get this call me back. Bye "

August 12, 2010

Call from Melanie:

Real Voicemail: "Hey Chez, it's Mel calling to say hi. Bye"

Emailed Transcription: "Hey Sandra, it's Mel calling to say hi. Bye "