Entering letters in a Business Answering greeting?

Boomyal

Supreme Mariner
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Aug 16, 2003
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I have called two business numbers, looking for a specific individual. In both cases I got the business's recorded greeting. In both cases I had the option to go to 'the company directory'. The message directs me to enter the first 3 or 4 letters of the last name of the person you are trying to get through to. All I have available is the numbered key pad that I dialed the number on. I tried selecting letters on a numeric key by pushing the key the appropriate number of times to correspond with the position of the letter on the key, ie, if I wanted the letter "B", I would push the #2 button twice. It did not work. The voice would come back that 2 and what ever other number you pressed is an invalid mailbox.

What am I missing here?
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
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Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
You should have an option on your phone to switch between numbers and letters, I know when I have my dial number screen up, I also have a small button at the bottom that allows me to switch to letters.
 

Boomyal

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You should have an option on your phone to switch between numbers and letters, I know when I have my dial number screen up, I also have a small button at the bottom that allows me to switch to letters.

I also have that option when I am using the QWERTY key board but an Alpha option is not available on the phone dial key pad.
 

rbh

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As it was explained to me, each number corresponds to 3 letters IE 2=ABC--3=DEF, so if the last name is Bedford push 2333 and the voicemail/account finder does the rest.
 

GA_Boater

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
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Can you press "O" to get a real person? Of course you might have to wait until robot voice tells you everything you never wanted to know about the company before saying press O.
 

Boomyal

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As it was explained to me, each number corresponds to 3 letters IE 2=ABC--3=DEF, so if the last name is Bedford push 2333 and the voicemail/account finder does the rest.

...at least in these two cases with similar recorded message options, that does not work. Their systems just acknowledge the numbers that you push then tells you that those numbers are an invalid mailbox.

as far as dialing O for the operator, it was after hours for both businesses.
 

rockyrude

Lieutenant Junior Grade
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Sep 10, 2007
Messages
1,120
For our business, the letter order of the keys doesn't seem to matter, it looks for a combination of letters that match the keys pressed to a name in the directory.
 

Harritwo

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Oct 4, 2011
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586
Boom, In our company, if you want a letter A,B or C, you press the 2 key just one time regardless of the letter, etc....; Might try and see if that works with these. So for BOOMYA i would press 2-6-6-6-9-2 and it would come up. Just my .02 here.
 

Boomyal

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 16, 2003
Messages
12,072
Boom, In our company, if you want a letter A,B or C, you press the 2 key just one time regardless of the letter, etc....; Might try and see if that works with these. So for BOOMYA i would press 2-6-6-6-9-2 and it would come up. Just my .02 here.

I'll try that next time, however it is hard to see how it would work. The next day I even asked one receptionist how that was supposed to work. She did not have a clue.
 

bruceb58

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Mar 5, 2006
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30,454
I'll try that next time, however it is hard to see how it would work. The next day I even asked one receptionist how that was supposed to work. She did not have a clue.
Works fine. If there are more than one name that comes up, it will prompt you again for which one you want.
 

southkogs

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Staff member
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Jul 7, 2010
Messages
14,785
Works fine. If there are more than one name that comes up, it will prompt you again for which one you want.
That's what ours does ... hit the corresponding number only one time, and it will start listing off names, "... if you wish to speak with ______, press 2 now. If you wish to speak with __________, press 3 now. If you wish ... "
 

aspeck

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Staff member
Joined
May 29, 2003
Messages
18,588
Boom, In our company, if you want a letter A,B or C, you press the 2 key just one time regardless of the letter, etc....; Might try and see if that works with these. So for BOOMYA i would press 2-6-6-6-9-2 and it would come up. Just my .02 here.

Yep, that's how ours works ...
 
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