Voice Mail/Answering machine suggestions

Wits' End

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Messages
2,327
Location
Remote NEast Minnesota, next to Lake Superior
Looking at sub $100. The feature I'd like to have is to enable caller to hit a button and hear their message before they 'leave' it. Is that available on a small business budget?
We have bad cell phone coverage in our area, we frequently get garbeled messages. Some of those could be the dying answerer I have now but I have answered the phone and had a similar sounding message live. We occasionally get bakery orders on this answerer so I'd like something more reliable.
Any suggestions and points to web sources would be welcome.
 

Lynx_Arc

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 1, 2004
Messages
11,212
Location
Tulsa,OK
I have heard of a computer software program that works with a voice modem as an answering machine, it may have features somewhat unheard of in stand alone units. You could probably dedicate an old obsolete computer to the task if it doesn't have a super tiny hard drive in it.
 

gadget_lover

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
7,148
Location
Near Silicon Valley (too near)
Good luck. That's a feature most frequently associated with Voice Mail. It should be available from the local phone company.

On site voice mail systems and PBX systems with voice mail tend to cost a lot more.

Daniel
 

gadget_lover

Flashaholic
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
7,148
Location
Near Silicon Valley (too near)
You really need to see and listen to the machine. There are so many features that it's easy to forget that one is missing.

I've grown to like the Pansonic digital answering machines, but be aware that the voice quality suffers on almost all of them.

Features to look out for;

1 Rremote control when away.

2 Toll saving (answer on 1 ring if a message is already recorded)

3 Fixed incoming message length

4 unlimited incoming message length

5 Clear recordings

6 Ability to pick up messages from a cordless handset in the house.

7 Multiple mail boxes

8 Send page when message is recieved

9 battery backed clock and settings

10 Selectable multiple outgoing messages (day, after hours, weeekend)

11 set clock via caller id.



I'm sure there are many more

Daniel
 
Top