Here's a user experience that I have grown to dread recently. It
seems to get worse every year.
Voice mail in 1993:
"Hi, this is Bob. Leave a message." Beeeeep.
Voice mail in 2003:
"Hi, this is Bob. Leave a message."
(pause) (pause)
"At the tone, please begin speaking. When you have finished your
message, you may hang up or press one for more options. To send a
numeric page, press star. Otherwise, fill out form 1040 and wait
for three weeks while we drain all of your cell minutes
explaining to you how to do something patently obvious that you
figured out with no instruction the first time you ever left a
message on an answering machine, what was it, 20 years ago?
Anyway, here's the beep."
(pause) (pause) (pause) (pause)
"And just a reminder, you can still press one at any time for
more options."
(pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause)
(pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause) (pause)
Beeeeep.
Of course, by then, I've forgotten what I was calling about and have
to say "well, uhh" a few times before I get to my message... thereby
making a poor experience for the recipient, too.
