Voice is one of the oldest forms of communication known to man. Before we could express our true inner selves through the interpretive art of TikTok, we grunted and groaned at each other around a fire to relay the message. As wonderfully expressive and packed full of nuance as voice is, sometimes we just need to cut to the chase to double-check whether the boss ordered an iced soy vanilla green tea latte in venti or grande.
In this article, we cover:
- How voicemail-to-text breathes new life into your voice messages
- Virtual assistant features
- Protecting your privacy in high-quality human transcriptions
Breathe New Life Into Your Voicemails
The reason text messaging exploded at the same time as smart devices is the speed and tangibility afforded through the medium of touchscreens. Sure, nothing beats the human connection of a good old-fashioned phone call, but sometimes we just need to streamline out the howdy-do’s and how’s-your-mothers when trying to exchange information quickly, especially during a business call. Heck, we remember a time when pager code emerged as an underground language in the absence of messages with proper letters — 143 ❤️.
The art and etiquette of texting is all fine and good, but there still are plenty of times when we don’t have the stamina for the thumb gymnastics required of a lengthy text. In those moments, we still opt for the call, and if there’s no answer, a voicemail.
Voicemail can feel as whimsically quaint as those aforementioned grunts and groans by today’s technological standards, especially if you think back to its predecessor, the answering machine. The good news is, much like podcasting has repurposed the form of talk radio into a staple of modern content consumption,
Voicemail-to-text has breathed new life into voice messages.
First, we did away with the linear consumption of voicemail with visual voicemail, then we enhanced the service by making voice messages tangible.
Through transcription, voicemail has transformed into something completely different. Now we can scan information with our eyes at a pace faster than the sender’s um’s and uh’s. Particularly in a business setting, voicemail-to-text opens countless doors.
- If an important message needs to be passed on to a colleague, you no longer need to self-transcribe or paraphrase — just hit “forward” in the app or computer interface to text or email the voicemail on
- If you want to preserve the message for future reference, forward it to yourself and organize as you see fit amongst your files forever
- If the message is pertinent to a whole team, amplify it by forwarding it to multiple recipients
The App Is Your Virtual Assistant
Voicemail-to-text also serves as the catalyst for an in-app virtual assistant. Once voice messages are transformed into blocks of text, a world of automations are unlocked. Auto-forwarding allows you to have voicemails automatically forwarded to your colleagues’ emails. Perhaps you’d like a reminder triggered to your own email so you never forget to circle back, review, and respond, ensuring no voicemail gets overlooked (you’re remembering some voicemails you overlooked right now, huh?).
The main goal in either scenario is to avoid any dropping of the ball when a client calls.
Sometimes we can’t take an important call because we’re tied up in a meeting. Virtual assistant features powered by voicemail-to-text allow you to discreetly multitask. Now you can take a peek at that voice message without interrupting the presentation at hand.
Maybe you have a handful of voice messages waiting, but you’ve got a flight to catch. It’s OK — quickly skim them in email or text message form in the cab on the way to the airport. Maybe one is from a particularly, shall we say, verbose associate. Go ahead and glean the important points from the transcript instead of waiting out the juicy bits from the audio. And forget scrambling for a pencil to jot down a return phone number. The transcription captures that number, which you can call back in a tap; no dialing or double-checking necessary.
Also, when voicemails are transcribed into text, they become searchable. Dip into your archive and search for the keywords you’re looking for. The business utility of voicemail-to-text is really quite invaluable.
Privacy Is Always Priority
Voicemail-to-text is made possible in one of two methods: machine transcription and human transcription.
Machine transcriptions are completely automated, making them faster, but less accurate. The accuracy rate is about 80 percent, which is another way of saying 20 percent wrong. In other words, one in five words is incorrect. Not a great success rate.
Human transcription, on the other hand, is significantly more accurate — to the tune of 96 percent to 97 percent. That’s about one in 32 words wrong. That’s the kind of quality that keeps business communications streamlined.
The obvious next question is whether someone is listening to all your private messages. The answer is no. First, your messages are spliced into very short segments and then distributed for transcription to several different transcribers. No one person gets enough of the message to understand any context or continuity of meaning. And, voila!
Exceptional accuracy with no compromise to your privacy.
If you’re interested in some or all of this functionality for private or business use, browse your free YouMail account for the voicemail-to-text plan that best meets your needs, and start managing communications like a legitimate business professional.
How to get Voicemail to Text on your phone
Getting Started with a Virtual Receptionist