Important Information: Changes to the Voice to Text Feature

[Optus]

*UPDATE*

We’re reviewing our changes to the Voice to Text feature. At this stage the planned closure of this service has been postponed. Customers can continue to use their Voice to Text feature as usual. We’ll let you know about further developments in this space as they become available.

26/06/2019: Please see this final update.

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From 31 March 2019, Optus will no longer be providing the ‘Voice to Text’ feature.

Voice to Text is a $6.99 per month subscription VoiceMail feature that converts spoken VoiceMail messages into text and then sends them to your mobile handset as an SMS.

This decision reflects changes in the mobile landscape and customer demand.

What do I need to do to be ready for this change?

If you’re currently subscribed to Optus Voice to Text

You can opt to remain subscribed until 31March 2019, after which you will no longer be able to use the Voice to Text service and convert VoiceMail messages into SMS messages. You will only be billed for your subscription up to 31 March 2019.

If you are hearing impaired and would like to cancel your mobile service, please contact us.

If you’re not currently subscribed to Optus Voice to Text

You will no longer be able to purchase and activate this feature after 31 March 2019 on your Postpaid or Prepaid Service.

What is my alternative to Voice to Text?

As an alternative voicemail feature, you can opt to take up Optus Voice to MMS. Voice to MMS sends you a playable audio file of received voicemail straight to your mobile as an MMS. This is provided as a month to month subscription of $4.99 per month.

How do I purchase and activate voice to MMS?

You can purchase and activate Voice to MMS via My Account online.

To Activate via My Account select the following:

1. My Account
2. My Services
3. Manage
4. Call diversions
5. Voicemail settings

You can also call 369 (free of charge) from your mobile to activate or receive more information on this service by following the prompts.

If you have any questions about the change, please leave a comment below 

[jiska]

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING.

IN RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER DEMAND???????

RUBBISH

THIS IS THE MOST USEFUL FEATURE I HAVE

I DON'T HAVE TIME TO LISTEN TO VOICEMAILS

OMBUDSMAN COMPLAINT TO GET ME OUT OF THIS STUPID COMPANY.

TELSTRA HERE I COME.

[Hup]

This is so disappointing Optus. This is a really handy feature. I’ll definitely be looking at other telcos and if they have this service I’ll take all my Optus services there. 

[Newdig]

this Is integral to my communications as a business customer. Why is this being cancelled? It saves me so much time as a business owner.

optus you are dropping the ball. Another great service gone.

[aliraws]

This is crazy and no specific reason given for this change. I too will look around for another Telco....

[WhattheF]

What numpty thinks this is a good idea?

I don’t have time to listen to extended voice messages.

A brief overview, no matter how scrambled the voice to text is, it is still way more convenient than having to listen!

 I hope someone at Optus pulls their head out of their ass and returns us this feature !

[Newdig]

I note it is still for sale on the website though. If it is being cancelled why is it still being advertised?

https://www.optus.com.au/enterprise/mobility/calling-and-messaging/voice-to-text#overview

Not cool

[Newdig]

Why can't iPhone users activate Apple's Visual Voicemail? I note that both Vodafone and Telstra offer it but as an Optus Business customer I cannot activate it. Really if you are cancelling the Optus Voice to Text at least activate Apple's Visual Voicemail.

[Gboult]

Customer deman?. 

Not good enough Opus. Poor customer intell there. Bring it back.

[SpockieTech]

Once again Optus shows that it doesnt give a rodents rectum about its customers..
2nd time (HomeZone previously) in a few years they have just cancelled a very useful service with no consultation with its users, and offered a laughably-inferior "alterrnative" with very little notification time..
See that nearly 10-years of $100/month account of mine optus ?  Wave bye-bye to it..
Im fed up with your miserable excuse for customer service..

[RPE]

Wow - What a terrible idea. The amount of time htis saves me is phenomenal and the "voice to MMS" is a joke. Seriously, why would I pay for that whn I could just listen to the voicemail?

My god - I hope you reverse this decision.

[Rusty1can]

What a totally dumbass decision- it’s a service I use consistently and the alternative isn’t viable as a solution- to not even give a reasonable explanation for discontinuing the service is a further slap in the face - I have to agree with others Optus  from my own experience is completely out of touch with what I as a client want from my telco and this decision will lead to me taking all of my telco services to another company because I rely heavily on voice to txt service.

[aarongeebung]

Absolute thumbs down. 

I can't find an emojee that looks cranky enough to create a picture of how annoyed I am that this feature is being cancelled. It's crucial to our businesses workflow. Optus, please at the very least explain how cancelling this feature benefits your bottom line? I would have thought the infrastructure running the service to be extremely low end... So disappointed...  

[Philjc]

This is incredibly disapointing, cannot fathom how Optus can justify this (customer demand doesnt cut it, can you see a post on here that says "Yes, what a great idea"?). The voice to text is such a productive feature and to remove it is such a backwards step. Unfortuanetly it shows that Optus are not in touch with their clients, particually busines clients. We dont feel moving to MMS messages is an option for us, just seems a waste of time.

Really hoping Optus will listen to feedback and reverse the decision. We will now be shopping around to find an alternative supplier and be expecting Optus to release us from any contractual arrangements for our modest 10 mobile plans. The voice to text has been the primary reason for us using Optus. 

[jiska]

WE ARE MOVING THIS FEATURE BECAUSE OF CUSTOMER DEMAND

** NEWSFLASH ** NO CUSTOMER WANTS FEATURES REMOVED.

NONE. ZERO. ZIP.

[deafncrazy]

Contacted Optus to findn out what my options are as I need it for my hearing impairment.  I simply cannot hear the answering machine.  Operator had no idea about this plan, telling me that it is likely to be spam?  Why dont your operators know anything about it

[OAH]

Not a good move.  time to teething my Telco, and my wife's, and my daughter's.

[Wcos50]

I am total disgusted with Optus removing voice to text.  If I had known that they was going to do this then I would not have move to Optus last year.  As a consultant, I screen my messages if there is a urgent message from my clients but now I wont be able to do this after March.   Whoever thought of this shows me that Optus do not care about their business customers. I do not have time for voicemail and this is similar to voicemail.  Plus having the voice to text, I can go back to the message for reference in the future.  Optus do not care about their business customers and I will be certain it telling clients, don’t move to Optus if you need the voice to text.

[The_Rani]

This is a backward step. Do not do it. My initial reaction was that it had to be a hoax and yet it's on your website. It is not always convenient to listen to a voicemail (or an audio file) which is why this is such a useful feature. Look at the feedback - 1 "kudo" for the original announcement, all comments so far are negative and each one has at least 1 "kudo". Re-think this decision and retain the feature. The NBN is nearly here, maybe it's a good time to compare telcos and revisit Telstra.

[Newdig]

Share far and wide friends. 
Let the world know how you feel.

Let Optus know you are not happy.

The option to share this post is at the top of the page 

[deafncrazy]

Thank you Optus.   I now have as the result of your decision accepted your invitation to cancel after 8 months in a 2 years contract gone to Telstra paying 1/3 of what I paid with you with more data than what you were offering me on the old contract.  Best of all. I’m now getting voice to text service!. Very wise move Optus!  

[BigfishTech]

This an extremely disappointing announcement. Voice to sms is an outstanding feature that saves me significant time every week. Voice to mms is not a suitable replacement as it does not safe anywhere near as much time.  Surely it’s not expensive to run this feature. Please please restore this feature. No other telco does it so well currently with no limit on the length of the message (Telstra’s 10 seconds is terrible).

[Fid7]

Worst idea yet, we use this feature all day. Looks like we are going back to Telstra. 

[Fid7]

I spoke with a friend of mine that works for Optus and they recommend calling Optus and laying complaint with them.Call  133937. They don’t take much notice of this blog. 

I have already found the voice to text system isn’t working I’m just receiving text saying I missed a call from such and such number then tells me to listen to message bank. 

Getting quotes from Telstra now!

[Guido]

In this time poor society, the voice to text feature is a must. It is a massive time saver. I haven't listened to voicemail since I started using voice to text over 18 months ago or so.

Optus, you need to keep this service or provide an equivalent alternative. Voice to MMS is not the solution. You need to keep giving your customers reasons to stay with you, not reasons to leave you.

Explain to us why you need to remove this service? We are paying for it aren't we?

[Optus]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for all the feedback and insights that you've provided about these changes. The decision to remove this feature is still in place however we've provided your feedback to the product team.

If you wish to make changes to the account or discuss any of your other voicemail options, please speak to our live chat team.

[OAH]

So Optus has heard us but is doing it anyway .... The only reason I haven't switched is they insist on charging me a contract break fee. Even though they are changing the service.

[Newdig]

Unbelievable, only took 3 weeks for someone from Optus to reply and basically giving us a bad luck nothing you can do.
This service has been vital to my business for 10 years. Without it voicemail is useless.

I want out of my lease, if I had known this was going to be cancelled I would not have renewed.

And you still advertise it on your site.

[WhattheF]

Contacted Optus, asked why they are removing this good feature, they could not answer.

Asked if they were going to replace it with something useful, they directed me to the useless voice to MMS.

I again asked if they Were going to replace it with something useful. At this stage they stopped responding.

Great costumer relations there.!

[leosimmons]

Bad move Optus. Such a useful feature which saves me a lot of time sorting through importance of voicemails. Do not cancel this.

[Fid7]

Telstra has just match our current business plans so we are now moving to Telstra. Thanks Optus for making that easy. 👍

[Dale-Smith]

This service is vital to conducting my business. Very disappointed. I moved from telsta on the basis that optus had this service.

[Foz1]

Sad but no choice really back to Telstra, th ereason I chose Optus over other providers was this feature when I left Telstra. Feel duped really

[Optus]

Hi everyone,

*UPDATE*

We've passed on the feedback and have been advised that the closure has now been postponed.

We’re reviewing our changes to the Voice to Text feature. At this stage the planned closure of this service has been postponed. Customers can continue to use their Voice to Text feature as usual. We’ll let you know about further developments in this space as they become available

[juicer]

this is the best feature with Optus SMS
I dont have time to call in all the time and listen to voicemails
Its pretty standard across other Telcos and would a big reason for me to move carriers if it is cancelled.

[roof66]

Whatalot of rubbish. After 2 hours on phone with tech support from India, they couldn't figure it out so put me on voice to sms message (voice message). 2 Minutes in my local optus shop and the assistanmt there has my voice to text back up and working in 2 minutes. This is all a strom in a teacup as the service is still working.Optus-what was all the bullsh*t about?

[Optus]

Thanks for your feedback.

Please see this update. Voice to Text is available.