#online transparency

[productiveandfree]

How to Build and Maintain Strong Digital Trust Online

[scottrking]

TAKE BACK THE BEEP - Pogue’s Posts Blog

It’s been two weeks since I started “Take Back the Beep,” a campaign to flood the four big wireless companies with complaints. I want them to eliminate (or make optional) those time-wasting, redundant, airtime-eating, 15-second recorded instructions that you hear every time you leave a message for someone (or call to retrieve your own).

To my delight, the campaign has taken on a life of its own. It’s been written up on 28,032 blogs; I’ve done a number of radio and podcast interviews; and the carriers report that “thousands and thousands” of complaints have poured in.

As a reminder, here’s where to direct your complaints (Sprint already lets you remove the message):

* Verizon: Post a complaint here: http://bit.ly/FJncH.

* AT&T: Send e-mail to: [email protected].

* T-Mobile: Post a complaint here: http://bit.ly/2rKy0u.

So how is the campaign doing? Has it had any effect on the carriers? Is there any hope of making those ridiculous, infuriating instructions optional?

Yes. Here’s where it stands, carrier by carrier.

* AT&T: “We are going to make some changes.”

AT&T supplied an actual e-mail address for reader complaints, and apparently it was flooded. The huge majority of e-mail notes were emphatic but polite. (For those of you who sent abusive notes, a tip: that’s not the way to get things done.)

Anyway, here’s the big news of the day: it worked. Mark Siegel, AT&T’s executive director of media relations, wrote with some very encouraging news: Read more…

via pogue.blogs.nytimes.com

This is a fascinating example of how online communication holds company's accountable for their products. Although I don't really think much about 15 seconds of voicemail as how it relates to my monthly bill, I do find them immeasurably frustrating.

Would love to see some Canadian carriers added to the roster for complaints.