UNITS Voice Mail is an optional service that combines telephone and computer technologies to provide you with an "answering service." Unlike an answering machine, voice mail allows callers to leave you messages in your voice mailbox when your telephone line is busy or not answered. All you need is a touch-tone telephone to access UNITS Voice Mail. No other equipment is required.
When your telephone is not answered in 4-5 rings, callers will forward into the voice mail system. Once in voice mail, a caller will be given a list of voice mailboxes for your room and then asked to make a selection. Callers selecting your mailbox will hear your own "personalized greeting" asking them to leave a message.
You will be notified of a new message received in your mailbox by hearing a stutter dial tone when you pick up your telephone's handset. Stutter dial tone is a shared message waiting indicator. This means that when you hear stutter dial tone, either you or your roommate(s) may have a new message. Stutter dial tone will only go away when all new messages received in your mailbox and your roommates' mailboxes have been played.
Messages left in your voice mailbox are easily retrieved by dialing into the voice mail system from any touch-tone telephone. Once in your voice mailbox, you can play, save, delete, and even forward messages received.
Your Voice Mailbox Number:
After moving into your residence hall room, select a mailbox not already in use. To set up your voice mailbox, follow the User Tutorial instructions under "How To Use Voice Mail" on this page.
When calling into your voice mailbox from locations other than you room, you will need to know your complete 6-digit voice mailbox number. Your voice mailbox number consists of the last five digits of your room telephone number followed by either a 1, 2, 3, 4, etc. For example, Jane Buckeye's room phone number is 364-9999. Jane's voice mailbox number is 499992.
How to Use Voice Mail
UNITS Voice Mail is user friendly and verbally instructs you in its use. Dialing 614-292-4141 connects you to the Voice Mail system.
User Tutorial:
The first time you enter the voice mail system, you will need to complete the User Tutorial in its entirety. The tutorial takes about four minutes to complete. The tutorial asks you to establish three things:
Your pass code - a 4-10 digit code required to access your mailbox.
Your Greeting - the recording you want callers to hear before leaving you a message; can be up to 20 seconds in length.
Your Name - a recording of your first and/or last name. It is used by the system to route callers to your mailbox when leaving a message; can be up to 20 seconds in length.
NOTE: When recording your greeting and name, press the "9" key as soon as you have finished speaking. Pressing "9" tells the system you are done recording.
To Complete the Tutorial from your room telephone:
Dial 8-4141
Listen for "Hello..."
Press the last digit of the mailbox number you are setting up (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5).
Listen for "Hello, mailbox (your mailbox #). Please enter your pass code"
Enter the temporary pass code (Please see your residence hall advisor or front desk staff for the temporary pass code)
The User Tutorial will begin. During the tutorial, you will create your own: passcode (4-10 digit number), record your name and record your mailbox greeting.
Follow the prompts to complete the tutorial.
NOTE: Your voice mailbox will not take messages if you do not complete the tutorial in its entirety.
NOTE: You must record your name, so that callers know which mailbox belongs to you. Your name recording should consist of either your first and last name, or your first name only.
To Call Your Voice Mailbox: From your room telephone:
Dial 8-4141
Listen for "Hello, mailbox 8-XXXX (system will state your 5-digit phone number). To retrieve messages for (your name or mailbox number)..."
Press the key that corresponds to your mailbox number. If your assigned mailbox number ends in "1", you will press "1". If your assigned mailbox number ends in "2", you will press "2", and so on.
Enter your 4-10 digit pass code
NOTE: If you hear stutter dial tone when you lift your handset, you can dial *83 ( instead of 8-4141) to reach voice mail.
From a telephone in another under-graduate residence hall room:
Dial 8-4141
Listen for "Hello, mailbox 8-XXXX (system will state the 5-digit phone number for that room). To retrieve messages for (your name or mailbox number)..."
Press the star (*) key twice
Enter your 6-digit mailbox number immediately followed by a star (*)
Listen for "Hello (your name), please enter your pass code"
Enter your 4-10 digit pass code
From any other campus telephone:
Dial 8-4141
Listen for "Hello, you have reached the OSU Voice Mail system . . ." If you do not hear this greeting, press the star key (*) to continue
Enter your 6-digit mailbox number, immediately followed by a star (*)
Listen for "Hello, (your name). Please enter your pass code"
Enter your 4-10 digit pass code
From an off-campus telephone:
Dial 614-688-4141
Listen for "Hello, you have reached the OSU Voice Mail System . . ."
Enter your 6-digit mailbox number, immediately followed by a star (*)
Listen for "Hello, (your name). Please enter your pass code"
Enter your 4-10 digit pass code
Playing Messages:
You will hear stutter dial tone when you pick up the handset of your room telephone if a new message has arrived in your's or your roommate's mailbox.
To play your message:
Call into your voice mailbox
Press 7 to play the first message
After you have played the message, or at anytime during message playback you can:
Dial 7 to replay the message
Dial 4 to give the message to another voice mail user
Dial 5 to keep the message
Dial 3 to discard the message
You must choose to either keep (5) or discard (3) the message to play any additional messages.
NOTE: Your voice mailbox will hold a maximum of 10 messages (new and saved) up to one minute in length each. Be sure to delete (3) any unwanted messages.
NOTE: Messages that are "kept" (5) or "saved" are only stored for up to five days. Kept messages older than five days will be purged by the Voice Mail system.
NOTE: New, un-played messages are stored for up to 28 days before they are discarded by the Voice Mail system.
Giving Messages:
You can give (forward) a copy of a message left in your voice mailbox to another UNITS voice mail user. To use this feature, you must know the mailbox number of the user to whom you are giving the message.
To give your message:
Call into your voice mailbox
Press 7 to play the message
Press 4 to give the message to another voice mail user
Enter the mailbox number(s) of the person(s) to whom you are giving the message
When you have finished entering mailbox numbers, dial # to begin recording your "cover" comments (The maximum number of cover comments that can be attached to one message is three!)
Dial # again to end recording
After recording you can:
Dial 7 to review your recording
Dial 3 to discard and re-record
Dial 9 to send your comments and a copy of the original message
After you hear "Your comments and a copy of the original message sent," you must either keep (5) or discard (3) the original message.
NOTE: You will not be able to "give" (forward) a message to someone who has not set up their voice mailbox.
User Options: To change your greeting message -
Dial 8 to access User Options
Dial 4 to change your greeting
Dial 5 to listen to your greeting
Dial 7 to record your greeting
Dial # to end recording
After recording your greeting you may -
Dial 7 to review your greeting
Dial 3 to discard greeting and record over
Dial 2 to append greeting and continue recording, or
Dial 9 to save greeting
Dial 9 a second time to exit back to the Main Menu
NOTE: Your greeting can be a maximum of 20 seconds in length.
To change your pass code -
Call into your voice mailbox
Dial 8 to access User Options
Dial 7 to change your pass code
At the prompt, enter your new 4-10 digit pass code
The system will repeat the pass code you entered
Dial 9 to save your pass code
Dial 9 again to exit to the main menu
NOTE: You cannot use easy-to-guess pass codes like six "0's", or sequential numbers like "1,2,3,4,5."
NOTE: You are the only one who will know your pass code It is important that you remember your pass code and keep it secure.
To change your name -
Call into your voice mailbox
Dial 8 to access User Options
Dial 6 to change your name
Dial 5 to listen to your name
Dial 7 to record your name
Dial # to end recording
After recording your name you may -
Dial 7 to review your name
Dial 3 to discard name and record over
Dial 9 to save your name
Dial 9 again to exit to the main menu
NOTE: Your name recording can be a maximum of 20 seconds in length.
NOTE: You must record your name so that callers know which mailbox belongs to you. Your name recording should only consist of your first and last name, or first name only.
Before using your computer modem, temporarily deactivate voice mail stutter dial tone and the call waiting feature. To deactivate stutter dial tone, lift your telephone handset, dial *84 and then hang up. To deactivate the call waiting feature, lift your telephone handset, dial *74 and then hang up. Both features will be reactivated when you place your next call.
If you prefer to use an answering machine, be sure to set it to answer in less than 4 rings.
If you prefer to not use voice mail, then do not set up your mailbox or complete the tutorial. This will keep callers from choosing your mailbox and leaving unwanted messages.
The voice mail system will automatically route callers who dial your telephone number from a rotary or pulse type phone to the first mailbox assigned to your room (all voice mailboxes that end in "1"). If this mailbox is not set up, callers will hear a message asking them to call back later.
You do not have to wait for the system prompts to end before pressing a key or series of keys on your telephone keypad.
If you get lost in the voice mail system, simply pause. After a brief time out, the system will list the options available to you.
If you need additional assistance, contact UNITS Customer Service at 614-688-HELP (4357). UNITS Office hours are 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
