Let’s Talk Cell Phones

Some of you may remember when I decided that I need to purchase a “fancy” phone. I knew nothing about them. I didn’t know that I didn’t need an I-phone and that an android would work. But, I know those things, now. That doesn’t mean that I know all about them.

To me a phone is a phone is a phone. I know that it acts like a computer – well, it is a little computer. Some people have their e-mail delivered to their phone. They can respond to e-mails – I often receive an e-mail on the computer that says “sent from my I-Phone.” That service is not for me. As I’ve said – a phone is a phone is a phone.

Well, now I also know that these fancy phones are also cameras – and, pretty good cameras at that. For a while in my life, I spent time outside of my regular work as a wannabe photographer. I was privileged to work with local photographer Art Gore; he taught me a lot. When he told me that I have a good eye but I need a good camera (I was shooting with a 35mm film camera; Art didn’t like 35mm), I bought a camera just like his. A Mamiya RB67. The first image I shot with that camera hangs in my bedroom. A big thing that Larry packed on his back all through Yellowstone so that I could photograph the wonders of that incredible place – in the winter!

Now, years later, I own a Canon digital camera that I rarely use because the phone camera is always with me. And, I’m not attempting to be a professional photographer, any more. Now what I shoot are images that I can translate into watercolor.

I’ve also learned the pleasure of opening a text message and seeing images from friends on vacation. It is like being on vacation with them. What fun. And, wonder of wonders! I have even learned to send photographs to someone hundreds of miles away – or next door. And, to my computer so that I can print them with my color printer. Remember, we’re talking about me – the non-techie.

So, the fancy phone has become a valued tool for me. It can also connect with my “fancy” hearing aides by Bluetooth. That has really spoiled me for answering and hearing telephone calls!

But … there is a problem. Is there ever anything that we get new in the form of technology that doesn’t present problems? This one seems to be related to who made the phone and who provides the service. My progression of phones is this. First, flip phone with Verizon service. I love flip phones. They are, however, a bit of a problem for trying to text. (Yes, I know, I never could text, but I’ve even learned to do that.) Next came a fancy phone from Verizon that cost a lot for service. I didn’t really get to know that phone much.

After that, T-Mobile phone and service seemed okay, except the monthly cost for service was bothersome. However, the T-Mobile phone could be used when I changed to Consumer Cellular service because the charge for service was not as expensive as T-Mobile at that time and all of the customer service folks were U.S.-based, speaking an English that I understood easily. The service people from the Philippines are difficult for me to tell what is being said.

I still have the T-Mobile phone but my service is now back to Verizon. Daughter #3 offered to put me on her plan, same telephone number, camera and gallery of pictures, text capability, access to Google search, and a GPS in the phone. And, all for ten bucks a month. Can you believe that I even know about those things?

The problem as I see it is this. I cannot tell when I have a voice mail. On all of the other phones that I’ve used, there was a notice on the screen that said I had voice mail waiting. First, I went to T-Mobile to ask about that. I was told that the T-Mobile voice mail notification (app) wouldn’t work with Verizon service. So, the technician / sales person at T-Mobile took their app off of the phone. I was told to go to Verizon to have someone there put an appropriate app on the phone.

So, I went. T-Mobile had told me that I actually do have voice mail. To access it, I needed to use the keypad, press #1 a long time, and it would take me to the voice mail. After entering my password, it will tell me whether or not I have voice mail. But, I forget. Forget to do those procedures. So, any voice mail that has been left may be days old. Not good. I thought, my phone tells me when I have a text message. One or two or how many ever there are. Why can’t the phone tell me I have voice mail?

The salesman at Verizon told me he could not put an app to notify me of pending voice mails because the phone was a T-Mobile phone. A nice, young man -Joseph- said there was just nothing he could do. He could, however, order a service call from their tech people. No, he couldn’t do anything like that for me. If he did, it would cost $30 an hour! And, of course, it is Sunday so our tech staff that he was making the appointment for a telephone call don’t work on Sunday. The call will have to wait until Monday. Oh, good, then when they give me advice, I have to come back to the store.

What if I bought a Verizon phone – how much would that be? Joseph’s calculation showed that a Verizon phone would be $71 with an additional monthly charge of $5, because I would no longer have the “bringing your own equipment” discount. But … if I kept the phone for three years, a new phone would be free with no additional charge to the monthly service. Let’s see: that’s $60 a year for three years = $180, plus $71.

Thinking about that a bit I realized that if I could keep the phone for three years, there would be no charge at all. To do that and keep my voice-mail sanity, all I need to do is change the voice mail greeting to say, “You’ve reached my phone. Don’t leave a message. This phone cannot take messages. In three years, it will be able to do so. DON’T LEAVE A MESSAGE.” Then, I won’t feel bad about not returning messages, because there shouldn’t be any – except maybe those advertisements that I don’t want anyway.

While at Verizon, I called Daughter #3 for advice. She put her husband on the phone who talked with Joseph and me. He reminded me that I would be with them for Grand #1’s graduation, and we can go to the Verizon store there to work out these kinks.

So, that’s what I’ll do. Go to see Grand #1 graduate, go to the Verizon store where they live, and, not worry about the voice mail problem, any more.

One more thing off of my plate!

Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated.