Skip to main content

Secondary navigation:

Information Technology Services

Breadcrumb navigation:

bc home > offices > help > communication > phone > voicemail > Current page: faq

Voicemail FAQs

On this page:

Voicemail via the Phone

Voicemail via the Web

Voicemail via the Phone

How can I receive my voicemail messages?

There are 2 ways to receive your voicemail messages:

How do I know I have voicemail?

You'll hear a stuttered tone when you pick up your phone. Also, when you enter your extension number when logging in, you'll hear a tone.

What is my extension?

The last 5 digits of your phone number. Example: if your phone number is 655-1234, your extension is 5-1234.

What is my password?

Your PIN (Personal Identification Number). However, if you are issued a new PIN, your voicemail box password will not automatically change. This is considered a feature, not a bug. This insures that are you able to still access your voicemail messages between the time you request the new PIN and pick it up. You can elect to change your password to your voicemail box at any time.

What If I forget my password?

If you forget the password on your voicemail box after you change it, it can be reset to your current PIN. Students can contact the Help Center at help.center@bc.edu or at 617-552-HELP (4357), while faculty and staff can contact their Technology Consultant (TC).

How long can I keep a voicemail message?

Any message you HAVE LISTENED TO will automatically be deleted at midnight of that day. If you need to save a message for legal reasons, it is possible to save a voicemail message while using Voicemail via the web in Windows by opening the file (one possibility is to use Windows Media Player), then go to File > Save as and naming the file. With any issues of this type, you should contact the Boston College Police Department in 21 Campanella Way. Time is especially of importance in order to save the message before it is deleted.

What is the limit on the number of messages I can receive in my voicemail box and how long can they be?

The number of new and saved messages combined is a modifiable setting on administrative (552) voicemail boxes. The default setting for these voicemail boxes is a total of 30 new and saved messages. Contact your Technology Consultant (TC) if you want to change this default setting.

On student voicemail boxes (655 and 656), it is not possible to increase the number of new and saved messages a voicemail box will hold. The limit is a total of 30 voicemail messages. Once the maximum number of messages is reached, subsequent callers will hear the message "message box full, you cannot leave a message."

Each message on a student voicemail box is limited to two minutes in length while each messages on a 552 extensions is limited to five minutes. These maximum message lengths cannot be modified.

How do I retrieve a deleted message?

If you deleted a voicemail message, you can undelete it within 24 hours by telephone. To undelete a message, log in to your voicemail via a telephone, and press 9 from the main menu, then follow the prompts.

What is an audio name?

It's a recording of your name, in your voice, which will be attached to messages you leave for other voicemail users. You record an audio name the first time you log into voicemail.

How do I stop my voicemail from playing two greetings?

Log into voicemail

  • Select 3 Greeting Options
  • Then select 3 Delete Header. This will delete the first of the two greetings.
  • Next select 9 Listen to your Greeting to confirm that the problem is resolved.
  • If you need to modify what is being played on the one remaining greeting, still within 3 Greeting Options, press 5 Select Greeting. The system will tell you which greeting, between 1 and 5, is selected.
  • Another special purpose greeting is 6 which is a customizable Announcement Only Greeting (where your voicemail box will not accept incoming messages).
  • Now that option 5 Select Greeting has told you which greeting is playing, you need to press 7 Return and then press option 6 Work with Greeting so you can re-record that greeting if it doesn't meet your current needs.
  • After you have finished recording that greeting number you can either hang up or check your greeting, first press 7 to Return and then press 9 to Hear Header and Selected Greeting.

Ready for the advanced stuff? You can have 2 greetings working in tandem. The first half of this combination greeting is recorded within 3 Greeting Options in option 4 Record Header while the second half of two part greeting will be in the greeting you select in option 5 Select Greeting but which you record in option 6 Work with Greetings.

  • What you need to do is coordinate what you record in each of the two parts of your combination greeting (i.e. the 3 Greeting Header might just say "You have reached the Eddie Eagle at extension 21234" and then the selected greeting you chose in 5 Select Greeting picks up from the point where the first part ended. For example, "I am unable to take your call at the moment, please leave your name and number and I will get back you as soon as possible" might be the message 1 you recorded in option 6 Work with Greeting.
  • Message 2 in option 6 Work with Greeting might be "I am currently not available. The best time to call me is tonight between 7 p.m. and midnight."
  • Message 3 might be "I have left campus for the weekend. I will call you back next week."
  • Message 4 might be "I am finding myself so emerged in studying that there might be some delay in my returning your call. Please be patient."
  • Notice that none of these second half messages restate the information in the first message portion such as "You've reached Eddie Eagle at 21234."
  • To select which of the 5 possible greetings you created in option 6 Work with Greeting plays you just go select that greeting number in option 5 Select Greeting.

When I call someone else, I hear a beep then the message starts. At the end of the message, there is another beep. What's going on?

The first beep means that the person you are calling has other voicemail messages. The second beep indicates that the person's greeting is done. You can then begin to leave your message.

Why does voicemail tell callers there is no answering service for my phone?

You'll hear this message if the owner of the voicemail box has set their voicemail box to Announcement Only. Announcement Only is a setting that allows the owner of a voicemail box to play an outgoing message (or announcement) but will not accept incoming messages.

To turn off Announcement Only and begin accepting voicemail messages, the owner of the voicemail box needs to log into their voicemail account.

  • Select 3 Greeting Options.
  • Next Select 5 Select Greeting.
  • Unless you have previously recorded a personal greeting in option 6 Work with Greetings and want to turn on that greeting (you would have specifically chosen a greeting number from 1 - 5) elect to turn on greeting 8 which is the Default System Greeting.

To test your voicemail to see what a caller will hear (for all instances except if you have designated a different Busy Greeting that plays when you are actively using your phone extension) still within Option 3 Greeting Options, press 9 Hear Header and Selected Greeting.

The Options you will hear when you are within 3 Greeting Options are:

  • Listen to Header
  • Delete Header
  • Record Header
  • Select Greeting
  • Work with Greeting
  • Return (to Main Voicemail Menu)
  • Hear Header and Selected Greeting

Why doesn't my phone go to voicemail if I am unavailable?

Occasionally the phone switch needs to be reprogrammed to send unanswered calls to Voicemail. If this happens to you, faculty and staff can contact their Technology Consultant (TC) or students can contact the Help Center at help.center@bc.edu or 617-552-HELP (4357).

What are Operator and Assistant Numbers? How would I use them?

An operator number is an on-campus extension you have preset in your voicemail. When a caller reaches your voicemail and presses zero he/she will be automatically transferred to that on-campus extension. It is customary for you to mention the operator number in your greeting if you want to use it.

For example, "This is Eddie Eagle. I am at my work study job Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Press zero now if you wish to be transferred to that phone extension. Otherwise please leave your name and phone number and I will call you as soon as possible."

To set or modify an operator number, you need to:

  1. Log into voicemail
  2. Select option 5 Call Handling and Out Going Mail.
  3. Then select 9 Set Operator Number.
  4. Finally select 2 Select Operator Number (where you will enter the 5 digit on-campus phone extension where you want to transfer calls.)
  5. To remove an Operator Number you would log onto voicemail and select option 5 Call Handling and Out Going Mail. Then select 9 Set Operator Number and then select 3 Cancel Operator number. You would also want to re-record your message greeting so it does not reference an operator number.

An assistant number is an on-campus extension you have preset in your voicemail. When a caller reaches your voicemail and presses five he/she will be automatically transferred to that on-campus extension. It is customary to mention the assistant number in your greeting if you want callers to use it.

For example, "This is Eddie Eagle. I am at my work study job Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Press zero now if you wish to be transferred to that phone extension. On Thursdays between noon and midnight I am usually in my research lab. To transfer to that number, please press 5 now. Otherwise please leave your name and phone number and I will call you as soon as possible."

To set or modify an assistant number, you need to:

  • Log into voicemail
  • Select option 5 Call Handling and Out Going Mail.
  • Then select 2 Set Assistant Number.
  • Finally select 2 Set Assistant Number (where you will enter the 5 digit on-campus phone extension where you want to transfer calls.)
  • To remove an Operator Number you would log onto voicemail and select option 5 Call Handling and Out Going Mail. Then select 9 Set Assistant Number and then select 3 Cancel Assistant number. You would also want to re-record your message greeting so it does not reference an operator number.

Why doesn't voicemail state the name of the caller on my internal messages?

In voicemail, you can turn on and off the playing of message headers with the settings. Use the setting 4-Personal Options, then 9-More Options, then 1-Select Message Preferences. When there are messages associated with calls originating outside BC, whether you get the phone number associated with the caller is determined by the information the outside phone company passes to the BC switch.

Why do I hear a message saying that I have a new message and then the system says I don't have any new messages?

Occasionally a voicemail box becomes corrupt. Contact the Help Center at help.center@bc.edu or 617-552-HELP (4357) to request that your voicemail box be deleted and recreated. For administrative voicemail boxes, contact your Technology Consultant (TC) to have your voicemail box deleted and recreated.

My voicemail keeps repeating the same instructions over again and I can't get out of the loop?

Typically what has happened is that someone called you and didn't record a message but didn't hang up their phone receiver in a timely fashion. At that point, voicemail instructions start playing to prompt your caller to leave a message or make some other choice. Voicemail also begins recording these instructions it is playing to your caller. Sometimes when you retrieve your messages, while you think you are hearing voicemail instructions, at that point you are really just listening to a message in your voicemail box. Just as you would do with any message in your mailbox you want to delete, press 3 to delete the message immediately. If that doesn't work, press 3 to delete the first message immediately after pressing 1 to retrieve messages before the message even starts playing.

Voicemail via the Web

How do I access Voicemail via the web?

Where can I get help on a specific feature?

Each voicemail web page has a Help button on the top right corner, which links to information for that specific page.

Where is the sent messages folder?

The Voicemail via the web does not have a sent messages folder.

How can I tell if I have a new message?

Messages that you have not listened to are listed in bold. Messages that you have already listened to are not bold.

How many messages can I store in my voicemail box?

  • Administrative voicemail boxes (552): The default limit of new and saved messages combined is 30 total. Contact your Technology Consultant (TC) if you want to change this default setting. The length of each message is limited to five minutes.
  • Student voicemail boxes (655 and 656): The absolute limit of new and saved messages is 30 total. This quota cannot be increased. The length of each message is limited to two minutes. The amount of messages and the length of student message cannot be modified.

What will happen if my voicemail box is full?

Once the maximum number of messages is reached, subsequent callers will hear the message "message box full, you cannot leave a message."

How do I log in to my shared voice mailbox?

For your extension number, type in your full phone number and then your assigned box number. For example, if your number is 552-4357 and your assigned box number is 2, then type: 55243572.