The beep is back on my iPhone — wife’s, too! I can’t take credit for it, though.  Alan Fry was the first to break the beep barrier, then detailed his success in the comments section of this blog.

It’s reminiscent of the story of the 4-minute mile.  For years, people said it couldn’t be done.  Then Roger Bannister did it in 1954.  During the 12 months that followed, 30 other people around the world also broke the barrier.  It wasn’t because there was some technical or training advancement; it was only because they now knew it could be done.

Alan Fry is the “Bannister Of The Beep.”

Freeeeedomm ...from annoying, time-wasting voicemail instructions!

If you have an iPhone and you want to get rid of the annoying robo-lady after your own voice, here’s how to do it:

1. Call AT&T from your iPhone by dialing “611.” It’s a free call.

2. Navigate through the menu — press 1 for the first prompt, zero for the second, then zero again for the third.  Don’t let them send you to an Apple representative — who are great when it’s an actual Apple problem — because AT&T owns this issue 100%.

3. Now you’ve got a live person on the line.  Be nice.  They can’t help you directly, as their customer service interface doesn’t give them the ability to make this modification.  Even if they kick you up to “Level 3″ support, the Level 3 technician still can’t access the feature set that controls the voicemail prompts. They might even tell you, “That can’t be done,” or “There’s no way to get rid of the prompting.” Don’t argue.

4. Kindly tell them you would like to open a ticket and have it sent directly to the “voicemail team.” They are the only ones who can make this change for you and you never speak with them directly. The purpose of the ticket should be to “change prompting from full to none.”

5. Once they’ve created a ticket, get the case number from them so you can reference it later if needed. The ticket number will start with “CM,” then today’s date, underscore, and a seven-digit number (example: CM20090911_1234567). The ticket will also be tied to your phone number, so you can access it that way if you don’t have it in front of you.

6. Verify that they’re sending this ticket straight to the voicemail team, then thank them for their help.

7. It could take and hour, or it could take 3 days. Once your ticket makes it to the top of the pile, the voicemail team will implement the change. You’ll get a phone call from a real person notifying you the issue has been resolved. If you think it’s taking too long, you can always call “611,” give them your ticket number and ask what the “estimated completion date” is for the case.

8. That’s it — you will have successfully taken back your beep.

This is the process that worked for me — twice. Of course, your mileage may vary. Working for a live-operator directory assistance provider has taught me how quickly things change in telecom; especially the cellular/wireless industry.

Again, be nice to everybody along the way, and don’t argue if they say it can’t be done.  You and I both know it can.

So what are you waiting for?  Go take back the beep!

Tech guru David Pogue posted a follow-up article today in The New York Times blog:

Take Back The Beep Part II

Despite the progress, there is still some confusion over the iPhone being spared the canned operator recordings. Poque claims for the second straight day that “Apple negotiated a special arrangement with AT&T to eliminate them.”

If this is true, AT&T has either forgotten or chosen to ignore the terms of their negotiations. Several comments from iPhone users and a video from me demonstrate we do indeed have to put up with the annoying prompts with absolutely no way to opt out of them.

I attempted to get someone from Apple to clarify their policy today, but failed to ever connect with a real person in Cupertino.

I’ll try again next week and let you know what I find out. I realize the Take Back The Beep Campaign is not an iPhone-only issue. AT&T is my carrier, though, and they’re getting an undeserved pass on the iPhone with the false assertion they’re free from this problem. I’m going to focus on them more than the others.

Yeah, I’m pissed! Was it just a coincidence this issue reared it’s ugly head for me personally the same day NYT tech guru David Pogue threw down the guantlet? I think not!

Here’s the article that started it all:

Take Back the Beep Campaign

And here’s the comment I left on the New York Times website in response:

“Just upgraded to iPhone 3G S today. For two years, I’ve had AT&T voicemail without the canned instructions — just my recorded greeting, then a beep. After upgrading, the AT&T instructions come in after my greeting.

Spent all afternoon talking with AT&T tech support (Issue Tracking Number: CM20090730_6792219). They say there’s NO WAY to delete the instructions, even though I’ve had it set that way since the original iPhone launch.

For business users, the idiotic instructions are a dead giveaway that you’re sending calls to your cell. I’d rather not divulge that information.

Until today, one of the benefits of having AT&T / iPhone was “my voice only” voicemail. Why does “upgrading” so often result in lost features and usability?

In case you think it’s just me, I upgraded my wife’s iPhone, too — exact same thing.

If you know how to get rid of these annoying voicemail instructions on an iPhone, please post the exact steps below.

— Chris Allen”

Here’s a video I just posted on YouTube:

I am ready to take up the torch from Mr. Pogue and see this issue through to the very end. I make my living battling the excessive rates and fees levied by the telecom giants — primarily in the directory assistance industry — and this wireless voicemail issue wastes as much time as their $1.99 fees for 411 wastes money.