Troubleshoot problems with voicemail

When you start up new voicemail service, you need to complete your mailbox setup before anyone can leave you a message. See our voicemail guide for complete instructions. 

As you use your voicemail, your mailbox can get full, which will prevent callers from leaving new messages. 

To delete old messages and make room for new ones:

1. Dial *98 from your home phone.
2. Press * to get to the Main Menu.
3. Press 1 to listen to messages
4. Press 7 at the end of a message to delete it

You might have messages and not hear the stutter dial tone or see the message indicator light blinking. You can always check your mailbox to see if the messages you are expecting are actually there or not.

You may also want to check that your mailbox notification option for new messages is turned on.

1. Dial *98 from your home phone
2. Press * to get to the Main Menu
   
3. Press 4 for Mailbox Options
   
4. Press 1 for Notification Options
   
5. Press 1 to turn on Message Waiting Indicator

A single voicemail message has a maximum length. If someone leaves a message that is too long, it may get cut off. The voicemail system tells callers when the maximum length has been reach, and gives them the option to re-record, but occasionally callers miss this and leave the message as is. In that case the message will be cut off.

An answering machine built into the phone could be interfering with your CenturyLink voicemail. Be sure to turn off the functionality of the answering machine. Check again after a power surge, which can turn on an answering machine that was previously turned off.

If there is too much of a pause after your greeting, people might not know to keep waiting for the beep and hang up.

To check if this might be happening, call your home number and listen to your voicemail greeting. Is there a long pause at the end of your greeting?  If there is, try recording a new greeting, taking special care to press the # key immediately after finishing your greeting.