If you subscribe to the Caller ID feature from your telephone service, you will now be able to view Caller ID information directly on the CapTel phone display window. Previously, Caller ID subscribers had to check their Caller ID box to see who was calling.
CapTel also now features True Caller ID, which displays the name and/or number of the person calling, depending on the type of Caller ID service you subscribe to. In the past, if you had Caller ID, you would only see the Captioning Service telephone number displayed whenever a person called, because all calls are routed through the Captioning Service to become captioned.
The new Caller ID improvements go into effect automatically after an initial call is placed through the Captioning Service. If you are a Caller ID subscriber and you do not see Caller ID information on your CapTel telephone, please contact CapTel customer service for assistance at 1-888-269-7477 (Voice/CapTel) or 1-800-482-2424 (TTY). Or send an email to CapTel@CapTelMail.com.
Did you know that you can read captions of voice messages left on an external answering machine with your CapTel phone? It’s simple! Make sure the answering machine is close to the CapTel before you begin, and then...
1. With the CapTel handset hung up, press the ”MENU” button until ”Caption External Answering Machine Messages” appears in the display.
2. Press the button next to ”OK.”
3. Pick up the CapTel handset, and place the handset mouthpiece next to the answering machine speaker. In many cases, you may have to put the handset on top of the answering machine, if that is where the answering machine’s speaker is located. Make sure the mouthpiece is close enough to ”hear” the messages as they are played aloud.
4. CapTel will automatically dial the captioning service. Watch the CapTel display to see when a connection is established.
5. Start playing the voice messages aloud on your answering machine. Watch the CapTel display to see captions of the voice messages.
If you do not see captions, or if you see ”(Unclear)” during message captions, you may need to re-position the handset mouthpiece for maximum clarity.
CapTel also helps you check messages left on your voice mail system. Simply call into your voice mail system as a remote caller, and follow the voice mail prompts to retrieve your messages. You can press the number buttons at any time. You do not have to wait for the captions to finish before pressing your selection.
As more and more people take advantage of the high-speed capabilities of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) service, there is good news for CapTel users. The CapTel phone may be used with a DSL as long as an “analog filter” is placed on the line between the CapTel phone and the DSL connection.
Analog filters are very common, and are placed on all telephones in a home where DSL service is connected. Often, your DSL provider will supply these filters at the time of connection. In some cases, DSL subscribers may elect to have a “Whole House” filter installed; this, too, should allow for easy connection of a CapTel phone.
If you have or are considering DSL, please check with your DSL provider to make sure you have the proper analog filter all lined up!
During a CapTel call, you (the caller) have complete control, just as you would during calls on any other telephone. There is absolutely no interaction with the Captioning Assistant (CA) who provides the written captions that appear on the CapTel display. This is a little different than a traditional relay call, during which the relay CA might get involved to ask for a proper spelling of a name or ask the caller to repeat themselves for clarity.
If you are talking with someone who speaks very quickly, who is in a noisy environment, or who has a heavy accent, you may sometimes see “(Unclear)“ on your CapTel display. This simply means the CA could not hear that particular word or words clearly enough to determine what was said. Simply ask the person with whom you are speaking to repeat the unclear word. The CapTel CA cannot get involved to ask for clarification.
It may help your caller if you relate the last few words that were readable. For example, if your CapTel display reads, “I think I’ll go to (Unclear) at about 1:30 pm,“ you might say something like, “You think you’ll go where at 1:30 pm?“
Should you ever experience a conversation that sounds clear to you, yet has numerous “(Unclear)“ designations, please note the date and time of the call, and, using the “Review Captions” feature, note the number of the CA who handled that call. Contact CapTel Customer Service right away. We will be happy to follow up, to make sure that every CapTel call is clear!
If you share your household with hearing family members or friends, chances are you have had the experience of someone else picking up a captioned call meant for you, on a phone other than the CapTel. If this happens, don’t panic!
All you have to do is pick up your CapTel phone, and then have the other phone hung up as soon as possible, so that a connection to the captioning service can be established. If this is done in a timely fashion, within a minute or so after the call was first picked up on the non-CapTel phone, your captioned call should connect with no problem!
The other person in your household will hear a series of beeping tones over the line when they accidentally pick up your captioned phone call on a different telephone. This is a good hint to know that the call should be answered on the CapTel phone instead.
CapTel Customer Service is your source for answers to any questions about your CapTel phone. We’d also love to hear your comments, concerns, and CapTel experiences. But you have to contact us and let us know! If you or anyone you know wants to know anything about CapTel, we are only a phone call, e-mail or letter away, and we look forward to finding out how we can best serve you. Please contact us!
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