[rickbe]

Why can't mobile phone networks let people choose if they want the voice for the info and voicemail options be male or female. It always seems to be female. I don't think Ive ever heard a male voice doing it.

The woman who does my voicemailbox info announcements on my phone has an irritating style and it would be good to be able to swap it and have something else for a change.

Nothing against females or their voices, its just that I think we should have a choice. It's struck me how so many announcements seem to be female now: call centres, train stations, on board train announcements.

Especially the latter mostly used to be male. They seem to have changed gender somewhere along the line (no pun intended). Everywhere you go now there seem to be bossy female voices telling you what to do, which button to press etc. It seems to have become the established industry convention.

I think its gone too far and its time to redress the balance! Or is there some prejudice against male voices? I suspect there is...

[Brush Master]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickbe

Why can't mobile phone networks let people choose if they want the voice for the info and voicemail options be male or female. It always seems to be female. I don't think Ive ever heard a male voice doing it. ...

I think you'll find most women's voices have a higher pitch than men's. The low tone of a typical male voice simply makes it much harder to understand over the phone or other inferior audio paths.

You'll find that the vast majority of announcements in the public, shops, on voice mail other telephone menus, talking elevators, answer phones, etc, are female just so that you and I can understand what was said.

[rickbe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brush Master

I think you'll find most women's voices have a higher pitch than men's. The low tone of a typical male voice simply makes it much harder to understand over the phone or other inferior audio paths.

You'll find that the vast majority of announcements in the public, shops, on voice mail other telephone menus, talking elevators, answer phones, etc, are female just so that you and I can understand what was said.

Ok maybe thats a fair point.
The voice that does my voicemail certainly has a high pitch.
Too high I'd say.

I'm just thankful my mobile voicemail doesnt use the voice of that woman from BBC Newsnight!