Commentary

Excruciatingly Long Conference Call Passcodes

by dave.b , Max Kalehoff , September 10, 2010

I often find myself having to join conference calls while on the go -- walking, driving or even while standing in lines. Most conference-call services require participants to dial an 800-number, followed by a passcode. That's reasonable, except when the pass codes are longer than six digits.

Why? On my old BlackBerry and now on my new Android smartphone, when I dial the call-in number, it takes me away from the screen with the passcode. When I'm on the go or multitasking, I can easily remember a six-digit passcode. But anything more than that becomes an annoying mental and coordination challenge. The problem is, there is a growing tendency for conference-call passcodes to reach nine or even 12 digits or more.

It would be great if conference-call hosting vendors would limit their passcodes to six digits. Alternatively, smartphone manufacturers could create a function to automatically memorize passcodes that are associated with call-in numbers within calendar invites and email messages, and then automatically submit the passcode when requested during conference-call meetings.

Telephony services and smart devices have made tremendous strides in recent years. But this is one very basic area that still needs work. If there's a simple solution for this, please let me know in the comments. I know I'm not alone.

Oh, the perils of the 21st-century worker.

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5 comments about "Excruciatingly Long Conference Call Passcodes".

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Jack Acree from Saffron Road Foods, September 10, 2010 at 10:11 a.m.
I just got a Droid 2 and don't know how that works, but on my BB I would enter the phone number and then an "x" before the passcode in the "Location" section of the Calendar entry. When I dialed the Conf code, the BB would wait 5 seconds and then automatically dial the passcode just like an extension.
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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, September 10, 2010 at 10:27 a.m.

Write the number on your arm.

Don Carli from ISC, September 10, 2010 at 10:32 a.m.

What's needed is a mobile app like an URL shortener service for conference call passcodes.

David Carlick from Carlick, September 10, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.

Interesting bit of history. When designing the original phone numbers, AT&T scientists determined that the average person could remember seven digits easily. This was simplified, perhaps, by the alpha-prefix mnemonic used then. Kenmore 85186 (538 5186), my first phone number, was easy. However, we have long given up remembering numbers, since auto dial and rotary phones. I have used the 'X' pause, but some conference calls then have you press '#' again with different prompts. I have fallen back to writing down the number and passcode, especially since I dial with an iPhone, so have to dial back in more than once.

Sandy Miller from Success Communications, September 10, 2010 at 4:52 p.m.

It would be great if there was some way to link. Just the way when you send a web site you can click on it and then go to the site. If you opened the email you could click and it would dial in with the correct passcode for that call.

If anyone figures out how to do that then I expect a piece of the profits.