Play That Funky Ring Tone

Some wireless-phone users have jumped enthusiastically on the custom ring-tone trend. In Internet forums and chat rooms, they often trade Web-site addresses where ring tones are offered, and many are seeking other sites with ring tones based on their favorite songs. Your customer-service department might be one stop in the search.

Cingular
Total Hold Time: 2 minutes
Transfer/IVR Layers: 2
CSR: Thank you for choosing Cingular. My name is (name).
WR: I just wanted to find out how to download ring tones.
CSR: You go into the Cingular Web site. Have you set up a user ID and password?
WR: No.
CSR: Well, you go into the Cingular Web site, and it will give you the options there. You go into wireless data, and then you can go into the ring tones. Then it’ll ask you for a user ID and a password. You can register there.
WR: If there’s a song that I wanted to use as a ring tone that’s not on Cingular’s Web site, how would I get it?
CSR: There’s another Web site called Cell Phone User. They have a Web site of about 100 ring tones that they offer at no charge to you.
WR: And all I do is just download it from their Web site?
CSR: Yes. Ours is going to cost you a dollar. Theirs wouldn’t cost you anything.
WR: What are the risks if I use another site as opposed to yours?
CSR: Nothing.

VoiceStream
Total Hold Time: 1 minute
Transfer/IVR Layers: 2
CSR: Thank you for calling Voice-Stream, where you get more. This is (name). How can I help you today?
WR: How do I download ring tones to my phone?
CSR: If you go onto VoiceStream.com and register, on the bottom of the screen it’s going to say ring tones, an option of My Alerts. You click on that, and then it will tell you where you can go to get ring tones, and then it downloads on your handset.
WR: Does it cost extra?
CSR: I believe it’s a dollar.
WR: Do you know if there’s any other place I can go to get ring tones if VoiceStream doesn’t have the ones I’m looking for?
CSR: Like on the Internet?
WR: Yes.
CSR: No, I don’t know. But you know how they ask you to go into search? You could probably enter ring tones. A whole bunch of sites will pop up where you can go to get ring tones.
WR: Is it safe for me to get those from the Internet?
CSR: That’s the only place that I can think of.

AT&T Wireless
Total Hold Time: 2 minutes
Transfer/IVR Layers: 2
CSR: Thank you for calling. This is (name). How may I help you?
WR: I have a Nokia 5165, and I wanted to find out if I can download ring tones to that?
CSR: Yes, you can.
WR: How do I do that?
CSR: You need to go to our Web site.
WR: Then what do I do?
CSR: Just click on ring tones, and it’ll explain everything, the pricing, how to do it. It explains it all.
WR: What if the song that I’m looking for is not on your site?
CSR: Then you won’t be able to have it.
WR: Is there anywhere else that I can get them from?
CSR: No.

Ring Tone Risks
Although many Web sites offer free ring tones, it is important to remember that malicious code writers are out there and can exploit downloads. MobileViruses.com offers the following example relative to Nokia phones:

There are a number of commands, based on Nokia’s Smart Messaging Protocol, that can be sent to the Nokia Communicator 9000 using an SMS message that can configure the Web settings and allow ring tones and pictures to be stored. This functionality has been added to most of the new Nokia products so a malicious hacker with access to a free SMS gateway could wipe out the connection settings on a WAP phone, send malicious messages or even salacious pictures.

www.mobileviruses.com/whatis.asp