Here’s a summary type post that lists a series of ways to get more out of GoogleVoice.
The one that was missed. Set your cell phone up to send calls to GoogleVoice as your only voice mail account. Back in the GrandCentral days the steps were somewhere on the web site. All you had to do was use the divert/forward feature on Nokia phones, or the star codes that your carrier can provide. With GoogleVoice you have to start wondering why you pay your mobile operator for voice mail if you’re no longer using it.
I recall once calling up VerizonWireless and asked if I could have Voice Mail turned off, as I didn’t want people leaving messages on my cell phone as I never check it and I travel internationally. The GoogleVoice trick solved that problem. All I did was forward the phone to GoogleVoice if there wasn’t any answer. Oh, and yes, GoogleVoice was smart enough to include loop detection.
Give that tip a try.