Telephone answering device with improved pager access feature

A telephone answering device, having an automatic page feature for automatically paging a user after a message has been recorded thereon, is programmed to dial the telephone number of a paging service to which the user subscribes each time a message is recorded, and to transmit at least numeric information that will ultimately be displayed on a portable pager. The numeric information can include the number of messages recorded on the telephone answering device, a caller's telephone number or a special predetermined code that lets the user know that the device is paging him. The telephone answering device is designed so as to be compatible with a wide variety of paging services and can be re-programmed if the user changes paging services. The device includes a memory that stores the digits of the paging service telephone number and automatically stores information representing the pauses and audible activity that are present between key presses during the programming process. The telephone answering device also has a test mode that allows the user to test the device, after completion of the programming process, to insure that the paging service telephone number has been stored correctly. The automatic page feature can still further be selectively enabled and disabled by the user.