A system and method for receiving voice mail messages as a text-based email message or a facsimile transmission are presented. When a voice mail message is received from a calling party, the voice mail message is recorded into mass memory. Later, when the called party seeks to retrieve the called party's voice mail messages, the message can be converted to text and sent as either an email message to a designated email address or a facsimile transmission to a designated facsimile number. Additionally, a subscriber is able to record a message and have the recorded message converted to text and sent to a designated email address or facsimile number.