I've found that if you speak slowly and clearly and emphasize different aspects of people's names and alter the cadence of your speaking tone, it works well.
For example, if you have "Andy, Amy and Jamie" as contacts
Try creating names such as "Andrew Cell", "Amy Car" and "Jamie Cellular".
It's extra work (trying to remember it), but it works (almost) all of the time.
Other differentiating terms I use are house and home, office and work, etc.
Try not using any word that sounds like a word that you've already used...that's the easy part.
Try remembering the names...that's the hard part!

The issue is and has been for the past year that background noise interfers with the voice recognition. If the car is motionless, no radio, no a/c then it will work. This car has been to the dealer for probably 40 hours to fix this, no repair has worked.
I've suggested a total replacement of the unit, now with the touch screen messed up they may pull it and install a new unit.

I use the voice commands often, for both phone and Nav. I occasionally get recognition errors, but not so often as to be annoying. My biggest problem at the beginning was in trying to remember what the valid commands are. I also find it a bit slow having to step through the sequence of commands to dial by name. I would much prefer a system that responded to "Call John" rather than "Dial by Name", etc.

When dialing by number, I find that it works far better if you don't try to speak too slowly, and don't insert pauses, but rather let the numbers run together as they do when you speak naturally. If memory serves, that's also what the user guide recommends.

--My hybrid came home!--
Ottawa owners check in here

Randy

I sometimes use the command for the phone. Never for the NAV, I find the nave commands to be utterly inconsistent in result. I use the override and touch screen. I have had some problems with the phone and I agree with Randy -- it really bothers me with the length of the sequence to dial by name or number.

dial by name isn't that bad
*press the talk button
*say "dial by name"
*listen for repeat from car, as soon as it starts to say "dial..." press talk button
*say person's name
*listen for car to say the name, as soon as it starts to say the name, press off hook

it can be done relatively quickly, even though it's not a perfect system.

30 seconds is too long. I don't like waiting for the woman to talk (maybe this is part of a larger personal problem? ). One little feature I found that makes it quicker is the "Voice Recognition Guidance." Set that to "no" and when you hit the voice button it just beeps instead of you having to sit there and wait for her to get done with her speech.

Also, I have not been able to hit the off hook button without waiting for her to stop talking. If I hit it prior to her finishing it doesn't do anything and I have to hit it again. I have to wait for her to finish. (I have the nav.)

Honestly, sometimes I find the voice system to be quite distracting as you fight with it.

It's usually faster than 30 seconds.
I can interrupt her from saying "dial by name"
I can also interrupt her from stating the name of the contact
I never wait for her to finish talking (comes from being married)

I'll time it tonight, but I think the whole process is under 10 seconds.

You don't have the nav right?

See, I think it is different depending if you have the Nav or not. My gf has a RAV4 with the upgraded JBL and she can do just as you are describing above -- interrupt the woman. I cannot seem to get it to work. Except for maybe saying the name. I will have to test again.

All truth be told, I rarely make or receive a phone call in the car.

Non-NAV, right.

I find it much faster to hit the off-hook button on the steering wheel and then click on a speed-dial name on the Nav screen. You only have to glance at the screen for half a second, and it takes maybe 1-2 seconds total instead of talking and waiting etc.

I also have speed dial buttons setup on my phone to just hold down "3" for example and it dials that contact, and I can feel for the buttons on my phone and not take my eyes off the road.

Thank heavens for integrated Bluetooth - California's hands-free law starts July 1st and all my friends with old phones and old cars are pissed off!