Final answer:
The first thing the customer service associate should do is to troubleshoot the issue by checking the customer's network connection, and then verify the voicemail settings if necessary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first thing the customer service associate should do when a customer is having problems accessing their voicemail while traveling to work is to troubleshoot the issue by checking the customer's network connection. They should ask the customer if they have a stable internet connection or if they are experiencing any network issues. This is because voicemail services often rely on an active internet connection to function properly.
If the customer confirms that their network connection is stable, the customer service associate can then check the customer's account settings to ensure that voicemail is enabled and set up correctly. They may need to guide the customer through the process of configuring voicemail settings on their phone.
Finally, if the previous steps do not resolve the issue, the customer service associate can escalate the problem to the technical support team for further investigation and troubleshooting.