DREUBEN@eagle.wesleyan.edu (Douglas Scott Reuben) (01/31/91)
Re: John Higdon's post about flashing an AT&T operator at the end of
a Calling Card call.
I know I keep talking about the "new" and "old" AT&T calling card
systems, but John Higdon's post reminded me of yet another difference:
First, some terms:
"Old" system: generally, the mixed local-BOC/long-distance-AT&T
Calling Card system, where callers would only hear "Thank you" after
entering their card number, and where they could sequence call between
local and LD calls, by hitting the "#" key. Some minor variations
after divestiture: 0 + LD yielded "Thank you for using AT&T", 0 +
local yielded just "Thank you", etc. Some prohibitions on LD to local
or local to LD sequence calls, but generally there was no such
restriction.
"New System": voice is slightly different, and pauses between "Thank
you using" and "AT&T". It is SLOWER than the older system, ie, on a
sequence call, dialing #, then the new number, (a/c +7D) will not
immediately yield a "Thank you"; you will wait a while, almost as if
it is checking out the number. If you enter an invalid exchange, ie,
415-001 or something, it will tell you right then and there, and NOT
go to the standard error message with the alert tones, ie "<recorded
tones> Your call can not be completed as dialed, please check the
number and dial again. XXX XT"
(If you don't live in CA, call 415-767-1212, you will see what I
mean...) It will say "Please dial the number your are calling, again,
NOW. The number you are calling is NOT correct." By entering the #
key after your sequence call, ie, #-415-555-1212-#, you will get a
response immediately (either "Thank you" or "Please dial again...").
"Local System": used by Pac*Bell, NY Tel, NJ Bell, NE Tel, and others.
These companies seemed to put their own Calling Card machines in after
divestiture (because "the Judge" ordered it so??), and only handle
local Calling Card calls. The generic versions seem to have an English
sounding voice which sounds more like a computer than a person (very
"cold" voice, especially when it says "You may dial another call,
now." You get the feeling that an eathquake wouldn't alter that voice! :) )
After the local Bells figured out that the voice sounded bit odd, they
put in their own scratchy recordings. Thus with NY Tel, you may hear
"<cars honking in the background> You may dial <hiss>other
ca<scratch>ll nowwww". (Not THAT bad, but close...)
Aside: Is this Northern Telecom CC equipment? The voice sounds
EXACTLY like the generic DMS-100/200 voice that one hears before the
local telco records their own messages on the DMS ... ie, the
"generic" "We're sorry. The number you have reached is not in
service." Call 203-724-9963 to see what I mean ... it's free (not in
service).
Anyhow ... with the "old" system, I DON'T recall being able to flash
an operator on a Calling Card call WHEN I entered my calling card
number myself.
So, if I dialed 0-415-555-1212, and at the "boing"/tone entered my CC
number, I could flash as much as I wanted after SF DA hung up and
nothing would happen, except maybe I'd get a dial tone.
However, let's say I was at a rotary phone, or some silly Touch Tone
phone in Western MA where they disable the tone pad after you dial 0+
(Western Electric trying to act like a COCOT??? :) Probably since it
was run off of some really old SxS or Xbar switch ...), then in such a
situation, after the "boing"/tone, I would NOT be able to tone
in/enter my calling card number. So after maybe five seconds, the AT&T
operator would come on, and ask for my CC number. It was ONLY this way
that I could flash her back after my first party had hung up to make
another call. You could NOT (and I don't think you can now) get an
operator to come on line DURING the call while the other party was
still there. I *think* one could not recall her on a 'busy' or 'no
answer' (ie, ringing), or any condition where supervision was not
initially returned. I'm not sure about this.
However, with the "new" system, you can recall the operator on a call
where you initially entered your CC number, or where you spoke to her
and verbally told her the number. It makes no difference. Does anyone
know why AT&T did this?
Moreover, some local Telcos are using the AT&T system (is it AT&T's?)
as their own, substituting their local telco name instead of AT&T.
Thus, instead of hearing "Thank you for using" <pause> "AT&T" you will
hear "Thank you for using" <pause> "Bell Atlantic", or whatever local
Telco serves you. Some really cheap telcos or areas that just put in
the new system say "Thank you for using" <pause> "your local Telephone
Company", and "You may dial another" <pause> "local telphone company
handled" <pause> "call, now."
Some telcos, like NY Tel, use this only in certain areas, like on
Staten Island, where as in other parts of NY, one must use NY Tel's
PRIMITIVE calling card system which they put in shortly after
divestiture and is really awful and slow. (Pac*Bell uses a similar
system, although friends have told me they are hearing the "new" AT&T
system more often now, with of course "Pac*Bell" substituted for
"AT&T" where applicable.) One company that has totally gone over to
the AT&T system is SNET in Connecticut. C&P Tel seems to have gone
over, some sections of New Jersey Bell (but not most), Bell of PA (in
Reading, at least), etc.
On these "new"/local systems, you have to push the "#" sign after a
local seqeunce call to get the "Thank you" right away. IE, #-"you may
dial another SNET handled call now" - 555-1212-#-"thank you". Can you
flash to get an operator on these?? I've never tried it...
It was also mentioned that if you are on a call, and decide to make an
operator assisted three-way call (ie, "flash" - 0+xxx-xxx-xxxx - enter
CC number -"flash"), you could NOT drop the call unless you get the
operator back and have her RELEASE the call. I've found that rather
than annoying the operator, there are simple ways to get control of
the call back:
On an AT&T call: sequence call (dial "#"), then dial 900-555-1212. You
will NOT be billed for this call, even though it is a 900 number.
After a few seconds, the AT&T computer will come online and tell you
"Please hang up and dial direct - This number can not be dialed as a
sequence call". You will then get promtply hung up on by the calling
card system.
Alternately, you can repeatedly dial an invalid number (415-767-1212
from outside CA), or a local number, IF your AT&T system in your area
does NOT allow sequence calls to local numbers.
On a local BOC call: dial ANY LD number,ie, a call that your BOC can
not handle, and after two attempts it will hang up on you. I know
this will work with the "new" AT&T equipment (if your local BOC uses
it for local calls), and in many cases works with the older "local"
equipment that some BOCs like Pac*Bell and NYNEX companies use.
(Of course, the above is only valid for Calling Card calls, and if you
just do nothing, the Calling Card system will probably just hang up on
you anyhow.)
Finally, we also have "110" for "flash-the-operator-if-you-have-three-
way-calling", but how do you do this if the operator assisted call is
on the "second leg" of the call, ie, you can't get the second
"Three-way" tone with which to dial 110? In the example above, 110
wouldn't do much good. Consider this problem I once had: I was talking
to someone, we wanted to reach directory assistance in London, so I
called, via three-way, the operator, who connected me. DA in London
took a LONG time to answer, so the operator left the line and told me
"Flash me when done". I wasn't thinking, and said "OK", and after I
got the number from London DA, I COULDN'T flash, since the operator
call was my second call, and flashing did no good. So for over an hour
my line was busy until the operator came on and hung up!
DMSs don't seem to have this 110 code for 'flashing' for customers who
have three-way calling and need to flash an operator on the "first
leg" of their call (ie, no three-way call involved). Is there some
similar code? I called the tech people at Pac*Bell and SNET, and none
of them even knew what 110 did! Please....!
Guess that's it for my favorite esoteric telcom subject! Anyone still
awake? :)
Doug
dreuben@eagle.wesleyan.edu // dreuben@wesleyan.bitnet
[Moderator's Note: I tried 415-767-1212 just now from home. I was
intercepted right here in Chicago by three-one-two, five-tee, and told
my call could not be completed as dialed. PAT]