CRW@icf.hrb.com (Craig R. Watkins) (10/31/90)
Dave, a friend of mine, has a primary number XYB-5600. The local Sears' published number is XYB-2451. However, Sears recently moved a few doors down in the mall and installed a new Rolm PBX and switched their phone number to XYA-5600 (I suspect the number switch was to move them from the old ESS to a DMS switch). When people call the old published Sears number, XYB-2451, they get an intercept: "The number you have reached, XYB-2451 has been disconnected; calls are being taken by XYA-5600..." The problem is that two or three people per day match the old exchange and the new number and dial XYB-5600 and get Dave. The problems that have been echoed on this list before apply here. It's no problem to answer the phone and tell people what number they really wanted unless you are sleeping/showering/busy/etc. or if the people don't catch on and continue to call you back, or they want to argue with you about what you are telling them. We also really wonder about the people that leave messages for Sears on a machine that starts out "Hi, Dave and Dan aren't available...." This has been going on for months and we are hoping it will let up in February when the new directory comes out. We realize that this isn't Bell's fault and this isn't Sears' fault. We're looking for a cheap creative solution to hold Dave over till February (or later). We've not made any "official" request from anyone at Bell yet -- we know that when you call asking Bell for things, you better already know what you want from them in advance. The usual Bell response is often "We'll be VERY nice and change the number for free." Of course that doesn't work here as Dave will no longer get phone calls from anyone that knows his number. If Bell puts an intercept on XYB-5600 with the new number, we suspect the Sears calls will simply follow him to his new number. The best solution we've come up with so far is to ask Bell (in conjunction with Sears) to change the number given out on the intercept to some other number in their hunt (eg XYA-5601 -- we haven't checked this number). This assumes something like XYB-5601 isn't in use or the problems will simply move to someone else. We are concerned that someone at Bell or Sears will conceive of some problem with this (eg people may "write down" this temporary 5601 number and use it forever and there might be some problem with that). Any other ideas? Craig R. Watkins Internet: CRW@ICF.HRB.COM HRB Systems, Inc. Bitnet: CRW%HRB@PSUECL.Bitnet +1 814 238-4311 UUCP: ...!psuvax1!hrbicf!crw
roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu (Roy Smith) (11/02/90)
> When people call the old published Sears number, XYB-2451, they get an > intercept: "The number you have reached, XYB-2451 has been disconnected; > calls are being taken by XYA-5600..." Why can't the switch just play "The number you have reached ... Your call is being automatically forwarded to that number now, but please make a note of the proper number for future reference", and then forward the call. Your telco service rep may freak out if you request that service, but it doesn't seem like it should be beyond the capabilities of the switch. Roy Smith, Public Health Research Institute 455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016 roy@alanine.phri.nyu.edu -OR- {att,cmcl2,rutgers,hombre}!phri!roy
nol2105%dsacg2.dsac.dla.mil@dsac.dla.mil (Robert E. Zabloudil) (11/03/90)
In article <14216@accuvax.nwu.edu> CRW@icf.hrb.com (Craig R. Watkins) writes: >When people call the old published Sears number, XYB-2451, they get an >intercept: "The number you have reached, XYB-2451 has been >disconnected; calls are being taken by XYA-5600..." The problem is >that two or three people per day match the old exchange and the new >number and dial XYB-5600 and get Dave. We had a similar problem once, when we lived in the Quad Cities. Our phone number, XYY-YYZX, got all sorts of calls from people who couldn't tell how many Y's they had dialed, that is, they dialed either one more *or* less than they wanted. Our solution, which worked fairly well, was to have the number changed (for free), and then have the intercept go not to a recording, but to the operator (If I remember correctly; it WAS 7 or 8 years ago!). The caller was asked what number they were dialing; if ours, they got the new number, if not, at least the telco got the drudgery, not us. Oh, yes, we did tell select friends and family members the new number ourselves. 8^) Bob Zabloudil opinions my own, etc.
peter@ficc.ferranti.com (peter da silva) (11/03/90)
Our answering machine starts with the following message: "Hello, this is NOT AllState, and there are no insurance agents here..." Guess who used to have our number? The calls have dropped off, or we were about to change it to: "Hello, this is no longer an insurance agency. If you want a State Farm agent call..." Peter da Silva. +1 713 274 5180. peter@ferranti.com
yazz@prodnet.la.locus.com (Bob Yasi) (11/04/90)
On the wrong-number-from-Sears front, I have two comments. First, if the old number is on a "good" switch then Sears could have the old number forward into their new hunt group. I think they were dumb not to do this in the first place, quite apart from the annoyance they have caused our telecom digest poster, because of the inconvenience they cause their customers. I think an important component of Sears's public image is their "Old Reliable Standby, my-grandmother's 1920 Kenmore sewing machine still works, Craftsman tools are guaranteed forever" sort of thing. Making it inconvenient to call the store doesn't jibe. When grandma, who is perhaps still leasing her black dial desk telephone from AT&T, calls for a new bobin on her 1920 sewing machine using the same phone number she has used for years, maybe decades, she doesn't expect Sears to make it more complicated than it used to be. Even if the old number is on a "bad" switch, Sears can afford the additional cost to make it easy for grandma. Second, the different wrong-number problem with repeated or missing digits is very often caused by cheap cheap cheap phones. Half-decent pushbutton phones pay attention to "debouncing", which prevents a button which is pushed once from dialing a digit twice. This is a reason to avoid telephone numbers with repeated digits in them. (Missing digits generally prevent a call from going through.) When I have time I'll post an amusing story involving a different Department store whose number horned in on mine. I wound up changing my number, but not without a stink and a free dinner for two. (:-) -- Bob Yazz -- yazz@Locus.com
dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com (David Tamkin) (11/05/90)
In volume 10, issue 780, Craig Watkins wrote: | Dave, a friend of mine, has a primary number XYB-5600. The local | Sears' published number is XYB-2451. However, Sears recently switched | their phone number to XYA-5600. The problem is that two or three | people per day match the old exchange and the new number and dial | XYB-5600 and get Dave. | It's no problem to answer the phone and tell people what number they | really wanted unless you are sleeping/showering/busy/etc. or if the | people don't catch on and continue to call you back, or they want to | argue with you about what you are telling them. We also really wonder | about the people that leave messages for Sears on a machine that | starts out "Hi, Dave and Dan aren't available...." | This has been going on for months and we are hoping it will let up in | February when the new directory comes out. It may subside slightly; it's amazing how people marry old directories. | The usual Bell response is often "We'll be VERY nice and change the | number for free." Of course that doesn't work here as Dave will no | longer get phone calls from anyone that knows his number. If Bell | puts an intercept on XYB-5600 with the new number, we suspect the | Sears calls will simply follow him to his new number. That they will; suddenly people will get the number in the second intercept right, even if Dave and Dan's new number is on a different prefix from either XYA or XYB (if possible; I don't know how many prefixes serve their area). | Any other ideas? This is no 100% cure-all solution, but it may help: as long as Dave and Dan have an answering machine, they should start their OGM with, "Sears Roebuck & Co.'s telephone number has been changed to XYA-5600; that's XY_*A*_-5600 [much, much emphasis on the A digit]. If you want Sears, you must hang up and dial XYA-5600. If you want Dan or Dave, please leave a message." If they have a machine that allows interrupting the OGM, they should tell their friends how to do it. This method will catch a fair number of the doofi who currently listen to "This is Dan and Dave" but still leave messages for Sears. It will also put off most of the people who want to argue with them that yes, they are Sears, stop lying; after all, individual Sears employees can play games with you on the phone but the person at Sears in charge of the answering machine would never record a lie on its OGM, right? Of course it's silly, fellow readers, but consider the mentality we're dealing with here. When such dolts get an intercept, they don't yell at it that it is lying: that which comes from a machine is beyond question. Garbage in, gospel out. David Tamkin Box 7002 Des Plaines IL 60018-7002 708 518 6769 312 693 0591 MCI Mail: 426-1818 GEnie: D.W.TAMKIN CIS: 73720,1570 dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com [Note: my answering machine is not the fax of Fran Dyra at Children's Press.]
yazz@prodnet.la.locus.com (Bob Yasi) (11/06/90)
Here's the amusing wrong-number story I mentioned last week. I really am a nice guy, mentally insert smileys wherever necessary. (:-) A new prefix had opened up in San Diego, and I got the number xyz-y000 (that's XYZ Y-thousand). Early that Autumn, Neiman-Marcus (Needless-Markup to those who know them) opened up shop. They got xyz-y100 (XYZ Y-one-hundred) and I started getting their calls on my answering machine. The Directory Assistance voice computer didn't say Y-one-hundred, it said Y-one-oh-oh. The directory wasn't even printed yet and anyone who shops at Neiman's isn't worried about how much it costs to call 411. I guess a lot of people just presumed that a status symbol store like Neiman's would have a status symbol phone number like mine. Annoyed not with Neiman's but rather with the callers, I endeavored to discourage them by changing the outgoing message on my answering machine to an utter fabrication: "Hello this is Bob, if you're calling for me leave a message at the beep. But if you're calling for Neiman-Marcus, a Tragic Explosion has shut them down until Well Past Christmas so there's no reason to call back until then." Well, the message did not produce the intended effect. When I got home from work the next day there were not two or three of the usual hangup calls but nearly two dozen! And, listening to them they almost all sounded like long distance calls (there was a little "chirp" at the end). One local-sounding woman actually took the time to leave the message in a nasal voice of shocked dismay, (similar to that of the woman on TV who has fallen and can't get up) "Oh, an explosion at Neiman's. How awwwful!". Having clearly failed to discourage callers, I changed the message back. The next day at work (How did they get my work number?) I received a call from an AT&T Longlines Division Account Manager who was most eager to "help solve Our problem". She told me that Neiman-Marcus's was worried and the phrase "fear of bomb threats" found its way into the conversation! All the hangups were from people at Neiman's legal department listening to the content of the message. They didn't like it but the message contained no threat. She wanted me to change the message and I told her I had already changed it the night before, which made her happy. She also wanted me to change my number. I did NOT want that. Neiman's claimed they had already printed up too many company directories and business cards to change. I said the problem was only the number that DA gave out -- they didn't have to reprint anything. Just give out a less error-prone number to their apparently error-prone customers. I spoke with some VP at Neiman's, even. No dice. I finally changed (for free) my number to abc-1200. Everyone was very very gracious. The VP was so apologetic about "all this inconvenience". He even encouraged me to come in to the store and meet him. I asked about a gift certificate. He said "No, but did anyone make any representation to you that you would receive one?" Then I got nervy. I said, "Oh, no, not at all. I just think you should." Well, they have a fine restaurant he assured me and I could have a dinner for two there anytime I wanted. Even a generous tip for the waitress was included, I made sure. The dinner was good. In the end, I was very glad the same thing hadn't happened with a Woolworth's! -- Bob Yazz -- yazz@locus.com <--lowercase matters to uunet
msb@sq.com (Mark Brader) (11/07/90)
> When people call the old published Sears number, XYB-2451, they get an > intercept: "The number you have reached, XYB-2451 has been disconnected; > calls are being taken by XYA-5600..." If the intercept is individually recorded, rather than synthesized, it could be helpful to have the recording redone with emphasis on the first changed digit. "...are being taken by ex why EH five six..." Mark Brader, SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com
IZZYAS1@oac.ucla.edu (Andy Jacobson) (11/09/90)
In TELECOM Digest V10 #796: Bob Yazz <yazz@locus.com>writes: >A new prefix had opened up in San Diego, and I got the number xyz-y000 >(that's XYZ Y-thousand). Early that Autumn, Neiman-Marcus >(Needless-Markup to those who know them) opened up shop. They got >xyz-y100 (XYZ Y-one-hundred) and I started getting their calls on my >answering machine. >The next day at work (How did they get my work number?) I received a >call from an AT&T Longlines Division Account Manager who was most >eager to "help solve Our problem". She told me that Neiman-Marcus's > She also wanted me to change my number. I did >NOT want that. Neiman's claimed they had already printed up too many >I finally changed (for free) my number to abc-1200. Everyone was very >very gracious. The VP was so apologetic about "all this Hey, don't do it. If you give up a phone number, next they'll want to build their store on your house just because their customers drive by your corner. (Ok, ok, I wont flame.) But I would never give up a phone number, especially a good one like that Let me tell you how I deal with a similar situation. My number is 213-X9Y-X000 in west L.A.. The Shadydump hotel in Marina Del Ray has listed 213-X0Y-X000. Because their customers are ignorant of NXX's having 1 or 0 as second digit (they must still be living back in the days when area codes were .... well ... you know ... area codes), they're somehow convinced that they wrote down a "9", when it really is "0". I really can't otherwise see how they could convert zero into a nine. Well, I really enjoy making reservations for them at $99.99 a night single occupancy. Then there was the woman who before even saying hello at 4:45AM announced that she was calling from West Germany (Aaaah, now a chance for the LD carrier to gouge away.my revenge ) -and wanted to conf-- ... I told her in no uncertain terms that she had the wrong number and summarily hung up on her. Well, she called back_twice_ (Hey, its her deutschmark!) The second time I told her in even less uncertain terms. The third time I just answered politely with the name of the hotel, and put her on hold. Four or five minutes later her patience timed out. She tried back again (brilliant!) This time she got the ring"XXXXXhotelholdplease" softclick response. Another four minutes of that winking LED, that got rid of her good! Let's see, that's about four 'first minutes', and eight additional from FRG, and its the middle of the afternoon there. My opinion is : F***em! If Neiman Markup, or Snears has dumb customers, take their orders! Take their credit card numbers! Tell them what the prices are. Tell them where the store is located! When they wind up at the city dump, they have no one to blame but themselves. You have every right to give 'em grief. The stores have ___NO___ right to even suggest that you change your number. Remember, their stock is trading on the AMEX, not yours. You're trying to live your life. Make the most of it. If the stupid customers ever get to the store, let'em beat up the manager. If it's in their business interest to not lose customers, and not tie up management, they'll make the effort to straighten people out. Then again, maybe the store would be willing to pay you a fat monthly fee to redirect their lost sheep. You might just let them know what their options are. Another point raised was: >The Directory Assistance voice computer didn't say Y-one-hundred, it >said Y-one-oh-oh. I don't know how 411 gives it, but it seems that the bell system intercept can say things like "XY hundred" and "X thousand." The GTE one here does not. [Moderator's Note: We had a series of messages on this some time back, with people who received the wrong number calls deliberatly giving phalse and misleading information to the caller. Some people thought it was very unethical to deliberatly give phalse information to the person who dialed a wrong number. But still, it can be a nuisance when there are a lot of calls like that. My new technique is to let them hang up, then punch *69 and call them back, advising them to take care in the future with their dialing. That really freaks them out since they wonder how I could possibly have known their number! PAT]
BRUCE@ccavax.camb.com (Barton F. Bruce) (11/10/90)
In article <14374@accuvax.nwu.edu>, dattier@ddsw1.mcs.com (David Tamkin) writes: > This is no 100% cure-all solution, but it may help: as long as Dave > and Dan have an answering machine, they should start their OGM with, > "Sears Roebuck & Co.'s telephone number has been changed to XYA-5600; Perhaps the following would prove useful: "If you have a problem and want BETTER service, call J .C. Penney at xxx.xxxx" Followed, after a modestly long pause, by some suitable message for callers to Dave or Dan.
wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (David Lesher) (11/11/90)
David Tamkin writes: |"If you have a problem and want BETTER service, call J .C. Penney at |xxx.xxxx" |Followed, after a modestly long pause, by some suitable message for |callers to Dave or Dan. When Carterphone first hit, lots of garbage answering machines showed up all at one. [Come to think of it, there STILL are lots of garbage -- but I digress] Well it seem that the local rep. for one of the International Record Carriers (those folks that carry intl. Telex, telegrams, etc, traffic) called up his competitor and got an answering machine. Hmmmm, what's this? What neat things does it do? For MANY weeks afterwards, Company A's OGM said: We're busy, call Company B I do not imagine that *that* machine was used for long ;-} wb8foz@mthvax.cs.miami.edu (305) 255-RTFM