konstan@elmer-fudd.berkeley.edu (Joe Konstan) (11/02/90)
I have tried now for two days to get straight answers from MCI about this service and here is where I've gotten: Consistent info: Cost is $5.00 per month and 25 cents a minute billed in one-minute increments. Other stuff: The people at their special residential-800 number keep claiming that the assigned number will be 1-800-my home phone number-ABCD where ABCD is a special security code. When I asked about the fact that this could conflict with existing 800 numbers, I was told that the security code would prevent this. I spoke with three people before giving up. The most remarkable dialog went like this: Me: So, I my home phone number is 444-4444 (MCI Customer Service) and someone dials my 800 number, then they will have a chance to enter four digits for me, and MCI customer service calls will wait for four digits before connecting. MCI: Right. Me: What if my home phone number prefix is not an MCI 800 number prefix, is every 800 number in the country being changed to handle a 4-digit suffix? MCI: Not every 800 number, just MCI 800 numbers. Me: So how does the call get to me? MCI: Because of the special four-digit code. AAArgh! I am now reall;y curious and frustrated. I haven't been able to get a technical person or one of the supervisors who seem to be in a meeting at all hours. Can someone use a contact inside MCI to get the real story???? Joe Konstan [Moderator's Note: I've got a couple of Telecom*USA 800 numbers, and Telecom*USA is now part of MCI, unfortunatly. The day they tell me I have to start appending or prepending four additional digits to my 800 numbers is the day they get them both back. What complete nonsense! It sounds like MCI has some serious problems in Customer Service at the present time. Hopefully they will let Telecom*USA keep handling their own customers. PAT]