wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil (Will Martin) (09/29/90)
When I call 1-800-726-3914, which is the number listed on the literature given out by "Towne & Kountry Markets" (AKA "HJM Marketing" of Thornton, CO), a firm that arranged flea markets at various locations, including here in St. Louis, and which seems to have gone out of business, I get a recording that says this: "Your call cannot be completed as entered. Please check the number and try again or call customer service for assistance. Forty-four one-twenty" (Note -- the "one-twenty" is in a slightly different voice, and "steps on the tail" of the recorded voice that recites the preceeding data.) What I am somewhat resentful of, and do not understand, is that this recording is worded in such a way that it makes the caller the "guilty" party, like we are too dumb to hit the right numbers. If the recording had said, "The number you have called has been disconnected," or "is no longer in service," I would have thought nothing of it. But this particular wording sticks in my mind and in my craw. Also, how am I supposed to know who they mean by "customer service"? Is that 800-555-1212? If so, why doesn't the recording say that? Does this recording really just mean "the number has been disconnected"? Or does the particular wording indicate something else? I don't know what company has the "726" 800 exchange; there is a list of these in the Telecom archives, but not in a separate file (that I could determine) [I've asked the Moderator to put those in such a file when he could], and I don't know what to search for (more specific than "800") to wade thru the megabytes of past traffic to find it. I hope it isn't AT&T; I would think they would know better than to use such inappropriate phrasing. Regards, Will wmartin@st-louis-emh2.army.mil OR wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil [Moderator's Note: The file is in the Telecom Archives as 'npa.800' in the main directory. It shows who owns which 800 prefix. I tried your example just now, and got the same recording except for the switch ID on the end: forty-four, five-oh-three. You are correct that the suggestion to call 'customer service' is very misleading: Which Customer Service? Your carrier? The operator? 555-1212? Today's Dumb Award goes to that recording. PAT]
Bill Huttig <la063249@zach.fit.edu> (09/30/90)
In article <12781@accuvax.nwu.edu> wmartin@stl-06sima.army.mil (Will Martin) writes: >When I call 1-800-726-3914, which is the number listed on the >"Your call cannot be completed as entered. Please check the number and try >again or call customer service for assistance. Forty-four one-twenty" That is a US Sprint recording the number is the location of their switch. It more than likely means that the number is disconnected. They should include the customer service number like MCI does. (But it is US Sprint ;-) Bill la063249@zach.fit.edu