john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) (09/29/89)
I have just been introduced to the ultimate in telco silliness--the
automatic repair service attendant. This is something I understand
Pac*Bell has been perpetrating for some time, I have previously been
fortunate enough to avoid it.
Dial 611. "Welcome to Pacific Bell's automated repair service." First
they determine if you have a touch tone phone by asking for a "1". Then
you are told that if you want a live person, you press "0". If you take
the automatic bait, you first enter the number that is experiencing the
difficulty. After that you are given a menu of maladies such as no dial
tone, noise or static, etc. If your trouble doesn't fit any category,
you will have to press the "0" for a person.
After selecting your trouble, you give a number where you can be
reached during the day. Then you get a summary made up of assembled
phrases complete with a promised due date. This whole procedure takes
somewhat longer than an ordinary person and seems to be geared to an
eight-year-old mentality.
Lest you think that I am against progress, here are some points to
consider:
This could be a good cost-cutting measure by reducing personnel, however
I doubt that the remaining attendants will be any better trained than
before, so it could just be an extra step in the repair-reporting
process.
The major manpower is used in the followup, not in taking the original
complaint. I question whether this system can save them much.
As for me and my house, I'm through calling 611. Future repair requests
will be made directly to 811-8081, the priority repair number. When you
call that number, you get a real person who knows exactly what's what.
The trouble is handed to a tech who gets back to you in 30 minutes with
a report and you get a direct call back number for inquiries that is
answered by the person actually effecting the repairs. This is the
number that I have used for my big customers and it suddenly occured to
me that I was wasting my time ever fooling around with 611!
John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395
john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !