myerston@cts.sri.com (09/09/89)
At least >some< of GTE's service problems are the result of
equipment provided (foisted?) by the infamous Automatic Electric and
its successors.
When I worked at Western Electric it seemed like the most
satisfying jobs were those where we replaced AE equipment with ESS
machines (1A ESS at that time) for GTE of California. We did several
in Southern California (Long Beach, LA-Stadium) and the immediate
improvements brought in commendations, editorials etc. By contrast
PacBell jobs (usually X-Bar replacements) went largely unnoticed.dgc@math.ucla.edu (09/09/89)
I've been a GTE user in a suburban area northwest of Santa Monica for 23
years. 23 years ago the service was TERRIBLE.
In the last 6 or 8 years, however, their service has been excellent and
the line quality is good.
However, this improvement has not extended to the GTE business office,
where the same arrogant, customer-be-damned attitude remains.
They recently enabled "900" service without providing for blocking it,
even to those who already had "976" service blocked. Of course, since
the telcos control the assignment of prefixes and area codes, etc.,
"900" service is really "976" service.
dgc
David G. Cantor
Department of Mathematics
University of California at Los Angeles
Internet: dgc@math.ucla.edu
UUCP: ...!{randvax, sdcrdcf, ucbvax}!ucla-cs!dgccramer@ames.arc.nasa.gov (Clayton Cramer) (09/11/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0361m03@vector.dallas.tx.us>, myerston@cts.sri.com writes: # At least #some< of GTE's service problems are the result of # equipment provided (foisted?) by the infamous Automatic Electric and # its successors. # When I worked at Western Electric it seemed like the most # satisfying jobs were those where we replaced AE equipment with ESS # machines (1A ESS at that time) for GTE of California. We did several # in Southern California (Long Beach, LA-Stadium) and the immediate # improvements brought in commendations, editorials etc. By contrast # PacBell jobs (usually X-Bar replacements) went largely unnoticed. As a former victim of Genital Telephone (everytime you got near it, you got screwed) service, I would have to agree. The old (213) 392 exchange in Santa Monica was especially amazing. A friend of mine used to kid that he could go get coffee in the interval between taking the phone off hook, and getting dial tone. When Genital Telephone finally put me up on an ESS in the mid-1970s, it was a revelation! Phone calls that ALWAYS completed, and damn quick! -- Clayton E. Cramer {pyramid,pixar,tekbspa}!optilink!cramer "No man is an island" is the beginning of the end of personal freedom. Disclaimer? You must be kidding! No company would hold opinions like mine!