Telecom-Request%usc-eclc@brl-bmd.UUCP (Telecom-Request@usc-eclc) (11/06/83)
TELECOM Digest Sunday, 6 Nov 1983 Volume 3 : Issue 93
Today's Topics:
Re: TELECOM Digest V3 #92
WWV #
WWV
Up the creek without a phone.
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Date: 4 Nov 1983 16:34-PST
Subject: Re: TELECOM Digest V3 #92
From: the tty of Geoffrey S. Goodfellow
Reply-to: Geoff@SRI-CSL
Re: Requesting a phone number [from GTE].
Last month, in the process of acquiring Mobile Telephone Service on
the GTE Los Gatos Mobile System, I WAS CALLED by their Sales Rep after
receiving my check for $23.00 and Transmitter Specs. When the Rep
called, I asked if I could have a specific number. [I knew this
number was available, because Los Gatos has all their mobile numbers
in a certain pre-fix, and by dialing the number I wanted, I got a not
in service recording.] When I asked if I could have my requested
number, the Rep put me on hold to see if it was available. Moments
later, the Rep came back on the line and said I could have the
requested number and it would be activated in 3 working days.
Now, I don't know whether Mobile Service is treated any differently
than land-line service (of any type), but I was able to request and
get my requested number!
An interesting aside about Mobile Service... All I had to pay for was
one months Service ($23.00) up-front. There was no insecurity deposit
or connection/service establishment charge!
Perhaps the solution to your problems is to get a mobile phone!
Geoff
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Date: Sat, 5 Nov 83 10:49:24 PST
From: jmrubin%ucbcoral.CC@Berkeley (Joel Rubin)
Subject: WWV #
800-957-9999 now gets you an operator who asks "What City?"
(Directory assistance?) Some of the other 800-999-abcd #'s still
exist.
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Date: Sat, 5 Nov 83 10:50:56 PST
From: jmrubin%ucbcoral.CC@Berkeley (Joel Rubin)
Subject: WWV
Oops--I meant 800-9xy-abcd The # was 800-957-9999
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Date: Sat, 5 Nov 83 14:59:44 PST
From: Theodore N. Vail <vail@UCLA-CS>
Subject: Up the creek without a phone.
Wm. Leler writes of his frustrations of dealing with G. T. & E. He
writes that they appeared to deliberately mislead him and even seemed
to lie.
As a long time customer of G. T. & E., I can assure him that the
problems he describes are not uncommon, and that while, as has been
noted in Telecom, G. T. & E. is trying to bring its physical equipment
up to standard, it seems to be making little attempt to bring its
office employees up to the normal standards of civility and politeness
one is accustomed to.
My own experience is that the installers, linepersons, etc. are most
helpful, but that the office staff is inadequately trained, underpaid,
and overworked. Moreover they believe that the "system" works. That
is if they fill out the form initiating a certain action, e.g.
installation, bill changing, etc., that this action actually will
occur.
In recent years, it has attempted superficial improvements in public
relations -- e.g. holding open houses at its switching offices,
especially when new switches have just been installed. At the last
such open house I attended, they were replacing a Strowger
step-by-step switch, installed in the 1930's, by a Western Electric
EAX-1, designed in the early 1970's.
They have a long way to go!
Welcome to the Land of G. T. & E.
vail
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End of TELECOM Digest
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