On Fri, 3 Dec 1999 00:00:01 +0000, Bob George wrote:
> "Samuel W. Heywood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip>
> No, no. I meant the CELLULAR outfit. They'd be the ones doing the
> 'customization' and while it's no big deal, most such outfits don't make too
> many exceptions, regardless of how sensible or logical they may be. Then
> again, you may have just gotten a lemonhead on the line too! Try again just
> in case.
They will let me speak only to a customer service representative. It seems
that the technicians use the customer care representatives as buffers to
insure that nobody can communicate directly with the technicians.
>> This does not involve any special customization, other than entering a
>> series of commas followed by some numeric characters in a dial string.
> Good point. I'd call them up and hope for a simpleton. "OK, my phone number
> is 1800-123-4567-comma-comma- ..." Just play dumb and insist that's the
> number. "Hell, that's the nummer they gived me. Let's just try it and see!
> I'll call ya back if it don't work!"
Yes, I talked to a customer-care representative and asked her to relay this
information to the technicians. I assured her that the information I was
giving her was correct and that I had tested the dial string with my 2400
modem and that it works. It seems that this made perfect sense to her, but
not to the technician. I don't know why.
>> They have to input a dial-string anyway in order to serve the
>> customers using pagers served by the cellular company. I don't see any
>> problem with having to include a few extra characters in a dial-string.
> True, unless the software can't take non-numeric characters, or they just
> don't want to be responsible for the varying pauses required for the myriad
> of paging services.
If this is the case, then they should just simply notify me of the nature
of the problem. They won't even give me the courtesy of explaining why
they are having a problem with their system.
> Some modems will let you pop the calling number up BEFORE the line picks
> up -- assuming you've got caller ID available (can't tell from your
> posting).
Caller ID is available, but at extra cost. Caller ID will be displayed
only if you let the phone ring twice before answering it.
> Hmmm. That stinks! I'd be equally annoyed with the paging outfit (Skypage?)
The paging outfit is Adelphia Cable, a big company in my area. I find the
service highly reliable.
> with a numbskull arrangement like that. It would be cheaper for THEM to
> automate it rather than have someone answering the phones! Sounds like you
> may have found one combination that can't be made to work with ANY level of
> effort. Aieee!
Yes, of course it would be more cost effective for them to automate. Even
the customer-care representative would agree with us on this point, but
strictly "off-the-record", and properly prefacing her opinion with a phrase
like "Now I didn't say this but.....etc." Maybe the company would get in
trouble with the union if they were to lay off some operators. So maybe
the company has some reason for its madness. Who knows?
Do you remember when the railroads were converting from steam locomotives
to diesel? When that was happening the railroads were forced to bow to
union pressure to continue to employ firemen on every locomotive. It seems
that labor unions are very good at protecting people's jobs, even when such
jobs are no longer needed by management. Sound management decisions also
involve due consideration as to how they will fare with the union.
Sam Heywood
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