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From: Ed_Greenberg@fin.3mail.3com.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Automated Directory Assistance
Message-ID: <11421@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 27 Aug 90 21:57:00 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 10, Issue 601, Message 11 of 13


TELECOM Moderator writes:

>1) You dial 411.
>2) Operator's pre-recorded voice: "Directory, Ms. Brown"
>3) You cite your request, the operator sits there silently typing.
>4) The number is located, and the cursor moved to it on the screen.
>5) Computer says, "The number is xxx-xxxx" (and repeats it). 

Actually, I've been meaning to write about my observations on this for
a while.

When automated readback came out, we found ourselves saying thank you
to the machine.  Then we felt guilty because we hadn't thanked the
operator.

Now, this is my observation of automated directory assistance:

1) You dial 411
2) Operator's prerecorded voice says something (usually, "Miss Brown, 
   What City Please")
3) You say "In San Jose, Joe's Pizza, Please" 
4) You hear "type type type typettie type type"
5) The operator says "Here's your number"
6) There is a loooooooong pause.
6a) If you say thank you, the computer is kicked in and you get your 
   number.
6b) If you don't say anything, the operator tells you to have a nice day 
   or thanks for calling or something else then kicks in the computer.  

My surmise is that while the operators can accept the prerecorded
greeting, and can accept not reading you the number, it's mighty
difficult to accept not being thanked.

                                -edg


[Moderator's Note: Incidentally, if you hear a pre-recorded greeting
which sounds noisy, muffled, or otherwise not the best, tell the
operator about it. I do, and they are always glad to find out and will
usually record it over again. And for anyone who answers the phone
quite frequently each day, you can get the same little gizmo the
operators use for their answer phrase from the {Hello Direct} catalog.
They are devices to have, and help save your voice.   PAT]