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From: Subodh Bapat <mailrus!uflorida!rm1!bapat@uunet.uu.net>
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: Real Operators?
Message-ID: <11886@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 7 Sep 90 18:59:19 GMT
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In <11398@accuvax.nwu.edu> john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes:

>Sprint's latest TV spot: "...We have REAL operators..."

> [ Several comparisons regarding AT&T and Sprint's operator service ]

Here's my story: I wanted credit for a couple of international calls I
had been wrongly billed for - one over MCI and one over AT&T.

MCI Billing Service Number: Made me go through an elaborate hierarchy
of voice menus on the ACD ("If you want new services, press 1; if you
have questions about your bill, press 2...etc.") If I had to map this
menu into a directed acyclic graph, I'd get a tree with a depth of 6
or 7 or so .... anyway, once I got to the point I wanted, "Please punch
in your telephone number now...." (I did so) "You have just entered
XXX-XXX-XXXX.... to prevent fraudulent access to your account, please
punch in your zip code now...." (I did so) "You have just entered a
zip code of XXXXX... your current account balance is $132.15 ... If
you want a human operator, press 0 now." (I do so).  Phone rings
somewhere. A recording tells me all operators are busy, please hold.
Musak for about 30 seconds or so....

    Operator: "May I help you."
    Me: (Explain problem).
    Operator: "May I have your telephone number please?"
    Me: "I just punched that in to your ACD before it routed me to you."
    Operator: "Huh?"
    Me: "You mean it didn't forward my number?" [And this is an 800 number,
         so presumably they could have gotten real-time ANI as well.]
    Operator: "No."
    Me: (gives number)
    Operator: (Arranges credit).

Total transaction time: 2 mins 55 sec

AT&T: Operator answers immediately.
      Me: (explain problem)
      Operator: (arranges credit).

Total transaction time: 22 sec.

Aside from a badly architectured operator service, MCI has a gaping
security hole - the only authentication they ask for before announcing
your account balance is your zip code, and it isn't too difficult to
map a zip code to an area code and prefix.


Subodh Bapat              bapat@rm1.uu.net     OR           ...uunet!rm1!bapat
MS E-204, PO Box 407044,  Racal-Milgo, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33340  (305) 846-6068