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From: Ed_Greenberg@3mail.3com.com
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Telco Sets Record For Processing New Order
Message-ID: <16520@accuvax.nwu.edu>
Date: 29 Jan 91 17:01:00 GMT
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X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 11, Issue 77, Message 8 of 16


I don't know if this is a record, but it certainly comes close.

On Saturday, 26 January, at 9:00 AM, I called the Pacific*Bell
business office and asked to have phone service turned on in my
brother-in-law's apartment.  The order taker went through the usual
questions with me, and promised service by Monday at 5:00 PM.

We then proceeded to the store and purchased a phone.  We returned to
the apartment and, just for the heck of it, plugged in the phone.
Voila! Dial Tone.  I called the operator and asked if I was calling
from the number that I had been given.  I was told yes.  This was at
about 11:00 AM.

Two hours from order to service!  Amazing.

Bouquets:

    The order taker was professional, knowlegable and courteous.  Nice, 
    even.  She and I swapped telecom jokes.  

    She offered three numbers to choose from.  

    She offered, but did not press for, custom calling features.  

    She queried for a LD carrier.

Brickbats:

    She tried to sell me touch tone. (!tm)  Many of you know that 
    Pacific*Bell will remove the charge for touch tone on Feb 1.  I 
    think she was just programmed to ask the question.  Had I said yes, 
    it would have cost $5 installation plus a prorated portion of the $2/
    month tone charge.  I said no, bought a tone/pulse phone (aren't 
    they all these days?) and lo and behold it works on tone anyway. 


Ed_Greenberg@HQ.3Mail.3Com.COM