Path: utzoo!attcan!cmtl01!matrox!uvm-gen!uunet!lll-winken!ames!netsys!vector!nobody From: miket@brspyr1.brs.com (Mike Trout) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Victims of Wrong Numbers Message-ID: Date: 24 Jan 89 17:26:33 GMT Sender: chip@vector.UUCP Lines: 65 Approved: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-Submissions-To: telecom@bu-cs.bu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.uucp X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 27, message 3 In article , telecom@bu-cs.BU.EDU (TELECOM Moderator) writes: > She says she gets anywhere from ten to dozens of wrong numbers per day. If > the weather is bad or there is some incident at the airport, then the calls > really start pouring in. She pointed out the most amazing part of the whole > thing are the people who call and get her answering machine. They hear the > whole outgoing message "Thank you for calling Zsetenyi's Decorating Den" > and then they still proceed to leaving a message for United Airlines, asking > to be "....called back when the reservations office is open...." It is apparently human nature to refuse to believe that you've dialed a wrong number unless you've been confronted with unimpeachable evidence. A friend of mine spent a few years working as the receptionist for a local contractor named Eastern Heating and Cooling Inc. She used to get at least one call a week, and usually considerably more, intended for Eastern Air Lines. Some confusion may be due to the fact that, if you open the Albany phone book to the general area for Airline Companies, you may easily spot the huge ad for Eastern Heating and Cooling Inc. which is in the Air Conditioning Contractors & Systems section. Never mind that Eastern Heating logo is nothing like the Eastern Air Lines logo, the Eastern Heating ad contains phrases like "25 Radio Dispatched Vehicles" and "Walk-in Coolers and Freezers," as well as logos for Trane, Carrier, York, and Bryant. Anyway, the conversations would usually go something like this: +++ My friend: "Eastern Heating and Cooling, may I help you?" Caller: "Yes, I'd like to get some information about this afternoon's flight to Atlanta." MF: "I'm sorry, sir, but this is Eastern Heating and Cooling. You want Eastern Air Lines." C: "Yes, but what's the price on the non-stop from Albany to Atlanta?" MF: "I don't have that information. This is NOT Eastern Air Lines." C: "Okay, but why can't you tell me how much the ticket is?" MF: "Because you dialed the wrong number. Check the phone book under Eastern Air Lines." C: "Look, you have a flight to Atlanta, flight number 689 leaving Albany at 5:50, right?" MF: "No. All we have are 25 radio dispatched trucks." C: "I don't like the way you're speaking with me. Please connect me with your supervisor." MF: "Okay, but he's gonna be mad because right now he's busy taking apart a heat pump." C: "$#*@*&!!! I just want you to know I'm never flying Eastern Air Lines again!" (hangs up) +++ Under that Eastern Heating ad is an ad for American Heating and Cooling Inc. I'd love to know what kind of calls they get THERE... -- NSA food: Iran sells Nicaraguan drugs to White House through CIA, DIA & NRO. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Michael Trout (miket@brspyr1)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BRS Information Technologies, 1200 Rt. 7, Latham, N.Y. 12110 (518) 783-1161 "God forbid we should ever be 20 years without...a rebellion." Thomas Jefferson