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From: e118-ak@euler.berkeley.edu (e118 student)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: push to Centrex
Message-ID: <telecom-v09i0127m06@vector.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 89 07:59:00 GMT
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X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 127, message 6 of 9

>X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 124, message 1 of 7
>
>In California, Pacific Bell is doing a saturation campaign to sell
>Centrex services to business....
>--
>John Higdon
>john@zygot   ..sun!{apple|cohesive|pacbell}!zygot!john

Bizarre cross-posting, I admit....

I live in a student housing co-op.  Recently, after some prodding by
Pacific*Bell and much prodding by the president of our organization,
our house had Centrex installed.  While most of the disinformation
seems to have come from our prez, there are still complaints I have
with regard to Pacific Bell's end of things.

(1) We were told that the $5 or so per month *included* FCC access
charges; not so (not Pac Bell's fault, near as I can tell)

(2) We are classed as "dorm Centrex," which is basically residential
service.  We pay the residential rate for FCC access.  However, we do
not even have the *option* of unlimited local calling.  Why????  It
really annoys me, just on principle, that I have to ponder the fact
that my modem connection to this computer is costing me $0.004/minute.
Not a cost of consequence by any means, but an annoyance anyway.

(3) We can't get calling cards on our accounts, even though toll calls
are billed to the individual rooms.  I can see why giving us cards with
our real phone numbers +4 would be messy for billing, but I don't see
why they can't issue fictitious-number cards tied to the toll accounts.

(4) Pac Bell seems to be terminally confused about the whole idea of
dorm Centrex.  I'm the house manager and therefore in charge of the
system for the house.  The house wound up making an overpayment to one
of the room accounts.  Pacific Bell refuses to refund the overpayment
because "your name isn't shown as house manager."  Bullshit.  There is
no other name that could POSSIBLY show as "house manager."  Under the
setup we have, I'm supposed to be authorized to handle this kind of
stuff.  But no-o-o-o-o.  I can't penetrate the wall of unhelpfulness.
I called the special number they have for house managers only to speak
to someone allegedly knowledgeable about the system.  No response.

(5) They've been everything short of helpful in dealing with room
changes at semester time.

For once, a real and meaningful disclaimer: the opinions expressed
above are my own and not necessarily reflective of my house, my co-op
organization, or any other individual, not to mention the university.
The purported facts related above I believe to be true.

-- Linc Madison = e118-ak@euler.berkeley.edu