Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!sun-barr!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: dts@cloud9.stratus.com (Daniel Senie) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Automated Operators Message-ID: Date: 15 May 89 20:55:50 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc., Marlboro, MA Lines: 33 Approved: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@vector.dallas.tx.us X-TELECOM-Digest: volume 9, issue 166, message 3 of 4 In article , Kenneth_R_Jongsma@cup. portal.com writes: > Just received an insert in this month's bill from Michigan Bell > (Ameritech). It seems that they are about to implement a form > of the automated operator services some of the COCOTs have > been using for collect and third party billing. According to > the flyer, if you are making a 0+ call withing the LATA and > do not enter a credit card number after the "bong", you may > get connected to a computer asking you to touch a number > corresponding to your billing request (collect or third > party). You will then be asked to record your name. The called > or billed number will then be called, a computer generated message > will be played with your name inserted appropriately, and the > receiver asked to touch a number corresponding to whether or > not they accept charges. What do they plan to do if the billed number does not have touch-tone? Some of us are still in the dark ages and connected to step offices... Daniel Senie UUCP: harvard!ulowell!cloud9!dts Stratus Computer, Inc. ARPA: anvil!cloud9!dts@harvard.harvard.edu 55 Fairbanks Blvd. CSRV: 74176,1347 Marlboro, MA 01752 TEL.: 508 - 460 - 2686 [Moderator's Note: We have something like this now in Chicago. You dial zero plus the ten digit number to make a call on your card, even if the call is in Chicago. After dialing those eleven digits, a gong rings, and a condescending recorded voice tells us, "Enter your calling card number, followed by a pound (#), or dial zero for an operator now!" If you do neither, then a live operator cuts in after about twenty seconds to handle the call manually. Phones known to be rotary dial are automatically routed to the operator following the gong signal. PT]