Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!sun!sun-barr!texsun!texbell!vector!telecom-gateway From: tel@cbnewsh.att.com (thomas.e.lowe) Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom Subject: Re: Automated Operators Message-ID: Date: 19 May 89 12:37:15 GMT Sender: news@vector.Dallas.TX.US Reply-To: "thomas.e.lowe" Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 41 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 169, message 7 of 8 |> 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... |[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] I think you missed the point. The call is going to be delivered by automated equipment asking the CALLED party to enter a digit to accept the charges. What if the CALLED party has no touchtone phone? I suppose it could time out after not getting a digit after 5 seconds but that sounds like some invonvient delays. I have also heard of VERY reliable speech recognition that is now available that recognizes a VERY limited vocabulary (yes, no, 0 1 ... 8 9). Something like 95+% reliable. If they implement that, this would be an acceptable way of doing collect and third person billing. -- Tom Lowe tel@hound.ATT.COM or att!hound!tel 201-949-0428 AT&T Bell Laboratories, Room 2E-637A Crawfords Corner Road, Holmdel, NJ 07733 (R) UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T (keep them lawyers happy!!)