The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-14

own telephone traffic. One instance Is of
record where a member of a firm having
three telephones made a complaint 10 the
effect that he never was able TO use one
of them. Being asked to explain Just how
this happened in his case. he replied that
he would watch one of his telephones until
it was d~isengaged by his own people from
the work of receiving calls ard orders, ana
would then start toward II TO MAKE nlS
would ring again, and the line blocked by
a customer of his who had called for him
In other words the inward traff1c over the
three lines was monopolizing them to such
an extent that ii was almost impossible for
him to send an outgoing call during Inc
busy hours. If originating calls had been
made over these lines they would. during
the busy hours, have blocked the incoming
work. An arrangement was finally made
by which a fourth telephone " ) put in
which was not made auxiliary to TIE others,
and which was used only for outgoing calls;
This relieved the pressure in this especial
case, and undoubtedly will until the vol
ume of incoming business requires addi-
tional facilities. In a number of instances
the blocking of business by the subscribers
was found TO have been caused by the un-
phones by employees. the aseaaiy ONCE oy''
once again figuring as an especial STUN
bling block. In other cases the blocking
was found TO be occasioned by the habit,
when n call was received, of instructing
the calling party to hold the line" where
upon the clerk who had answered the tele-
phone would hunt around for the individ-
ual called for and perhaps at the end of
five minutes or more bring him to the tel
$3.50 PNAfoA s.N -
haps twenty-five other correspondents de-
string to talk either with the subscriber
which the instructions had been given to
hold the wire were entirely blocked out.
n nhey nae daors oe e,,t k fns,rs aSan at h the Two , t tba-
foolish way. 1t is impossible to make "A
general rule or to advise in one general
way in regard to the needs of all telephone
subscribers.
HELPFUL SUGGESTIONS.
There are a few suggestions, however,
which will undoubtedly apply to all:
If the inward business is of any value
that is, if it is of any value to you TO receive
calls-do not block them out and make it
impossible for them to get to you by orig
mating a lot of calls consecutively by
holding your wire or allowing anybody
else to hold it, VIII 1eans merely to tie
up and make it u liable during long
periods.
possible.
If the party wanted is not near the tele-
phone or is not in the office so that he may
be called at most within a minute. get the
number and name of the party calling and
say that the person who has been called for
will be Informed and will call up as soon as
possible.
may be restricted to your business needs.
Y IT line during a long business day
may be made to satisfactorily handle per-
haps eighty calls, if they are evenly dis
tributed. If, however, your telephone work
Is cOngeSIed into three or four hours, it is
not possible to handle any such number on
one telephone.
If one telephone is not enough to ac-
compHsh your business, use two or more
If this arrangement is not profitable, ii
would be well to instruct correspondents
whose business is not of Importance TO
avoid, calling you by telephone.
Such an analysis of the traffic will be of
penent to every busy telephone subscriber.
and his own action in relieving the pressure
on his line will benefit him more and en-
hence the value of his telephone more than
ANYTHING he can do.
To-day the telephone exchange is a great
and important factor in the transaction of
business in large cities. 1t is no longer a
matter of one line to an exchange or one
instrument in an office or warehouse; it is
a means of doing business which must be
fitted to the business itself-not to the bust
ness of the telephone company, but to the
business of the telephone user. 1t must be
made extensive enough and broad enough TIC
meet his uses and demands, and it must be
used by him in a way in which it will best
meet these demands. 1t is being shown
throughout the country that the telephone
to the needs of the business
of their patrons. Telephones are
now being furnished in large ex-
changes to accommodate the Hghtest and
most i~nfrequent user as well as the heaviest,
in one case a single instrument, in the
other possibly a large private branch ex-
change operated by the subscriber. The
discriminating quantity is the telephone
traffic which the subscriber wishes to
handle. On it depends the number and kind
of telephone doors necessary for it's en-
frances. An appreciation of the facts OF
telephone users will thus be of immediate
benefit to them and to their correspondents
1t will make the telephone door swing more
| easily and more frequently, and not often
to be found in that unsatisfactory condition,
BUSY now. please call again."