The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-02
THE SUFFERING PHONE
1t Has Become a Favorite Oh.
ject of Abuse.
AN ANSWER TO COMPLAINTS
Since the New System Was Adopted
There Have Been Difficulties
Tho Company's Reply.
AN ANSWER TO COMPLAINTS.

etc, though most OF them have been OF
the opposite type Busy housewives. i'm
patient merchants, restless lawyers. over
worked Office men. have all taken a turn
at the phone, and the complaints arising
from their disappointment or delay have
been various as the people who have
tried 10 talk or 10 hear. One says that the
bell has a way OF calling him to the
phone and leaving him there in a vain ef-
fort to find who called him. Another tells
of confused murmur OF voices over the
wire. as IL connection had been set ZIP
simultaneously with every number in the
system. Another accuses central OF not
responding promptly TO his CALL while still
another bewails his sad fate in being
chopped of suddenly in the very middle OF
an important conversation.
Armed with a list of these and similar
complaints. Post-Intelligencer reporter
sought an interview with Superintendent
w B. Armstrong. OF the Sunset Telephone
q Telegraph Company, to hear what he
might have to say by way of answering
them.
Investigating Complaints.
II hardly think said the manager, as
he cast his eye over some of the COM
plants that had been Jotted down. that
these complaints are nearly so num-
erous and certainly not so bitter as street
talk might lead one TO believe Is il not
possible that it has become "a sort Of fad
10 gossip lEDuDiS Win the ksie-
phone? OF course, We have complaints
made here at the Office. and you may see
for yourself just how these complaints are
dealt with and looked after
Mr.. Armstrong here took from his desk
half dozen large cards. at the top of
each of which was stamped Trouble Re
port" One OF these cards is filed each
day, showing the exact nature OF the var
ious troubles OF the day as far as it is
possible 10 investigate them. 1t would
perhaps surprise most people to look in
TO some of these troubles and the ex-
PLANTATION OF them. One man reported Sat
urday that he had called a certain number
repeatedly during the day, with out any
response. The simple entry on the trouble
card is Nobody there" which signifies
that the company sent "A man to the ST.
lent phone and found nobody there TO
answer the call. Every complaint, no
matter how trivial or how frequently re-
peated. is thus investigated and the result
carefully recorded. 1t is the daily tabula-
tion OF these that makes up the trouble
card. Taking these cards for the last six
days. just as they happened TO lie on the
managers desk, the following totals were
shown: Wires crossed, II, wires ground
ed. 4: instruments out of order. 16 mis-
cellaneous, IL. The later class comprises
varied array. For instance, Of the II
troubles under this head, two were found
on investigation TO arise from the fact
tl3t the SUBSCRIBER na4 faiied TO ndDE Ine
ear-piece back on the hook.
No Trouble without Cause.
You can easily see from such lists as
these" said Manager Armstrong, that
there are reasonable explanations for
some of these complaints. OF course, there
are roughnesses and imperfections in our
system, and will necessarily be for time.
Nothing of the kind has ever been found
10 work 20 absolute perfection. our sys-
ha~ will "a rx.sf+h
system | have known as to smoOthness Of
working. and IL Is improving all the time.
AT the same time II must be taken into
considers ton that we have one Of the
busiest switChboards In the country. Take
Tacoma for a comparison. Tacoma has
about GO phones in use: we have now $40.
The highest number OF switches ] have
ever seen on the Tacoma boa,d is Is.
saw 30 on our board this afternoon. That
means that there are 81 conversations go
inR on at one time.
II must say that tho great majority OF
our subscribers are patient and consider
ate They seem TO realize that time is an
indispensable element IN the adjustment
Of any electrical system. even where II ~
being put in simply for exposition pur-
poses and not for practical working They
seem - realize further that many II not
most OF the troubles with the instruments
arise either from unavoidable circuu-
stances or from neglect Of some little es-
seuIial on the part Of the person using the
telephone. and that the company can have
TO possible motive for annoying IT'S pat
rons but on the other hand naturally
wishes - accommodate and please them
NOW and then there Is a little petulance or
impatience. but as rule the troubles
are reported 10 uS courteOusiy. Some
times the troubles are multiplied by cir
cumstances Of which the general public
has no knowledge. For instance, about
A., -t,fE- FoFs-
and for the following f0rty-eight hours
there were more complaints than for all
the rest OF the month put together. Now.
as evidence of the good faith OF the COM
many toward its patrons l may mention
the fact that during those same forty
eight hours. when possibly more fault was
found with rs than Al any other time. ve
were making an effort TO generate car
rent temporarily By chemical action ~
many times tho cost OF the same current
as generated by machinery. Those who
came directly 20 the ONCE and learned this
went away perfectly satisfied to hesr with
us for a day or two But the violently ok
cited men that you have heard talked %
on the streets the 'red-f8cet, Vild-eveA
men. don't reach this Office.
Sometimes We ourselves are more woT-
red than our patrons. for We cannot get
our supplies as promptly as We should
Ike For example. IL IS almost impossible
fast as We need them. This Is also true Of
other machinery.
Sometimes the ground Of complaint s
not teuahle. I wCsl = small wager the 9TH
er day by taking up promptly the Chai-
lence OF a friend who complained OF the
length 81 time IL took for central 20 re-
sfsond 20 hts CALL The wager was that TIRE
length q time would would not aver
awe thirty seconds. without allowing RE
even 10 80 20 uov Office be took me d.
rertfv - his phone. where he made
number Of calls. In TO single instance
was the sporse longer than sixteen So
or6s IN reaching him
The Turning Point Ia Past.
.+You have seen the statement ~ a large
business dru that Il has TO phone. We
have the satisfaction a. knowing that not
a single large firm IN ERE city that has
uSra a phone - row without one. We al
so have the satisfaction Of knowing that
IN svite OF the ruTnors g kicks ard com
plants. our business 81 steadily and con-
sta-t}v increasing. In fact We think that
the Crucial time tn tha introduction - the
Tsssxv system Is past the fundamental ard
enormous work % overhaulirg All tire
wires has been done. ard the work vet %
f.e done - merely that Of detail. such as
overhau.ing an inside Office wire here md
there ~ adjusting = p3ece q rev Fnarhtn-
-Yr rot running smoothly.
The peftv causes % some of THE
troubles would hardly be credible 10 ore
u 80 81 rnf sec thera IS thew actually ar
.atsv,t4fat@ here IN tnp osFira Much urreces-