Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1900-03-03

"
her own receiver for the purpose of
inquiring the number desired by the
caller. Meantime. however. the latter
has again given way to impaticncc and
has again started IN to make himself
heard"-a physical impossibility so
long as he continues to ring. While
waiting for an opportunity to learn the
wishes of the importunatc subscriber
the operator answers some other call.
or. This process Is continued until n
chance moment comes when the iratc
| caller Is not engaged in exercising his
muscle on the crank or the receiver
hook
When asked to formulate few sim
pie rules by which the users of tclc-
phones may obtain quick and satisfac.
tory service and avoid rutlicd tempers
and vexatlous delays Angus lIibbart,
general manager of the Chicago Tcle-
phone Company. said:
The great increase in the number
of telephone users makes this a matter
of far more importance TO the business
public than is easily realized. The tclc-
phone Is an instrument for the saving
of time In the transaction of business.
Used with the same good sense and
Judgment that is applied to any other
method Of facilitating business or So
cial intercourse IL answers that purpose
| admirably. but when abused or han
died stupidity 1t Is distorted into an ir.
ritation and Il cause of offcnse."
If the following suggestions were fol.
lowed by the public. Mr.. uibbard said.
the efficiency of the telephone service
would he practically doubled.
]. II you wish to telephone any one.
make the call yourself and remain with
the telephone at your ear until answer
cd by the person called. or until you
find out that he cannot be reached.
=. In answering call give the name
of your firm or office. This Immediate
ly Identifies you and the calling party
proceeds with conversation. The i'm
mediate answer. This Is Jones X Co.:
what Is wantedT" saves a great deal of
time.
3. DO not ask any one to hold the
wire" If you know you are to he away
from the instrument more than u min
ute or two.
!. When your bell rings answer your
telephone just as quickly as possible.
The person calling you Is waiting at the
other end of the line and both your line
and his are busy to all callers when
they are connected.
). DO not go to the telephone with
~ chip on your shoulder" and address
the operator i'm u tone of voice you
never think of using In speaking to any
of your own employees. Be courteous.
BY some pervcrse and subtle process
of reasoning the statement Of a tclc-
phone operator that a desired number
Is busy Is generally received rs a false.
hood and an empty excuse. If II were
understood that It Is far easier for an
operator to make the desired cOnnec-
ton than to give the information that
the line Is busy this false impression
might disappear. But the belief almost
Invariably has the result of squirting
the person making the call to repeat the
latter ut intervals of about ten seconds.
II such 10 cull were made In person and
| the caller were assured that the indi-
vldual with whom he wished to con-
verse We're busy the caller would not
think of rapping ut the door In less than
a minute after the request to call again
had been delivered to him. This, how
ever. Is precisely what IL done every
hour of the day by persons who fail to
"gct their Darties" on the first call over
the telephone wire.
Another common rudencss In tele-
phonic conversation IL committed when
there II an accidental ''cut In" on the
part of the operator or u subscriber.
Seldom does such an occurrence fail to
equally surly command. Were such
u greeting to be used In case Of accl-
dental interruption Of u cOnversatio
conducted by persons standing face to
face with each other the rudeness
would be instantly and vigorously re-
scented.
As there are about BOO, 1000 daily calls
over the telephones Of this city 1t Is not
to he wondered that an occasional "cut
in or interruption occurs, and II the
telephone users were rs well trained as
the operators a world OF irritation.
abuse ana delay would be done away
with and an immense amount Of time
would be saved to the business public.
The secret Of successful telephone using
Is disclosed I'm the two words "be cour-
trouS"