The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-02-19

TO some one he does not stop to think
that perhaps the bell does not ring.
stepped out.
often there is trouble on a line.
which stops the bill from ringing, but
more often when the trouble is tested
we md that the party did not happen
to be in.
Il remember calling a number re-
peatedly on one occasion, and finally
it was reported to the trouble depart
ment The man who investigated the
trouble found that the house was
closed and that there was no one there
to answer the phone.
Another time, when it seemed i'm
possible to raise a number, it was
found the lady of the house had Inuf-
fed the bell to prevent the noise from
disturbing her baby"
School of Self Control.
For my part" said another opera
tor, whose cheeks were aglow from the
frosty air, "one of the finest places
to school your feelings and enforce
self-control is a telephone office. 1t
would indeed be a very pleasant occu-
patton if We only had all gentlemen
and ladies to deal with, but, unfortu-
nately. this is not the case The OSher
day a subscriber called for a number
and after ringing them three times 1
reported | couldn't get them; but he
persisted in saying that. he knew his
man was there. | rang three times
again, but could get no response. He
then asked if the line was busy and
upon learning that it was not he poured
forth such language in my ears as
would hardly look well in print"
girl with a philosophical turn of
mind was the next one TO relate her
experiences.
IAN operators life" she said. lis
made uD of smiles, frowns and some
times tears. She in turn answers the
nice man, the pleasant man, and what
we call the cross man. And. while
il is said Variety is the spice of life.
il is sometimes cayenne pepper in ours,
rather than spice
The ordinary man will say: Central,
give me % for instance. The nice
man viii always say Please or speak
in such manner that il has the same
effect or conveys the same meaning.
They are never too busy to be polite
to an operator and to treat every one
with gentle consideration. This char
acteriStic is noticeable among railroad
employees. The brusque man usually
says; Il did register. and ] want that
number" But it is very, very seldom
you can deceive an operator, and. al
though she is not allowed to dispute
subscribers word. she nevertheless
knows If he has turned the key or
simply hit the instrument when caiieu
upon to register. There has been a
decided change in this respect of late,
however. and the operators are Inclined
to think the subscribers made good res
OlutiOns at the beginning of the year
and are endeavoring to carry them
out.
1T is a common observation among
the operators that persons dispO-
sition is very much displayed at the
phone; so much 50, that the young
women think the choice Of a good huS-
band could as easily be made in that
W. IL. -
Introduction. This observation remains
to be proven, however. Women patrons,
as a rule. are more impatient and per-
sistent than men. particularly if the
number called for is busy.
Must Be Always Sweet Tempered.
Here is one o. centraI's worst trials
She is supposed to ring d number three
times only but so often. when she in
forms the subscriber that she can't get
them he will say: "Oh. ring them again.
central. I know they are home" After
being informed for the third or fourth
time that she can't get them. he will
slam up the receiver in no gentle mood.
He evidently thinks central has moth
ing else 10 do but TO ring for him.
And then so many. when they are
asked To register, will be sure TO have
had the wrong number before. or just
lost their register key or some equally
good excuse Not long ago "A young
man asked central for a number. and
when asked TO register, said: I'VE
can't register. central. We've lost our
key She told him that that was all
right. but he will have to find the
Key before he can have the connec-
ton" He said: oh Well. I2'' And
the way I'm which he turned the KEY
was caution. And then again. So
many forget 10 look up the number
they want till after they have taken
down the receiver. Central asks them
several times for their number and on
getting no response. leaves them while
she waits on other more urgent ones.
Hes central must never lose her tenn
per, but must be always sweet and
gracious, said pouting damseL who
had been telling in an inpersonal way
her experience I'm the foregoing facts
A girl whose manner indicated that
she had arrived at the practical stage
of her experience was the next one TO
join in the conversation, and with some
asperity she said:
Some people think and say: How
cross and unaccommodating central is
but do they stop 10 think of the number
OF times central has to say: Number
please? i can't get them Did Won
get Them etc, and that there is every
dialect from Chinese baby talk to try To
understand She has on an average
fifteen hundred calls to answer in an