Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-26
Kindness TO Central Pays

If the original old Job. whose fame
mas beer growing like ragweed for n
couple OF thousand years or SO ever
pew into the front Office OF n tele.
phone company looking for a position
as operator he'd be turned dow,
merely on his reputation and without
even having chance TO show refer
ehces, says the Washington Star. For
jobs brand of patience was four.
linsh compared with the real. genu.
me article required for this particn.
lar line OF work. and wouldn't stand
the strain of half dozen crouchy
| subscribers.
| Ihere are more different angles to
ms patience thing than can possibly
be Imagined. and there's n subscriber
sitting on every one of them If II
wasn't for Mr.. and Mrs. Crouch and
their numerous relatives. whose
names are down in the telephone di.
rectory, the days work of n Telephone
central wouldn't he any more wearing
and trying than that of n stokcr. nm
ironworker or n deep-sea diver.
certain It is that the average tele.
phone subscriber-the average. mind
lyon-could get through almost any day
with less wear and tear on his ner.
voms system. less shock to his morals
ana less strain on his physical make
up. II he gave thought or SO TO his
relations with the animate coes of
me telephone service. There are
llty-seVen different varieties of WAYS
Ill which the subscriber may aid tho
service. and, as n matter of fact
without the cooperation OF the sub
scriber, thoroughly efficient service
Is impossible.
Why Not Be Eriendiy7
Right here is n good place TO men.
ZION that The FIRST. and. by long odds
the most important step IN this al
rection is the establishment OF n
friendly relation between the sub
scriber anu the operator. and this can
he accomplished by little extra ef
Tort TO he reasonable and courteous
ana If there is any better formula for
establishing friendly relations witt,
anybody. anywhere. then Il hasn't
been made public as yet.
| Actually and unfortunately, the at
titnde of many subscribers toward the
central operator is one of profounn
indifference or active antngonism. She
Is merely part of the whole vast
machinery. for the use of which he
pays so much year. and. IL that MA.
chinery doesn't happen to wors
smoothly on occasion as the subscrib
err could wish, the operator is the
easiest portion of the system to
blame. She is animate ana she Is
human. and nine times out of ten
when anything goes wrong, she
catches 1t going and coming
Other members of the Crouch fam
lily and its collateral branches seem
to think that continuous performance
grumbling over this. that and the 9th
er thing 10 amply atoned for by oc
casional lapses into familiarity. often
far more offensive to the operator
than any abuse could possibly be.
i In the final analysis-thats a high
sounding phrase. whatever it means
it's as simple as suds that il sub
scriber wants his service TO be per
feet as machinery. brains and energ:
can make II. he must get wise to thu
fact that 1t is TO the operators ad
vantage as well as his own for hi;
service 10 be efficient If he gets this
lQca tliIOu5u MS ne VIII Hdtul
ally exhibit toward her the business
like politeness. consideration and
confidence which he would use
granting him to be n normal human
being-toward those in his own Office
IL he wished to get satisfactory work
from them. Nothing on earth is sc
conducive TO Indifferent work as dis
trust. and any one who knows ever
n little bit about the telephone ser
vice, either from daily use or from 4
Visit 10 an exchange. knows how
quick an operator will respond TO any
sign of confidence on the part of the
subscriber.
Just See and Believe.
i II would H., mighty good thing u
every new subscriber would, prior to
the installation of his service. visi! Z
telephone exchange. After he hat
spent even a few minutes gazing witt
openmonthed wonder at the opera
tors and had seen the marvellous man
nar in which they weaved connection:
upon their boards, he could not there
after be led into believing that any
1 service troubles he might have were
: due to the la2iness or Indifference
or both. of his Or somebody's else
central" 'Tis as sure as shooting
however. that as long as subscriber;
will incic. on houipo. i,ct about IoI