Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-19
Why Not Be Friendly

Right here IS goO0 place. Id Wentioh
that the first. and, by long odds. the most
important step in this direction is the
est a blishment OF friendly relation be-
tween the subscriber and the operator.
and this can be accomplished by a little
extra effort to be reasonable and .courte-
Gus, and if there is any better formula
for establishing friendly relations with
anybody, anywhere. then it hasn't been
made public as yet
Actually and unfortunately, the atti-
tude of many subscribers toward the CELL
trail operator is one Of profound indiner-
ence or active antagonism. She Is merely
part of the whole vast machinery, for
the use Of which he pays SO much year.
and. If that machinery doesn't happen to
work smoothly on occasion as the SUBJ
scriber could wish. the operator is the
ca siest portion of the system to blame.
She is animate and she Ia human, and
nine times out of ten. when anything goes
wrong, she catches it going and coming.
Other members OF the Crouch family
and it's collatera branches seem to think
that continuous performance grumbling
over this, that and the other thing is am
ply atoned for by occasional lapses into
familiarity. often far more offensive 10
the operator than any abuse could pos
sibly be.
In the final analysis-that's high
sounding phrase. whatever it means-it's
as simple as suds that II subscriber
chinery, brains and energy can make IT.
he must get wise to the fact that II is
to the operators advantage as we'll az his
own for his service TO be tfficient. If he
gets this idea through his head. he will
naturally exhibit toward her the bust
ness-like poiteness. consideration and
confidence which he would use-XrantinS
him TO be a normal human being-toward
those in his own Office IL he wished to get
satisfactory work from them. Nothing
work as distrust, and any one who knows
even a little bit about the telephone
service. either from daily use or from a
visit to an exchange, knows how quick
confidence on the part OF the subscriber.
Just See and Believe.
1t would be mighty good thing IL
every new subscriber would, prior TO
the installation of his service. visit
a telephnoe exchange. After he had spent
even a few minutes gazing with open
mouthed wonder at the operators and had
seen the marvellous manner I'm which they
weaved connections upon their boards,
he could not thereafter be led into believ-
ing that any service troubles he might
have were due to the laZiness or indiffer-
ence. or both. of his or somebody's else
central" Ills as sure as shooting. how
ever, that Is long as subscribers will in
sist on having just about half the num-
Der Of telephones their needs require the
operator should not be blamed for one
cause of complain. viz: The busy line.
And, further. just as long as subscribers
leave their switchboards or their instru-
ments to the care Of ONCE boys and such
who know little about the telephone
and care a whole lot less-just SO long
will difficulties occur and keep on OC
curing. Just as soon as subscriber un-
dersta nds these facts his service will be-
gin to improve.
It's all In the treatment so far as ths
operator Is concerned. She is amenable
TO courtesy and consideration and re-
spends almost automatically TO the
mental attitude Of the subscriber. And
once courteous and business-like re.a-
ton is established the subscriber is
long, long long way on the pleasant and
service.
The Subscriber Can Help.
There is another way, and a good one
too, in which a subscriber may facilitate
his service. and that is to observe. with
ordinary human intelligence. just what
goes on when he makes call II he ex-
ercises just a little observation in q short
time he can tell by the sounds in his re-
ceiver Just what is goinE on along his
line. He will note that the mum Of the
"busy-back" il invariably followed by
the operators remark Busy" and yet
it is very surprising the number Of long
time subscribers who profess darkest ix
ncrance OF the meaning Of the ''buzzer,
as they call IT,
Some day. probably at the millennium