The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-04
THE TELEPHONE SERVICE.

THE TELEPHONE SERVICE.
During the few weeks following the
consolidation of the Independent and
Bell telephone systems in this city.
there was considerable complaint
from subscribers of a faulty service.
The officials of the new company met
them with polite requests for patience.
They pointed out that the mechanical
task of connecting the two systems
was extremely intricate and was
bound to result in more or less con-
fusion for short time. The many
changes that were necessitated in the
numbers of the phones did likewise.
The hello" girls, too, were entitled
to consideration because of the per-
picking job that was thrust upon
them. A number of other reasons
were given as to why the service was
not as efficient just at that time as
were either of the two services whose
place it took. These seemed valid eX-
cuses. The people of Topeka were
patient. They placed faith in the
promises of the company that before
long the telephone service would be
superior in all particulars to what it
had ever been in Topeka
But while patience is virtue, oc-
casions sometimes arise when it
ceases so to be. And it is putting it
lightly to say that Topekans have just
about lost all patience with the tele-
phone company. Nor can they be
blamed. For the service does not ap-
pear to be anything like it should be.
Indeed, one does not have to go far
to find a telephone subscriber who
will declare that the service is poorer
than has ever been experienced In
Topeka. In fact, the company seems
to be conducting its operations merely
to suit it's own sweet will, and with lit
tie care or thought to serve the inter-
est and the needs of the telephone
talking public.
Nor is this defective service limited
to Just one feature. There are several
of them. Phones go dead, and stay
dead for days at time no matter
how often their condition is reported
to the telephone company. They take
their own time in putting them in or
der. But they never forget to send in
the bills, and for a continuous ser
vice, no matter how many days in
month phone might have been out
of order.
Go to the telephone office and make
ed in a house. It will be received. So
will three months rental in advance,
which is now demanded by the COM
pany when a new phone is put in,
Wait four or five days and call the
company's attention to the fact that
the phone has not been installed. The
reply will be that there are a couple
of hundred applications for new
nh q of
have to wait your turn. But the COM
pany is having the use, in the mean
time, of the three months rent money
that is paid in advance, although it is
actually kind enough not to begin the
application of this rent until the phone
is installed. When the two compan-
les were working in Topeka, though,
an application for the installation of
a new phone in the morning generally
resulted in it's being in place before
nightfall.
There are any number of other
lapses in the service that someone or
other is complaining about all the
time. And while it may be illogical,
as the experts insist, to have two tele-
phone systems operating in a city, |
while it may be burdensome to the
business man to compel him to have
two phones on his desk, and while it
may be annoying not to be able to
talk to a friend whose phone happens
to be on a different system from
yours, it would be a pretty difficult |
task for any one to attempt to con-
vince Topekans that competition in
the telephone business does not result |
in a far better and prompter all around |
service. And that is what subscrib- |
ers to a telephone service are looking |
for