Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-26
TELEPHONE SERVICE.

Tho number has been changed: ! !
will connect you with west informa-
ton"
There IS a pause and finally
you hear, This is west information
lnau .cu repeat the name OF the per
soa with whom you desire to talk
Then after another pause, you are told
-.c AuEr-- 'IIe voice IN the tele-
phone Office is gone and you are oblig-
ed to hang up your receiver and start
over again. You finally hear Number,
please, and if you have not forgotten
it by this time, or you are not inform
ed that the inc is busy" you even
tdally get into communication.
This is an experience that practical
ly every telephone user has had at
some time or another
a school Of instruction has been
going on in Rock Island during the
present week for telephone operators.
These schools are held at regular in
tervals and the object presumably. is
betterment Of the service. and yet with
all the pains the telephone company
I is exerting in the interest, as it is
believed, of its patrons, the one me-
Chanical defect of which the above is
an illustration remains unchanged. It
must be a mechanical defect, for in
nine times out of ten where there is
cause for complaint with the telephone
service. the fault is not with the op-
orator, who is doingothc best she can
but with imperfeCtiOns or shortcom-
iugs higher up than the local Office
People who lose temper over delays
are very apt TO blame the operator,
when the fault should be placed else
where. The problem is one that
there should be some expert capable
OF solving.
The main object in the manage
ment Of all telephone plants should
be prompt service. The policy puT-
sued where numbers are changed
from those given in the directories is
not in the interest Of prompt service.
u causes delay and puts the whole
burden OF the delay and the incouveni-
cnce thereto attached solely upon the
user or patron OF the company. Il is
not always that Information" an
sWers promptly and this may not be
her fault 1t is not always that the
user after receiving the information
sought gets the central exchange
promptly on the second call and that
may not be the fault of the central
exchange il may be that the user is
in a great hurry; much may depend
upon getting speedy communication
with the person desired Every min
ute may count. II in the excitement
the number given by information" is
not distinctly understood. or is forgot
ten, the Whole operation must be gone
over again. and il becomes vexatious
and oftentimes exasperating And
for all this the patient operator may
be hRrshly and unjustiy blamed.
II may be the arrangement of the
switchboard Is such that where
changes in numbers are made after
the directories are published, il is i'm
!, possible 10 post the old number Will,
the new for the convenience OF the
central operator. II may be imprac
iCa5le to provide other means where
By the telephone company may re
I lieve instead Of burden its patrons
, with the hardship incident to the
changes II makes from time TO time
b for its own convenience
r II there IS no possible way that the
b company can accommodate its subserib
! ers in such emergencies instead OF in
] fiic,ing all the trouble upon them, It ID
! time someone was putting forth
? valuable invention. as telephony un
: der such circumstances IS by NJ
means perfect or even satisfactory