The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-12-01
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NEVER MISS THE WATER
UNTIL WELL RUNS DRY
BIZ VICTOR MEEkINs

AOC<1t UuSluSSSnueu dIS DcSlHIkltiS
to bewail the prospect of losing
the benefits sof payroll of about
$50, 600 year now paid to the sew
eral telephone operators who will
be out of jobs come next July when
a modern dial exchange goes into
operation. The horse and buggy
days are gone, and as much as we
would like to see the operators
keep jobs, we must realize that the
change over was inevitable. Now,
if local businessmen will exert
themselves and use some of the
energy presently expended in mere
~ talking, perhaps some kind of
industry could be established which
might bring work to these girls,
and more. Unfortunately, it is diff
fieult for most of these girls to
step into other jobs equally profit
able, not being trained for other
things. Many of them are married
and with families so they cannot go
away from home.
Having always recognized the
plight of the operator, we always
contended in her behalf, for her
life is often a tough one by nature
of her occupation, which calls for
constant service under stress. She
must be patient, diplomatic, will
ing to endure hard work and irregu-
lar hours; she must have a memory
like and elephant; the patience of
job, and have unparalleled humili-
ty.
We have done but little to make
happier the lot of our splendid OPP
orators, and now that this source of
employment is no longer open in
the community, it is another in
stance of never missing the water
until the well runs dry. Some IL
years ago, this column took
note of the worth of our OPP
orators, and this is what it had to
say at that time:
I have often thought about the
tough life of telephone operator.
Surely she must be devoted to
her work, or she would not con-
tinue in the face of all the dis
courtesy and lack of consideration
on the part of the public. We owe
a great deal to the telephone OPP
orator, and the instances we have
observed of anyone showing her
due appreciation, have been rare
indeed.
How often do we think about the
operators plight? She has to sit
on stool hour after hour, watch
ing the little lights that flash upon
the switchboard which indicate that
a subscriber wants a number called.
The subscriber too often is impat-
lent, and doesn't stop to think
that maybe there are a dozen lights
in row that have flashed on ahead
of his, and the operator is having
to take them up in order.
If the operator doesn't answer
you promptly, it is most likely be-
cause she hasn't caught up with
her calls. She cannot proceed to
the next call, until she has made
reasonable effort to get the preced-
ing one in operation. It is often
the case that the calling party
grows impatient and hangs up be-
fore the party who is called, drops
her or his work and gets to the
phone. Then the operator has to
go all over it again, and call back
the first party, or make excuses to
one or both.
The person using the phone is
apt to grow disgruntled and NUT
ter rude things about the operator.
1t doesn't have to be the operat-
or's fault, because the company
sometimes doesn't haYe enough
operators on duty. How often have
we heard people while trying to use
a phone, utter rude and discour-
teous remarks that would get them
a punch in the nose if spoken to
man. Yet the operator, no matter
how genteel and shrinking she
may be, must sit and endure it
and never talk back to the custo-
mer, because she must think of the
company's welfare and customer
goodwill first.
1t is strange thing indeed that
people who claim to be "some-
body" and think themselves "tops"'
in the community, will use the same
tone of voice to an operator that
they might use in chasing a stray
hound out Of their back yard. Re-
CARELESS of where the blame lies
in slow service sometimes obtaining
on the telephone, there is no need
to make the helpless operator, who
is only a girl working for a living,
the butt Of sarcasm, scorn, and in,
vective.
The reflection is of course on
the person who uses bad manners
on the telephone. If bad manners
must be used on the phone, and
sometimes it is Justified toward
the party to whom one may be talk
ing, it should, by all accounts,
never be used toward the operator.