If you have my number, why can't I have yours?

greensinestro · #1 12-20-2006, 03:19 PM

Florida has its share of unique customers, particularly when it comes to phone service. I have worked in the telecommunications industry for 15 years, and I have heard it all. I was in operator services for a few years, then went into customer service where I saw first hand what these customers do after speaking to operators.

The one thing I fretted over in customer service were the customers calling in for credit on operator assisted dialed calls. If you call an operator, you are billed a charge, even on local calls. Much of the time, when I worked in operator services, many people would call and say things like, "My 8 key is not working, so I need you to dial this number for me." Many operators including myself charged the operator assisted rate because the way we and the supervisors saw it, the customer could very well buy a new phone with a working 8. Also, this "problem" with broken number keys came about once caller ID was invented. When a customer has an operator dial a call, it keeps the name and number of where they are calling from displaying on caller ID. (Later on, a service called privacy director came out to curb this problem, but of course, customers found a way around that one, too).

When I went into customer service, I always dealt with these customers who later on received their bill, and were bitching about the charges for an operator dialing the call. "I told that operator my 8 key wasn't working!" I would tell these customers things like, "Well, sir, we don't provide credit on things like this unless you have a disability and could not dial it yourself, but the operator billed you anyway." Many of these people in turn would say, "But I didn't want my number displayed being it violates my privacy! My number is unlisted!" I always wanted to tell them, "But, sir, if you have this person's phone number, why are they not allowed to have yours? Aren't you violating their privacy, too?"

Sooner or later, customers received notices that from now on, any operator assisted calls they made would be sustained, unless it showed on their account they had a physical handicap (like blindness) and could not dial the call themselves. Bellsouth ended up giving away millions over crap like this.

Next thing, we'll be giving in to lazy riff raff people, won't we?

MadMike · #2 12-20-2006, 04:09 PM

You can have your number blocked from showing up on Caller ID, and I don't think it costs anything. It seems to me that this would be a lot less of a hassle than calling up an operator and making up some BS story.

Of course, the other person can do like I do, and block any calls where the number is blocked. I feel the same way -- the other person already has my number, why should they get to keep me from knowing theirs?

greensinestro · #3 12-20-2006, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Quoth MadMike

You can have your number blocked from showing up on Caller ID, and I don't think it costs anything. It seems to me that this would be a lot less of a hassle than calling up an operator and making up some BS story.

True enough, except privacy director blocks those out, too. In Florida, you cannot have permanent blocking of this unless you work in some type of law enforcement, or if you are a victim of domestic violence. Other states allow it, but again, Florida is a unique state. If you have permanent blocking of the service, and call a person with privacy director, the system still rejects the call unless the caller identifies themselves first.

CrazedClerk · #4 12-20-2006, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Quoth greensinestro

True enough, except privacy director blocks those out, too. In Florida, you cannot have permanent blocking of this unless you work in some type of law enforcement, or if you are a victim of domestic violence. Other states allow it, but again, Florida is a unique state. If you have permanent blocking of the service, and call a person with privacy director, the system still rejects the call unless the caller identifies themselves first.

Note to self: Don't move to Florida.

greensinestro · #5 12-20-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Quoth CrazedClerk

Note to self: Don't move to Florida.

Nah, Florida is a great state to live in, if you live in the right place. You just need to be aware of what you're getting into if you work in a call center that deals with Florida customers. If you live in Jacksonville and work in a call center, you still have to deal with the dirtbags from South Florida being South Florida is the place where these people spend their retirement. Dealing with them in person is another issue all together.

Boozy · #6 12-20-2006, 07:18 PM

My husband and I have to pay extra every month for our number to be unlisted. This has always bothered me. I don't mind people seeing my number if I call them, but I don't want my number printed in a book that goes out to everybody whether I know them or not. I just really don't think its fair that I should have to PAY for that kind of privacy. I guess I could just not have a phone....but that really isn't feasible or safe.
Does anyone know why not being listed in the phone book costs money?

greensinestro · #7 12-20-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Quoth Boozy

My husband and I have to pay extra every month for our number to be unlisted. This has always bothered me. I don't mind people seeing my number if I call them, but I don't want my number printed in a book that goes out to everybody whether I know them or not. I just really don't think its fair that I should have to PAY for that kind of privacy. I guess I could just not have a phone....but that really isn't feasible or safe.
Does anyone know why not being listed in the phone book costs money?

As long I have been working in telecommunications, this has always been the policy, and it's tough to fight because of the Public Service Commission. Many people have filed complaints against their local phone company, only to have their complaint shot down for this reason. We can gripe about it, but there's not much we can do about it. Give it another hundred years or so.

wagegoth · #8 12-20-2006, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Quoth Boozy

Does anyone know why not being listed in the phone book costs money?

My guess would be because they sell the phone books and the listings. If your number isn't listed then you're cutting into their profit.

BlaqueKatt · #9 12-20-2006, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Quoth MadMike

block any calls where the number is blocked. I feel the same way -- the other person already has my number, why should they get to keep me from knowing theirs?

Sorry MadMike but working in a call center this is one of my major pet peeves-I work for a major wireless phone company doing investigations. Being a call center our numbers are auto blocked, when I have to call a customer with blocking on their phone to get further information or to let them know the results of the investigation, we can't get through, Then the customer calls back a few days later screaming we never called them back-WE TRIED YOU BLOCKED THE CALL!

sorry I get this about 5-6 times a week.

MadMike · #10 12-20-2006, 09:20 PM

Quote:

Quoth BlaqueKatt

Being a call center our numbers are auto blocked, when I have to call a customer with blocking on their phone to get further information or to let them know the results of the investigation, we can't get through

Just out of curiosity, why are your numbers blocked?

And isn't there a way to unblock it? My son's school is set up the same way, but they can just dial a code to unblock the number for one call. Interestingly enough, the people in the office know it's set up like that, but no one knows why.

I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything, I'm just asking.