To be or not to be . . . That may be the question?

Submitted by volunteer47305 on Fri, 06/04/2010 - 1:55pm.

I had occasion to call customer servicer today to figure out our bundled telephone services, that include our land line, cell, and internet for home office use. . . and my sewing shop using our home phone and the cell phone I carry.
In talking to the agent on the phone (after escaping the automated system), I found out that, the cell phone I had been carrying had a number that was NOT a local phone number. . .
It read Attica Indiana as part of it's prefix 1-765-585-0776

I distinctly remember asking (alright insisting) the agent when I signed up for Cell Phone service, that I was going to use it for both local and long distance, and wanted a "Local Number", as I didn't want my clients to be paying for long distant charges.

So I was left wondering how it is, after so long a time, that I am just discovering this out, this month? After all, I had talked to agents about this 1-765- problem previously, as to why, I had to dial a 1-765- before my cell number, when using my own land line to call whoever was toting my cell phone around?
Their reply was they had no good idea. . . Hum.
It did not start showing up as a long distance call until sometime this year? A couple of years after having it.

Anyway, as part of my transfer of the Army Navy Surplus of Muncie, to Pat and Teresa Romack, and their using the VFW Post 651 basement, I recommended they keep the phone as it was, as it was all over the internet and had been handed out on many fliers given out by us, when it was behind our home. So I gave Pat my Cell Phone and he kept the number on it. Al is working OK, until I get this months bill and the wife brings it to my attention. Sure enough after reviewing it and going back several months further; the company was indeed charging me a long distance charge every time I used my land line to call that number.

So I called Pat today to let him know to change it at some point before publishing in the next phone book, or investing in printing of any real significance.

Now, I fully expected the company agent to sign me up for what I was looking for: A local Cell phone number I could use in our paid advertising. And, I expected them to be honest with me if there was going to be a problem with the number in any way or at least notify me if there were changes in prefixes that would no longer make it a local lattice call for land line clients. Customer Service for this company failed on all counts.

As, did the advertising campaign in their directories. Turns out they didn't reveal, the impact significant increases in cell phone use, had/is having, on phone book use.
There are no crystal balls in business, and advertising, or for that matter customer service. I have learned that there is not need for example, to put up a big ads of any type for such a shop as ours; when word of mouth is working so well, or when we have such a great presence on the internet across all search engines, or, our "free listing" is being found easy in the basic listings. . . why should anyone in this business climate, spend more then they need to?

Well AT&T and I are NOT seeing eye to eye right now, and Pat and I are discussing the upcoming strategy for the new location, to see how we can get the word out better for them, and make sure directory assistance is getting calls to him . . . Turns out every time anyone called directory assistance to get a number for the Army Navy Surplus of Muncie? They were told there is none in Muncie . . . Hum.

I suggested he start using The Star Press in the classifieds, to get the word out that way locally, write some blogs, insure he does some reviews, with back-listings to his own shop, and make sure he is watching his service carrier like a hawk, and reviewing every detail throughly.

Any way, if you have wondered why you may have to dial a 1-765- to reach a cell phone number? You may have to check, to insure it is in fact, part if our local exchange.
Today so many folks are using Cell phones, that many of the phone book companies don't deliver books to? That it is vital that business' really look at the number "delivered" to valid address' vs. how many are being published. No one really gets a phone book from the phone company unless they ask for one . . . at least that is what AT&T Customer service told me when I asked.

If you want satisfactory service from companies? You and I need to really be on our toes, each time we deal with them and when our bills come in.