One Ringy Dingy

  

On September 12, 10 digit dialing was introduced in Alberta.   Even for local phone calls you must now dial the 403 area code .     For awhile to get us ready there would be an annoying message reminding you about about 10 digit dialing and then your call would go through.   Now if you forget the area code you get a very annoying message saying that this is a local call and then tells you to hang up and dial 10 digits.  


While Alana was here for the summer she discovered that if she called certain number she could get room service downstairs at our house.   check her blog entry about it.    Now she would be advised that she would have to hang up and try again.  


I don't like the idea of 10 digit dialing but that's not what this post is about.   It just reminded me of when I was a phone operator.   Back in 2005 I was working at TELUS and the union decided to go on strike.  Managers were all assigned front line jobs that union workers would normally do.   As a manager my assignment was to be a telephone operator.    At that time the Lower Mainland of British Columbia introduced 10 digit dialing.  It was confusing for customers and many ended up calling the operator for help.   I was one of those operators.    

Being a phone operator was not something I would want to do for a living - it takes a special kind of person.  Because of the strike we worked 10 - 12 hour shifts 6 days a week.   The good part was that they paid us great overtime and brought in catered meals 2 times a day.   But as the strike went on they cut the meals and the overtime.   Not getting fed and no big overtime cheques really took the enjoyment out of being an operator, but every day there were some memorable calls.   I thought I would share some of my favorites.


Cousin Daryl

I was taking 411 calls and I didn't talk to the caller.  The number came up on the computer and all I had to do was say "Please hold for the number" and hit a key on the keyboard.  When I said my line the customer yells, "Doug" in the phone.  It was my cousin Daryl S.    He recognized my voice from that one short phrase.  We had a nice chat.    This is amazing when you realize on busy days I could take 100 calls/hour

The Country of Africa

I was taking 411 calls and a guys asks for the number for the Embassy of Africa.

Me:          "Which country in Africa?"

Caller:      "You know - Africa , I'd like the number for the African Embassy"

Me:          "There are several countries in Africa.  Which one would you like?

Caller:    I want the country of Africa.

Me:         Africa is not a country sir, Its a continent. 

Caller:    What are you talking about?   I'm looking for the embassy for Africa.

Me:         I have listings for several of the countries in Africa.  But no listing for Africa.  

Caller:    Why not

Me:         Because its not a country sir, its a continent,.

Caller:    OK, If you're so smart name some countries in Africa.

Me:         Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt......

Caller:    STOP - you are telling me Egypt is in Africa?

Me:         Yes.

Caller:    If Egypt is in Africa why aren't they all black?

Me:         There are several countries in Africa where they are not all black.

Caller:    Name one.

Me:      South Africa.

He says some things I can't repeat and hangs up.

Prime Minister's Home Number

Taking 411 calls again.  

A caller calls and asks for the Prime Minister's home phone number.

I look and can only find the PM's office number.   I tell the caller this

She gets a bit sharp with me and says she needs the number because she as a personal friend of the PM.

I tell the customer that the home number must be unlisted.

She has some attitude and says that she's a personal friend and that the PM was expecting her call and he would be waiting.

I ask if I could give her the number for the PM's office. 

She starts to yell at me because I'm letting the country down and that we shouldn't keep the PM waiting.  She reminds me that she is personal friend.

My response was "If he's such a good friend and wanted you to call,  why didn't he give you his number himself".

Fun 411 Call

I got a 411 call from a cell phone  for the address of a market in Calgary.   It just so happened that I drove by the market the day before so I knew exactly where it was.   I asked the caller where they were.   At first she asked why I wanted to know.   I told her I just drove by the market and knew where it was.   She told me where they were so I directed her to the market.   I would say things like "on your left you will see.....".   She'd sound amazed and say "YEAH".    I'd tell her where to turn and was on the phone for about 2 or 3 minutes.   When she saw it she was so excited and she commented that it was the best phone support she's ever experienced.    If I was a real operator I probably would have been fired, but there was one very satisfied customer. . . and I had fun too.

CIA Agent

Get a request for a collect call to the US Embassy.  The caller doesn't have the number so I look it up.  While I'm looking it up he says that he's a CIA agent and he tells me his life is in danger and he needs to talk to the people at the Embassy.    He also tells me that he has a new identity so they may not know who he is.   I'm thinking to myself, if I was a CIA agent I wouldn't be telling anyone and I don't think I would be making a collect call to a number I had to ask the operator for.   I did get the number - They didn't accept the call (probably because they didn't recognize his new name).

911 Call

I get a 911 call from a cell phone.   I ask if its police, fire or ambulance.   

I don't know

You don't know?   Are you hurt?  Do you need an ambulance?

No

Do you need the police?  

I don't think so.

Do you need the fire department?

I don't know.

What is the emergency?

Well.......its kind of embarassing.  I'm stuck on a toilet.

I didn't want to think about this but all sorts of images went through my mind.  None were very pretty.   I made a quick decision that this was a fire department call

I transfered the call to the fire department but I didn't release the call because I just had to listen in.

What is the emergency?

Its kind of embarassing - I'm stuck on a toilet

You're stuck on a toilet?

Yeah, I can't get off.

Where are you?

I don't know.  I'm in the second floor of an office building.

What building.

I don't know I came with a friend to a meeting.

Do you know what its by?

Wait, there's someone in the bathroom.   Excuse me.....can you help me.

You can hear a voice but can't make it out

Yes, please go for help.  Wait , where are we?

He get the name of the building and the address and give it to the dispatch operator.

The voice must have gone for help because you hear more people coming into the bathroom and talking to the caller.

The fire department operator asks questions like are you injured, etc

A few minutes later you hear the fire department arrive.

The call is ended so I don't know what happened.   But do I really want to know?

There were lots of these crazy calls.   On some I'm sure it was someone just having fun with the operators - but they seemed so real.   There were also lots of complaints - about everything from the weather to the government - not just TELUS related.   The saddest thing was all of the lonely people who just wanted someone to talk to.   I learned a lot  but its not something I would want to do again.