SCHOOL FOR PATIENCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22643, 3 February 1937, Page 6

SCHOOL FOR PATIENCE

BULLYING BY TEACHERS TRAINING TELEPHONE GIRLS [from our own correspondent] LONDON, Jan. 13 At the Automatic Telephone School in Covent Garden women are actually bullying other women to get them used to the telephone manner of some people Their title is "teaching supervisor," and they train recruits to deal with bad-tempered, selfish men and women who tend to make the telephone girl's life a burden. "We don't start slancinc a girl until fihe has nearly finished the course,'' it was stated at the school this week, "because it would bo too unkind and might put her off." Speaking at one end of a line to pupils at the other end, the teachers snapped out in odious voices that belied their attractive personalities, things like: —"What do you mean by cutting mo off like that?" "Give me my tuppence back at once." "I shall report you to tho Postmaster-General." Every type of subscriber is impersonated, from the irate business man who, owing to his secretary's absence, is forced to do his own dialling, to tho woman who says it is a "life and death matter" to get through to her hairdresser. No girl passes tho test and becomes an operator unless she is able to keep her patience and answer politely, no matter how often she is shouted at. She must also he able to inspire confidence in the timid subscriber who is learning the automatic system, and to explain clearly the method of dialling.

"It is a wonderful training in selfcontrol and character, and I am told a fine preparation for married life," said one of the would-be operators. More than 200 additional operators are being trained here and at the Manual School, Clerkenwell, to deal with the extra telephone traffic anticipated at Coronation time.