“RING COMPLAINTS.”

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20247, 16 July 1937, Page 10

“RING COMPLAINTS.”

THE TELEPHONE SERVICE. A VIEW BEHIND THE SCENES. If the complaints section of a New Zealand telephone exchange Is pictured as a collection of officers endeavouring to placate exasperated subscribers it Is very far.from reality. A visit to the Complaints Board of one of the larger exchanges and an investigation into the methods of dealing with telephone s troubles discloses the unexpected fact that the majority of the complaints do not originate from the public but comes from vigilant telephone operators and others who are constantly watching the system in order to discover Incipient faults and remedy them before any trouble is given to subscribers. Associated with the complaints section is an outside staff maintained for instant service in the same way as a fire brigade. These are the faultmen provided with motor vehicles stocked with material for the repair or replacement of any telephone part or even a complete installation.

A subscriber having some difficulty with his telephone rings “Complaints” and speaks to an operator experienced In this work. The nature of the trouble is noted and the operator has close to his hand in a card index a complete record of all subscribers equipment, with notes of previous troubles, if any have been reported. This card with the latest complaint passes to the senior test clerk, who from his desk at the exchange is able to make a test of the subscriber’s line, lie can determine at once if a line has been earthed or disconnected or is in contact with the line of another subscriber. Whatever the trouble the faultman covering the district concerned is at once informed and proceeds to work. Action started by the subscriber’s complaint is not allowed to rest until the faultman has reported that everything is now “0.K.” However. tests may disclose a fault in the actual exchange where there are mechanicians constantly on duty to attend to these troubles as well as to maintain a regular watch on the workfng of the equipment. Over 600 faultmen and mechanicians are employed in connection with the Dominion’s telephone service.