I'm remembering telephone service in the old days - Bell Telephone, to be exact. They came out and installed your telephone, and you paid a modest charge every month. Then it got to where you had to go into a sales office and pick up a standard phone, bring it home, and plug it in. I always had a wall phone, and never did go in for the more fancy models. The phone always worked and was user-friendly, unlike today when you have to learn Martian symbology to figure out what the hell the little icons mean. Intuition ruled in the old days!
I just got an ATT land line, and am using my old phones from when I had Verizon service a 2 or 3 years ago. I might have bought a new phone, but figured then I would have to go through all sorts of pain to figure out how to use it. I'm sure they've made it impossible for an old lady to pick up and start talking. I tried to activate it online but the page got hung up when I entered my userid and passcode. I know they worked, because I had to use the exact same codes on the first screen, but by the 3rd screen they didn't know me.
I ended up dealing with a tech rep, and I've discovered that ALL tech reps talk a mile a minute, swallow half their words, and usually have an accent. I'm not xenophobic (had to look that word up to make sure I wasn't going to confuse anyone about my sexual preferences). Xenophobia is a fear of anything foreign, and I don't fear anything foreign, but it's just with each little degree of hearing loss I have more trouble distinguishing accents. (Note that I NEVER have trouble understanding a good ol' redneck accent though).
My phone works, and I have an extension on my bedside table. It will rarely be used, and now I have the daunting task of figuring out the features of my ATT service. I don't know why some things can't remain simple and easy to learn and use. I think I would rather read a book on basic quantum physics than a late model user guide!
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When I was kid growing up we had a party line. That is all that was available at the time. Remember those? Everyone in the neighborhood knew the others business.
ReplyDeleteWe had a party line when I was a kid too! If I stayed on it for more than ten minutes I could hear someone on the line picking up and hanging up hard. If we got a rare long distance call whoever answered the call would yell, "Hey! It's long distance!!" and the person who was called would nearly break their neck getting to the phone. Long distance calls were pretty expensive.
ReplyDeleteI miss the simplicity and slowness of the past, but a cell phone is handy out on the road. I have a trac phone for emergencies and the only thing I know how to do is make a call. From there it gets complicated. I keep it turned off most of the time.
I appreciate the quantum physics remark and it always refreshing to get a "red neck" on the line for service.
"I don't know why some things can't remain simple and easy to learn and use"
ReplyDeleteI've been feeling the same way about many of today's supposedly 'newer is better' gizmos. Why can't things that are working so well just be left alone or at least upgraded to another simple something that works so well.
Good luck with your new service. My kids always tease me to upgrade my cell phone but I am not paying all that money for some silly crap I will never use. and now they auto correct and it is so wrong that you have no idea what anyone is talking about.
ReplyDeleteI want one of the old phones that had some weight to it instead of these phones that you drag off the desk trying to answer. My husband goes through at least 2 phones a year. Don't even bother buying the ones Walmart sells.
ReplyDeleteIt had gotten to the point that I hated to have to call AT&T. One of the times we were having trouble the woman on the line wanted me to go outside and open the box and do something. I don't work for the phone company, get someone over here. I must not have been the only one complaining. The last time our phone was out they actually sent someone right away. They have made me so mad with their "free cell phones" that I will never buy another cell phone from them. You can find them a lot cheaper on the internet.
When the rapid-fire chatter reps start with their "script", I tell them that my cell phone is having a hard time with reception, and ask if they would please speak more slowly so I can hear everything.
ReplyDeleteVirtual hugs,
Judie