More Long-Distance Unpleasantries

Recently I decided I wished to have legal access to a long-distance carrier's facilities, so I began to gather toll-free 800 customer service numbers to the major interexchange carriers that served my area.

A quick call to 800 directory assistance got me the correct number to U.S. Sprint Customer Service for my area (800-531-4646), and the correct number for ALC Communications, otherwise known as Allnet (800-521-0297).  I then called U.S. Sprint and inquired about getting a travel card, or a code on one of their 950 or 800 access numbers.

However, the person who answered the telephone was insistent upon trying to get me to sign up with U.S. Sprint as my Equal Access carrier.  I didn't want Sprint as my Equal Access carrier.  But one of their travel cards would cost me $10 a month plus charges incurred if I didn't choose them as my Equal Access carrier.  I didn't want to have to fork over this ridiculous charge just for a simple code which could be hacked for free.

They lost a prospective customer by being so stubborn about getting my Equal Access dollar (this is understandable, as Sprint has invested a huge amount of money in their Equal Access campaign).

Another bad point concerning U.S. Sprint is the fact that its authorization codes have been widely abused and posted on electronic bulletin board systems, where they are then spread to more and more people who are potential abusers.

I rarely saw an MCI code, or an ALC code posted on a BBS, and when I did, they went bad very quickly, especially in the case of Allnet.  This is due to ALC having the city name of the general area that you called from included in their records.  When calls come from different points at the same or close to the same time in excess, the customer can be contacted and the code changed.

Anyway, back to the pushy representative: I hope this experience opens the eyes of any potential U.S. Sprint customers.  Oh, and incidentally, GTE, which owns U.S. Sprint, is a nuclear weapons contractor with the government.  Another bad point (see 2600, March 1987).

Next, I decided to try MCI.  A quick call to 800 directory assistance revealed their 800 customer service number to be 800-624-6240.  I knew this number was incorrect.  I recognized the 624 exchange as the one where MCI had a node, which was 800-624-1022 and has since been replaced with another 800 number (800-950-1022) that belongs to MCI and also receives ANI (the phone number you're calling from) when you call it (see 2600, July 1987).

Anyway, I then decided to get "assistance" from a local Bell TOPS operator, who was quite friendly, and completed several calls for me in an effort to find the right customer service number.  The TOPS called 800 directory assistance for me and I requested any other numbers they might have for MCI, explaining that the number they had was no longer valid.  They gave me a number listed as "MCI Sales," which was 800-624-2222.  The TOPS (who did not disconnect) then dialed: KP+FWD+8006242222+ST in an attempt to reach MCI Sales.

This number was answered by a Bell ONI Intercept Operator (an intercept operator who didn't know the number I was calling; I had to verbally tell it to her).  She then told me that the new number was 800-444-2222.

So, after three attempts, I finally received the correct number for MCI Customer Service, or so I thought.  I called this number and informed them of the trouble I had in getting the new customer service number, and the woman who answered the phone said she would look into it.  I wonder why AT&T was so slow in getting the new customer service number for one of their major competitors?

Updates to the 800 directory are supposed to be handled automatically, by computer.  It seems that someone put a low priority upon this particular company, as I had no problem with any of the others.  Anyway, I then began asking the woman some general questions about their service, and only when she asked me my area code was I told that I needed to talk to the Southwest Division, reachable at 800-444-1212.

So, after all this hassle, I finally called and had a chat with what sounded like a Japanese-speaking person who sounded intoxicated.  I learned several interesting things from talking to this person.  One such thing is that MCI Customer Service reps have access to rate information via a computer.  They enter the Originating NPA-NXX, and the terminating NPA-NXX, and the computer displays rate information for all three rate classifications (day, evening, and night/holiday).

I also discovered that to get a travel card with MCI, you usually have to pay a one-time fee of $10.30, but they had some sort of special going where you could get the travel card free at this specific point in time.  I also asked about MCI operators, assuming that they would be implemented shortly.  The man told me they would be there by the end of 1987.

This was all fine and well, but it would then take them 10-14 working days to activate my service.  I found out other interesting things about them that I plan on including in a separate article which will be released at a later date.  One last bad point about MCI - they, like GTE, are a nuclear weapons contractor (see 2600, March 1987), so I decided not to deal with them.

The next carrier up was Allnet, or in truth, ALC Communications (formed when Allnet merged with Lexitel).  However, 800 directory assistance didn't have any listing for ALC Communications, but they did have a number for "Allnet Customer Service."

I called this number and the telephone was answered by a new employee.  This person was very helpful and answered all of my questions with no hassle.  Allnet had no monthly surcharge for the use of a travel card, and they did not try to push me into signing up with them as my Equal Access carrier.

So in other words, I was able to get a code on Allnet easily without much hassle.  From the three carriers I sampled, Allnet was by far the most helpful.

If you are thinking of getting your own travel card, I would suggest Allnet.  They are, of course, a major reseller of other companies' lines.  That is to say they do not have their own network like MCI or U.S. Sprint.

Thus, you will have to put up with slightly lower quality lines, but they are still more than adequate for voice and data transmissions.

When choosing, be sure to compare the long-distance services that are available in your area before you decide to pick one.  Ask them questions, but don't be rude.  MCI in particular has their customer service numbers set up in their own 800 exchange, and calls to this exchange will receive ANI.  So being polite and tactful is advisable when dealing with them from a home telephone.

Also keep in mind that the customer service numbers listed here are for my area code.  You will have to get your own numbers for your area code if you wish to engineer these companies.

One last note: readers, share your experiences!  Only through an intelligent communications forum like 2600 can we inform each other and the general public of the good/bad aspects of telephone systems here and abroad.