Called the hospital to see how my Mom was doing. She's 89.975 years old and had a flu and a few other minor things go wrong. Called the main listed number, and then tried to key-in the choice for "Patient Information" but it kept taking me back to the main greeting. Couldn't get through to any extension except "0". She took about 3 minutes to answer. Just sales pitch-on-hold, no call-progress tones.
"O" tried to connect me, but couldn't. I listened to a sales pitch about how great the hospital is for a total of 8 more minutes while waiting for her to to tell me that the extension I want is 5154 (room 154) but it's busy.
She also says that I can call the room directly by dialing 477 + the 4-digit extension. That advice smells, because I happen to know that the GReenport7 wire center does NOT have DID capability, and that in the event that a large subscriber changes over to DID, and needs to have a large block of DID numbers, the BOC almost always has to create a new NNX to accommodate the block, since there is a high probability that most of the 4D are already in use throughout the community.
I hang up and try Method #1 (call the MLN and try to key-in the extension, 5154). The auto-attendant says "If you know your party's extension, please dial '5' plus the THREE DIGIT EXTENSION."
Hmmm...the three digit extension must be...154...so, I dial "5" + "154". As soon as I dial "51..." I get a recording that is unintelligible, but seems to sound like an internal intercept message.
I hang up and try method #2: Call 477+5154. I get a ring trip, and "unable to complete" intercept.
I hang up, put on my coat, get in my truck, go get on line at the ferry, wait a few minutes, a boat arrives, and I go to Greenport. I drive to the hospital, park in the lot, and go inside.
I go upstairs to see Mom, who is doing great. On the elevator ride, I mention to a handsome older woman in a business suit that I just spent six bucks for a ferry ride, to go 2 miles from home, and a half hour of my time, to talk to my Mom, when a simple phone call would have sufficed.
She rolls her eyes, and says "Yes, we've been having a lot of trouble with our new phone system. For one thing, the computer installation company who put it in forgot to correct the main greeting. I'll bet you dialed "5" and then a three-digit extension, right? You should have dialed "4" and the extension. We've been trying to get them to come back and correct the message. They also told us that callers could just dial "477" + the extension numbers, but that's not working, either."
I handed her my business card, and asked her to get it to the president's office. We shall see what happens next. Stay tuned.
Last edited by Arthur P. Bloom; 01/02/13 08:20 PM.
