Hi, looking over a customers bill, they have a 2MS-0006 circuit that they are being billed $77 for. I am trying to figure out what it is. No tags in phone room to trace out. Thought it could have been something they used in the past and never had disconnected.. I remember Verizon use to offer a manual switch (MS) type service that would cut rotary service or forward to an answering service or something like that, not sure if it could be that or not, Anyone? Thought someone here might know before attempting to deal with Verizon...

why not call Verizon and ask ?

that's where I would start .

When you make the call, be sure you start early in the day, and bring your lunch and a good book.

(refer to my signature)

And a headset, or a speakerphone. Or at least a phone with a monitor speaker. And make SURE the phone you select does NOT depend upon batteries, because they WILL go dead!

I think you are on the right track. That sounds about the cost of a "make busy" circuit that would break the hunting sequence to allow remote pickup of calls to the pilot number.

Off subject slightly, but I wonder if anyone has noticed any improvement in 'ATT' help lines since SWB corp bought them out? It's been 10 years since I dealt with SWB, but they were always helpful and knowledgeable. (ONCE YOU GOT TO THE RIGHT PLACE! As a tech, I made a point of tracking the phone numbers for 'THOSE' places )

I deal with AT&T on a daily basis here in Connecticut. For the most part, their support is very good. The service reps taking the calls are good at writing down exactly what I tell them on the trouble report.

Usually, the field techs are on the ball. Apparently, they can see service calls in queue and respond if they are nearby. I don’t know exactly how the system works, but I’ve had techs on site in as little as 30 minutes after placing a call. Occasionally, you’ll have to deal with a real idiot, but I guess that’s true in any business.

I do miss being able to call directly into the local operation centers. I was on a first name basis with the guys in the Connecticut PRI group. Now the calls are answered in Austin or Milwaukee, depending on the service. They’re knowledgeable people, but it’s not the same.

"I was on a first name basis with the guys in the Connecticut PRI group."
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Know the feeling, 50K population town I worked in Central KS only had 1 T1 guy and I knew his C.O. number! He knew when I called it probably was a LEC problem.

Caught this topic late but had to chime in..ATT in our area has excellent field technicians and we work together for the common goal...customer satisfaction..however, two weeks ago a residential customer called me to report that their line was noisy. This rural area is fed by a 25 pair cable that has been failing for many years. This particular customer has noise problems at least 3 times a year and its always in the bad section of cable. I advised the customer that I felt sure it was ATT's problem and to report it(I used to report it myself but now they'd rather speak to the customer than someone who knows anything) long story short customer was told that their test determined that the problem was in inside wiring. After another call another operator informed the customer once again that the problem was in the inside wire. So after an act of Congress I found an operator that would speak to me and I listened to the BS story and then asked why it takes a field tech so much time cutting ahead the cable pairs trying to troubleshoot when apparently the operator was able to pinpoint the trouble. In the end,a field tech came and cut the customer to a new pair in the cable....So again I ask..."does it ever end?)

Or you could call in on a buttset from the demark after disconnecting the inside wiring.

There is always the sound of silence on their end after they give you the "its your inside wiring script", when you tell them what you have done as they don't have a service script for that.

Usually a service call is dispatched after that.

For most residential applications, Verizon New England (and maybe other territories) has been installing their demarcs outside of homes. Does at&t use something like that?

If you lose dial tone or encounter static, just plug a known working SLT into the demarc's test jack and check.

Duplicate the problem? Call Verizon Repair.
No problem from the outside? Call someone who can troubleshoot the inside wiring problem.