I have a customer that has a single line set for their POTS business line. This line has call waiting AND three-way calling. When a second call arrives, the call waiting tone is heard. When the flash key is pressed, stutter dial tone is given (placing the first call on hold) rather than connecting them the second caller. I'm thinking that some kind of code must be dialed to park the first call. I know that Centrex lines use *78 for the call hold feature. I'm not sure what to tell the customer. He thinks that there was a code, but he can't remember what it was. Of course, Verizon is no help. Any ideas?

Any call waiting that I have encountered, ever--worked like this:

1. You're on a call---call waiting signal beeps
2. You press the flash key---the original caller is put on "hold" and you are connected to the second caller.
3. You tell second caller that you'll call him back
4. You hang up and the phone rings almost immediately---you pick it up and you have your original caller.


However---it's been many years since I have seen or done that. But that's the way (somewhat) it's used to work. Maybe Call waiting and 3-way are not compatible..... That's all I know. I don't recall ever, having to dial a code.

I have call waiting and 3 way and it works as described by Mick. Only time I've seen stutter dial tone is with phone company supplied voicemail. So maybe the stutter DT is messing up his switch hook flash?

If there is voice mail on the line as well, if so could the number of rings be set too low?

I am thinking if the 2nd call is not answered before the voice mail picks up that would explain the stutter when the link button is used.

@Bill: No, the stutter dial tone is a confirmation of a successful switch hook flash, not a VM reminder. The stutter is only received upon pressing the phone's flash key.

@mbhydro: There is no voice mail on the line. As mentioned above in my reply to Bill, the stutter dial tone that I mentioned is just the confirmation tone that is received upon pressing the flash key.

Thanks guys for the guesses, but it this appears to be a lot deeper than the obvious. I should have added that this Verizon CO ( Springfield, VA DSO ) is served by a Siemens EWSD, not a typical ESS or DMS. Keep your suggestions coming!

I can tell you what I know about CW, and that is that I have never heard of a stutter dial tone being generated after the flash. There would be no reason for a dial tone, because what your customer expects (and what every description of CW states) is that the second caller will immediately be connected, as the first caller is put on hold.

There is something screwy with the CO programming.

If you call the Verizon business office for large accounts, you might be able to get them to fax or email the instructions.

I think that these would be the instructions that Arthur was referring to:

https://www22.verizon.com/NROneReta...UserGuide_West_CallingFeatures_Final.pdf

No mention of stutter tone on call waiting.

If you flash and get a stutter it wants to init 3 way calling so I would agree with Arthur about a programming error in the switch.

I agree that there is a programming error. I don't see how both features can exist on the same line. I suppose that the switch should be smart enough to know that an incoming call is present and thus not offer the three-way calling feature at that time.

Still, as usual, Verizon swears that there's nothing wrong and that this must be due to an issue with the customer's phone. He bought a new phone; same problem exists. The worst part is that the customer swears that this used to work. His English speaking skills are so poor that I am having a tough time communicating with him.

Have they tried *78? How about *71?

Not yet, Derrick. Since this guy is a neighbor at my office, I'll go over there on Monday and try them. I was just hoping that I could come up with a definite answer for his problem since I'm not getting paid for this. This whole thing started from a meeting at the mailbox.

The Siemens EWSD central office switch is what is throwing me here, since the DMS and ESS limitations are fairly easy to identify.

Ed, you are correct. The incoming ring status of the line would indicate to the switch that a flash means "put the existing line on hold, and answer the second incoming call."

During a period when the call is in progress, but no incoming ring, then a flash would be used to initiate the 3-way calling.

Problem solved. The customer figured out the code to park the existing call, which is *59 after a switch hook flash.

Glad to know the was a fix. So it wasn't a programming error?


Sam

Update: The customer was wrong. I went back over there today during lunch and found the code to be *78. This is normally the code that is used for call hold on Centrex, but apparently it is also used on POTS for call park.

To use this: The call waiting tone is heard, then flash and dial *78 to park the first call. You are then immediately connected to the second caller. Flashing and dialing *78 allows you to toggle between the first and second callers.