On Wednesday, June 25, 2014 2:18:03 PM UTC-4, Stephen Sprunk wrote:   
      
   > OTOH, aside from large campus environments and Centrex customers, the   
   > PBXes were often not connected so transferring a call to another   
   > location _was_ often impossible.   
      
   I should've qualified my response to be people answering a phone had no idea   
   how to transfer a call.  (Not related to transferring to another location).   
      
      
   > Yes, some had tie lines between sites to save on toll charges, but they   
   > didn't want those expensive lines tied up by customers who could easily   
   > dial the other site directly--and at their own cost.   
      
   On the hospital PBX, sometimes they would use the tie-line to transfer a call   
   to our affiliate; I think if it was when the caller was long distance.    
   Normally they never did that, and told the caller the number of the separate   
   institution.   
      
   Our radiology department had its own small PBX, but outside callers would be   
   connected to that (their PBX had both outside lines and hospital extensions on   
   it).  Actually, I was surprised they had enough internal traffic to justify   
   their own small PBX    
   and attendant, but apparently so.  Today, something that sized would probably   
   be served by an advanced key system, not a PBX.   
      
   We did not have a tie-line to our other campus elsewhere in the city, and as   
   you said, callers had to call back to reach there.   
      
      
      
      
   > Yes, there are some more advanced features, but most are typically used   
   > only by secretaries or receptionists, who get more detailed training on   
   > the specific functions they need.  Most systems work in similar ways,   
   > too, so an experienced temp can get up to speed in minutes.   
      
   FWIW, my own observation is that many PBX attendants today aren't that well   
   trained.  They are not aware of some advanced features or certain basic   
   courtesy practices that were very common in the past.   
      
   I suspect this is because in the old days, more attendants were needed and as   
   such there was a PBX group.  Bell provided training (Bell literature   
   emphasized service courtesy).  Today, with automation, only one attendant may   
   be needed, and even she might    
   be only part time with other duties.  So, she doesn't get the training and   
   experience that was once provided.     
      
   Far too often I'm left dangling on HOLD by a PBX attendant who failed to    
   monitor the progress of a call.  In the old days, attendants were trained to   
   pick up on unanswered calls and offer to take a message, page the desired   
   party, find someone else, or    
   whatever action was appropriate to the circumstances.  Attendants were trained   
   to find an alternate party in case of emergency.   
      
   Indeed, today, it's common that when I say, "Hi, I'm trying to reach John   
   Smith but", the attendant cuts out and puts me through to John Smith's line,   
   before I have the chance to explain he isn't answering his line and it's   
   critical that I reach him.   
      
   Other times attendants don't really know their organization well enough to   
   connect outside calls to the proper extension.  For instance, they'll connect   
   someone to a generic accounting office extension even if the caller asks   
   specifically for accounts    
   payable.   
      
      
      
   > Call parking is a lot harder to explain but _much_ more commonly used.   
      
   Could you explain "call park"?  I thought it was simply HOLD.   
      
   Speaking of HOLD, many companies these days have recorded sales pitches to   
   callers on HOLD (it used to be merely music).  These announcements become very   
   tedious after a short period time, especially if one repeatedly calls an   
   organization.  For isntance,   
    veterinarian offices will give you a zillion ways your pet will need   
   treatment.   
      
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