Jan and the telephone operator - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

jenjen · 02-16-2006, 12:20 AM

When I was little I saw the episode I think it was "her Sister's shadow" where Jan makes believe she has a boyfriend. Before dinner she calls the operator and tells her that they are having trouble with their phone and could she please ring it. She even gives the obligatory phoney number. Well I tried that and my operator told me NO, and to stop playing on the phone and tell your parents to call repair service! I found out the next day that some of my friends tried it to with different results...yeah we didn't have a life!!

erin05 · 02-16-2006, 02:45 AM

comedyfreak · 02-16-2006, 09:34 AM

Waterston_Fan · 02-16-2006, 07:49 PM

Rich3 · 02-16-2006, 10:29 PM

I get the feeling businesses and people in general were friendlier and more service oriented in decades past. Everything was more professional. Although it could have been a made up scenario by the writers, and maybe that wasn't something an operator normally did.

It's sad when I see poorly trained or unenthused customer service people these days. They don't even realize that practicing their customer service skills will help them in so many areas in life. Otherwise they would be more motivated. They're too much like Peter working at the ice cream shop, and not enough like Marcia or Jan.

Waterston_Fan · 02-17-2006, 08:42 PM

Yeah I agree... But customers seem ruder too.. talking on their cellphones while they are talking to the assiociate... I feel bad for the guy who is talking to the customer...

Twice I had a situation where I hoped the customer was talking to me and not at the person on the phone when she asked a question....

TV Guy · 02-17-2006, 10:11 PM

When I was younger there was actually a three digit number that you could dial, hang up, and then the phone would ring. I guess it was intended as a tester, but the ring was slightly sped up, so you really couldn't use it to play a trick on anyone.

Rich3 · 02-17-2006, 11:52 PM

Customers are definitely ruder too. When I was a kid I remember hearing about pranks where people would order a bunch of pizzas to be delivered to someone as a joke. Brady Bunch probably preceded that.

Nowadays businesses would not fall for such a prank. It's like there's more checks in place in their systems.

Waterston_Fan · 02-18-2006, 01:43 PM

Really.. wow, I didn't realize people played pranks on pizza places.. I guess that's why they ask for the caller's phone number they are at.

magellan333 · 02-18-2006, 04:37 PM

When I was four or five (in the early 80s) my brother conviced me he was psychic because he kept saying, "The phone is about to ring." Sure enough it would. I found out some time later he used Jan's method to do that.

gidgetgrape · 02-18-2006, 06:58 PM

Most of the time I get one of those "Press 1 for ... Press 2 for ...." messages when I call customer service. So annoying!

I wonder how hard it would be to get information (or if it's even possible) to get a pay telephone installed in your home like Mike did in season one.

magellan333 · 02-18-2006, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gidgetgrape

Most of the time I get one of those "Press 1 for ... Press 2 for ...." messages when I call customer service. So annoying!

I wonder how hard it would be to get information (or if it's even possible) to get a pay telephone installed in your home like Mike did in season one.

I doubt it. It is getting even harder to find one in public.

caladon · 02-18-2006, 10:02 PM

Back in the days of rotary (dial) phones, the number we would use to make the telephone ring was 119911. Of course this will not work nowadays but it did back then.

Ireneparalegal · 02-18-2006, 10:05 PM

nowadays you just dial your own telephone number, hang up and it will call right back.

erin05 · 02-18-2006, 11:23 PM

we ring 137 over here and it rings bak

02-16-2006, 12:20 AM	#1
jenjen Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 12, 2005 Posts: 111	Jan and the telephone operator When I was little I saw the episode I think it was "her Sister's shadow" where Jan makes believe she has a boyfriend. Before dinner she calls the operator and tells her that they are having trouble with their phone and could she please ring it. She even gives the obligatory phoney number. Well I tried that and my operator told me NO, and to stop playing on the phone and tell your parents to call repair service! I found out the next day that some of my friends tried it to with different results...yeah we didn't have a life!!
	Last edited by jenjen; 02-16-2006 at 10:30 AM.

02-16-2006, 02:45 AM	#2
erin05 I want a unicorn :) Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 18, 2005 Location: An abyss Posts: 291
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02-16-2006, 09:34 AM	#3
comedyfreak Cheers! Forum Fanatic Join Date: Dec 14, 2005 Location: Sunny California Posts: 11,058
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02-18-2006, 10:05 PM	#14
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,689	nowadays you just dial your own telephone number, hang up and it will call right back.
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02-16-2006, 07:49 PM	#4
Waterston_Fan Eternal Member Eternal Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,195

02-16-2006, 10:29 PM	#5
Rich3 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 10, 2005 Posts: 690	I get the feeling businesses and people in general were friendlier and more service oriented in decades past. Everything was more professional. Although it could have been a made up scenario by the writers, and maybe that wasn't something an operator normally did. It's sad when I see poorly trained or unenthused customer service people these days. They don't even realize that practicing their customer service skills will help them in so many areas in life. Otherwise they would be more motivated. They're too much like Peter working at the ice cream shop, and not enough like Marcia or Jan.

02-17-2006, 08:42 PM	#6
Waterston_Fan Eternal Member Eternal Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,195	Yeah I agree... But customers seem ruder too.. talking on their cellphones while they are talking to the assiociate... I feel bad for the guy who is talking to the customer... Twice I had a situation where I hoped the customer was talking to me and not at the person on the phone when she asked a question....

02-17-2006, 10:11 PM	#7
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	When I was younger there was actually a three digit number that you could dial, hang up, and then the phone would ring. I guess it was intended as a tester, but the ring was slightly sped up, so you really couldn't use it to play a trick on anyone.

02-17-2006, 11:52 PM	#8
Rich3 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Oct 10, 2005 Posts: 690	Customers are definitely ruder too. When I was a kid I remember hearing about pranks where people would order a bunch of pizzas to be delivered to someone as a joke. Brady Bunch probably preceded that. Nowadays businesses would not fall for such a prank. It's like there's more checks in place in their systems.

02-18-2006, 01:43 PM	#9
Waterston_Fan Eternal Member Eternal Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Dec 26, 2005 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,195	Really.. wow, I didn't realize people played pranks on pizza places.. I guess that's why they ask for the caller's phone number they are at.

02-18-2006, 04:37 PM	#10
magellan333 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Jun 26, 2003 Location: Chattanooga, TN Posts: 822	When I was four or five (in the early 80s) my brother conviced me he was psychic because he kept saying, "The phone is about to ring." Sure enough it would. I found out some time later he used Jan's method to do that.

02-18-2006, 06:58 PM	#11
gidgetgrape Forever Gidget Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Sep 20, 2003 Location: Texas Posts: 3,503	Most of the time I get one of those "Press 1 for ... Press 2 for ...." messages when I call customer service. So annoying! I wonder how hard it would be to get information (or if it's even possible) to get a pay telephone installed in your home like Mike did in season one.

02-18-2006, 10:02 PM	#13
caladon Member Senior Member Join Date: Jun 30, 2001 Location: Massachusetts state home for the bewildered Posts: 1,151	Back in the days of rotary (dial) phones, the number we would use to make the telephone ring was 119911. Of course this will not work nowadays but it did back then.

02-18-2006, 11:23 PM	#15
erin05 I want a unicorn :) Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 18, 2005 Location: An abyss Posts: 291	we ring 137 over here and it rings bak