Dialing 911 from Inside Your Workspace - Are You Properly Prepared?

Periodically, I like to mention to those of my friends, clients and anyone else who I bump into, who work behind multi-line telephone systems (main listed number and numerous extensions in varying locations known as MLTS) about emergency information. As is the case with security systems, it is to be hoped that no one will ever need to dial 911 in the event of a medical or other emergency. But the fact remains that such calls DO need to be made, and when they do, time can absolutely be of the essence. A first responder has no more than 4 minutes to get to someone in cardiac or other medical distress.  Simply put, that’s not very much time.

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A Trio of Timely Telecom Topics

Recently, I ran into two colleagues, both of whom told me that they always read this space, even though the content sometimes gets a bit overly technical.  With an interest in keeping them engaged (and they KNOW who they are, AK and HC), I want to present 3 tantalizing telecom tidbits, none of which is terribly techie, but all of which are interesting, if not totally relevant. They’re about off-shore call centers, and AT&T Mobility’s less than optimal behavior. Let me say up front that AT&T Mobility is hardly alone in its arguably slimy actions—it’s just that, to the best of my knowledge, it’s the only major [wireless] telecommunications provider that’s been caught engaging in these activities. At least this week.

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The Potential Perils of Call Center Offshoring

Most people dislike off-shore call centers. In fact, the largest telecommunications companies know that Americans dislike off-shore call centers with such intensity that those largest companies often use the repatriating off-shore call centers as an incentive to encourage regulatory bodies to approve otherwise less than desirable combinations (read: AT&T’s recent unsuccessful attempt to acquire T-Mobile).  Much to the dismay of those of us who have reached out and touched one of these call centers, what may have been saved by the companies providing overseas call center support has been lost in customer satisfaction. 

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AT&T Mobility and Unwanted Wireless Device Charges

On December 12, 2011, the Florida Attorney General’s office announced that it had reached a settlement with AT&T Mobility, “resolving allegation that the company charged Florida customers’ wireless device bills for a service that those customers neither ordered nor wanted.”  The AVC, short for “Assurance of Voluntary Compliance” (one wonders how truly “voluntary” it is, but I digress) is the result of unauthorized charges appearing on some AT&T Mobility bills.  Specifically, the AG determined that over a 7 year period, more than 600,000 AT&T Mobility customers, whose billing addresses are within the state of Florida, were charged for Roadside Assistance at $2.99 per month without either granting consent for such charges or using the service.

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Distracted Drivers and Commercial Vehicles - New Rules of the Road

Everyone who has driven—or been a passenger—in the last few years understands the dangers of distracted driving.  Way too many drivers continue to engage in dialing, texting, or emailing while operating a couple of tons of moving steel, plastic and flammable liquids.   As a result, tragically, many lives have been lost or forever damaged as distracted drivers take their eyes off the road to respond to an email that can’t wait or make the next move in Words with Friends.  If you think that this is someone else’s problem, consider that there are at least two billboards up in Western New York touting the skills of personal injury attorneys who are more than happy to take on new cases that are the result—or alleged result—of the actions of distracted drivers.

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