Special Postal Card Service Study. (By C. N. Robinson, San Joaquin Division Chief Operator.) At the suggestion of General Superintendent G. P. Robinson, a special postal card study is now being made in certain towns throughout the San Joaquin Division for the purpose of securing information which would tend to increase the efficiency of the service. At Fresno a return post card was issued and mailed to business subscribers. The card explained that "this company is desirous of ascertaining at the earliest possible moment whether our service as rendered to you is entirely satisfactory, and, if not, what suggestions you may have to make for its betterment." Mr. Smith, an employee of the Fresno Exchange, was selected to follow up the subscriber's reply card, which he did in this man ner: Reply cards received were referred to him, and he called upon each individual and made a thorough inspection of the telephone involved with a view to ascertaining whether the instrument wiring, either inside or outside of the building, was in any way responsible for the faulty service. After completion of this part of the investigation, a terse and explicit written report was attached to the card and presented with his report at a meeting attended by the Manager, Wire Chief, Local and Long Distance Chief Operator, Service Inspector and Division Chief Operator. These meetings were held in the Wire Chief's office daily at 4 p. m. Replies were carefully checked off and those complaints coming under the head of the Operating Department were turned over to the Chief Operator concerned. Those reflecting upon the Maintenance Department were handed to the Wire Chief. After a sufficient time had elapsed to locate cause of trouble and such steps taken as possible to prevent a recurrence of it, the cards were returned to Division Chief Operator with a written report attached to each, and complaint was again referred to Mr. Smith for Mr. Smith for a recall upon the complainant in order to ascertain whether the fault had been rectified. If everything was found to be satisfactory, the card was filed; if not, it was again brought to the attention of the employees concerned, and immediate action urged. We find that the subscribers are generally well pleased with our plan of finding the greatest faults with our service, and would add that out of the first five hundred cards mailed, but two foolish replies were received, all others seeming to enter into the spirit of the proposition in a businesslike manner. Chief Operators' Meetings in the South. Acknowledgment is made, with thanks, for the following account of the method of holding Chief Operators' meetings in Los Angeles: At the weekly meetings the chief operators, the city and division chief operators, attend in order that a more close relationship may be established. Various criticisms are brought forward. This eliminates all necessity for backwardness and the idea in our opinion has been beneficial in the extreme. At the monthly evening meeting the division superintendent and officers attend and a paper is read by some one on a specific subject. On December 10 the Los Angeles chief operators met together with the managers and chief operators of the nearby towns. Mr. E. H. Long, Division Wire Chief, gave a short talk on the effect of poor operating on maintenance conditions, which was followed by some interesting general remarks with ref erence to co-operation, etc., by Mr. C. M. W. D. Wilde, Division Chief Operator; Seeley, Division Superintendent. Mr. Smith, Service Inspector from San Francisco, gave a general talk on methods of supervision and expressed his hearty approval of the talks previously given. A paper was read by Mr. W. D. Wilde, Division Chief Operator, on the methods employed during the past nine months, in an endeavor to reorganize the Los Angeles operating forces. Mr. Wilde gave a criti cism of what had been accomplished and explained in what directions the staff failed. The next Chief Operators' meeting will be held the second Tuesday in January. Athelos Club to Play Tennis. The West Office Operating and Maintenance Departments, Los Angeles, recently held a meeting for the purpose of completing the organization of a club, known as the. "Athelos Club." The officers elected were: Mr. R. E. Jillson, President; Mr. A. E. Adams, VicePresident; Miss E. Bridges, Secretary and Treasurer; Mr. Lidster, Ground Manager. Following is a list of the honorary members: Mr. C. M. Seeley, Division Superinendent; Mr. J. A. Glass, City Manager; Mr. E. H. Long, Division Wire Chief; Mr. Miss L. Harris, City Chief Operator; Miss The grounds adjoining the office have been suitably equipped for a tennis court, and the numerous exciting games which have been played portend a thoroughly enjoyable pastime for the members. Construction Notes. A No. 10 common battery switchboard has been ordered for Hanford, and No. 8 boards have been ordered for Palo Alto and Olympia. The work of reconstructing the Sacramento-Reno toll line between Colfax and Towles is practically complete. Installation of the new switchboard has been begun at San Mateo. The work of installing the new board in West Office, Spokane, will be started about January 10. Creosoted pump log, a new style of conduit, is being tried in Spokane. The new conduit comes from Norfolk, Va. It is expected that it will prove satisfactory and be adopted for standard construction. Forty thousand feet is being laid in Spokane, and some 60,000 feet will be laid in Portland in the spring. The Paper in this magazine was supplied by the ZELLERBACH PAPER CO., SAN FRANCISCO 1,768 79 W. Van Buren St., CHICAGO, ILL. 50 years in business in Chicago COLLECTION RATING. Percentage of money outstanding at the end of November to the total amount of the bills rendered subscribers for the month, and percentage of number of unpaid accounts at the end of November to the number of stations. Aberdeen, Wash... 9 6 Glendale, Cal. 5 4 Oakland, Cal. 20 Alameda, Cal. Albany, Ore. 13 10 Grants Pass, Ore. . .18 8 Olympia, Wash. Grass Valley, Cal... 15 10 Ontario, Cal. Alhambra, Cal. 23 17 San Mateo, Cal. Anacortes, Wash 3 Oregon City, Ore. Arcata, Cal. Hillsboro, Ore. 80 30 Oroville, Cal. Ashland, Ore. Hollister, Cal. Astoria, Ore. 0 0 Hollywood, Cal. Auburn, Cal. 2 Hoquiam, Wash. 24 14 6 La Grande, Ore.. Bellingham, Wash. .11 4 Lebanon, Ore. 132 Petaluma, Cal. 0 0 Pomeroy, Wash. 25 Porterville, Cal. Berkeley, Cal. 34 24 Lewiston, Idaho. ...10 Centralia, Wash 3 2 Lodi, Cal.. Chehalis, Wash. Long Beach, Cal. .29 9 Redding, Cal.. 26 Colfax, Wash. 27 14 Madera, Cal. 42 5 Redlands, Cal.. 3 Redwood, Cal. 23 17 Selma, Cal.. 16 Stockton, Cal.. 12 6 Tacoma, Wash. 19 13 The Dalles, Ore. 18 9 Spokane, Wash. Colusa, Cal. 9 8 Marysville, Cal. 22 Tulare, Cal. 11 4 Cottage Grove, Ore 12 3 McMinnville, Ore...11 Dayton, Wash. 26 18 Ritzville, Wash. Ellensburg, Wash..89 Vallejo, Cal.. 9 7 Eugene, Ore.. 37 2 Modesto, Cal. 31 7 Vancouver, Wash. Everett, Wash. Visalia, Cal.. 19 Ferndale, Cal. 3 2 Napa, Cal. Salinas, Cal.. Fresno, Cal. 31 10 Newberg, Ore. 10 Watsonville, Cal.. 17 9956 Fullerton, Cal.. 14 10 North Yakima. ....70 Here follows a summary of Farmer Line Reports for month ending Nov. 30,'07 |