Difference between revisions of "325--Week 8 Questions/Comments"
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== Venus Green, Personal Service in the Bell System == | == Venus Green, Personal Service in the Bell System == | ||
| + | I found Venus Green's explanation of why women were chosen as telephone switchboard operators and why they continued to run said switchboards long after it became technologically possible to move to automated service to be very interesting. Green states that women are more patient than men and can better multitask. More than anything, it appears that the Bell Telephone Company desired to retain the intimacy and personal touch of its telephone communication through live, friendly operators long after its competitors switched to automated connection options. Bell's training manual and managers heavily emphasized the importance of courtesy at all times. In response, customers gave their telephone switchboard operators personal gifts in the same vein that people leave personal gifts or tips for newspaper boys. Bell's commitment to the personal relationship between its company and its clients is remarkable considering that it would have probably been much cheaper to switch over to automated service. Today voicemail and automatic recordings are a normal part of our world. We still find it considerate when businesses employ people to answer their phones or when a businessman answers his own phone. It just goes to show that society's desires in this regard have remained the same as the technology continues to skyrocket. -Bryan Lees | ||
== Bruno Latour, Ma Bell’s Road Trip == | == Bruno Latour, Ma Bell’s Road Trip == | ||
