Higher Fee for Information
Your recent editorial (“PacBell Dials a Wrong Number,” Aug. 21) mentions the fact that the price charged by Pacific Bell for directory assistance calls is less than the cost of providing the service. This is true. Like any other business, we should be able to recover our cost of providing a product or service.
In fact, the price of a local directory assistance call hasn’t changed in 14 years. Pacific Bell’s application to increase the price to 50 cents a call is intended to recover the legitimate costs of providing this important service, everything from labor costs to technology.
We believe that most customers will not be affected, because most customers make fewer than three calls a month. Under our proposal, residence customers would not be charged for the first three calls to directory assistance.
We’re continuing to improve our directory assistance services by investing in the latest digital technology, which will enable Pacific Bell to offer new and enhanced services across the state, such as optional call completion.
Our application is consistent with rules established by the California Public Utilities Commission and is now under review. But let’s be clear: We are only proposing an increase to 50 cents. And it is important to note that customers have an increasing number of options to obtain access to directory listing information from providers other than Pacific Bell, ranging from inexpensive computer phone books to sources on the Internet and from other telecommunications carriers.
CARMEN P. NAVA
Regional President
Pacific Bell, Los Angeles
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If by raising the cost of directory assistance calls, the phone company hopes to discourage the use of that service, it should consider that most of us resort to calling information when the number we seek is not available. I live in Westchester and I recently wanted to call a restaurant in Torrance for reservations. Torrance numbers are not in my directory, so I had to call directory assistance.
My suggestion would be for the phone company to consolidate its directories to cover larger areas. Strangely enough, we get about four or five small directories each year, giving us the same numbers, but broken down into even smaller areas. Perhaps we are not supposed to venture more than 10 or 12 miles from our homes?
ALICE E. KELLETT
Los Angeles
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PacBell adds insult to usury by refusing to make available directories outside of a customer’s area code--even though, in my case, many of the 213/323 and 310 numbers aren’t even “long distance” calls to me. I offered to pick up the books for outside my 818 area but was told they were available to me only by PacBell delivery--at a $28-plus charge for the two books.
ELSA RAVEN
North Hollywood
