“”Learning New Ways at the Telephone Company”

Oct 14th “”Learning New Ways at the Telephone Company”

This Photo could have been put in the News Paper in the early 1960’s – since it has been a long time since, I have been a Telephone Operator!

I may have been the only person that was rehired five (5) times as I would quit, to do or try something else – and when that did not work out the way I thought it should – WELL – I gave my old Chief-Operator a call – and she would just tell me, “Come on down- ready to work!”

Don’t remember anyone ever saying that they worked at different times, even quit and came back. Guess most people would not think to ask for their old job back – after being away for a while?

So having said that, the next part of the five different times of being employed is, that you must always be brought up to date with your new environment – as each time, that I came back to the Telephone Company, I would be in a newer and or different stage of the business of communicating callers to other callers – as the system is always updating with newer and more modern ways, to have people connected, via the telephone.

Each time you come back, you are set up with a new Instructor to the newer system, and that could last for a couple of weeks. You work the same hours – will take same breaks and Lunch together. On one of those days you will be treated to a free Lunch and a Chief Operator or assistant will come along and that Lunch will be just a little longer, as I believe, they want to see you on a different time frame – to see what you are really like?

Mrs. Rose Henneberry, you see in the above PHOTO, was one of my Instructors, on one of my returns to work. She became a real good friend – as that was the same summer that my husband, Lee needed a serious operation and was in the hospital for a couple of months. To make me feel good, she wrote some of her silly stories and sent them to the hospital and had so much enthusiasm in all that she did, that we kept in touch even later on.

Nothing like making new friends at the different times, that I worked for the Telephone Company and even in the keeping in touch after I had left. Telephone Operators like to talk – as they are doing it all day – and with that talking – they are making FRIENDS – as there is a smile, that comes across those telephone lines – to make everyone feel good and be happy! D.V.