|
Telephone
Ordering telephone service
In some cities there is more than one local company which provides telephone service. You can ask fellow students about the service they have, or look at the first pages of a telephone book for a section which may be called "Telephone Services."
When you call, ask which telephone plan is the most economical. Some telephone companies charge for each local call made, and there may be a "package" of services that you can order which saves money.
Some of the services that might be included in a "package" may include a certain number of "free" local calls, telephone credit card, "call waiting" (a beep tone telling you that you have another call coming in while you're on the line), "call forwarding" (sends the call to another telephone number if you're away), "caller ID" (shows you who is calling before you answer the phone, "three-way calling" (allows you to talk to two other people at once), and other services. Each of these special features adds to the monthly cost of your telephone service.
Choosing a long distance carrier
You will need to choose which company you wish to carry your long distance calls. These companies will be listed in the telephone book's Yellow Page section under "Telephone Companies." The long didtance rates of different companies may vary greatly, so it pays to "shop" and choose one which gives you the best rates to places you'll phone often, such as your home country or friends in another state.
Often long distance companies have reduced rates on calls made during the evening hours, or on weekends, so ask them about this when choosing a company.
Purchasing a telephone receiver
The telephone company will give you a date when you can expect the service to be connected. Before this date, you will need to purchase your own telephone receiver at a store and plug it into the telephone jack in your room or apartment. You may buy and install as many telephone receivers as you wish, there is no extra charge from the telephone company for more than one telephone. Many stores sell telephones in their electronics section.
Paying a deposit
Usually you will need to pay a deposit for telephone service, which the telephone company will return to you at the end of your service, or after a certain length of time if you pay all your bills on time. There is often a hook-up fee as well, so be sure to ask about these charges.
If you do not pay your bill, the telephone will disconect your telephone service until you pay, and you'll be required to pay an additional fee to have it hooked up again.
The telephone book
The telephone book you will receive has a lot of helpful information in the first pages, such as emergency numbers, information about your telephone service, country codes to make international calls, area codes for the USA, perhaps even maps of your city, places to eat, entertainment - it contains many helpful pages.
The Yellow Pages contain information about businesses, arranged by topic, and some phone books have additional sections listing various government offices.
You can find a person's telephone number and street address in the "White Pages" part of your local phone book under their last name.
Directory Assistance
For people not in your book, you may call directory assistance by dialing 411 or 1411. For people not in your area, you can call information by dialing "1" then the area code of where the person lives, then 555-1212.
A directory assistance operator will answer, asking you what city you need a number for, then the name of the person or organization. You may ask for two numbers at a time. There is a charge for directory assistance.
You can find campus staff, faculty, academic departments and fellow student's phone numbers through a campus student directory (often sold at the campus bookstore), or sometimes through the campus web site. There are also web sites for people and telephone numbers.
Making calls
Telephone numbers in the USA have a three digit "area code" which you'll need to dial for long distance calls (after dialing a "1"). If your call is local, usually you only need to dial the last seven digits.
Toll-free numbers
800 or 888 area codes are free calls, the telephone company will not charge you. Usually these toll-free numbers are provided by companies for customers to call and place orders for products or services.
International calling
International calls begin with "011" followed by the country code and city code. These codes can usually be found in the first pages of your telephone book. Often a chart will also be included to show the time difference to the place you're calling.
Operator assistance
If you need operator assistance to make a long distance call, dial "OPER" or "0" (Zero), then the three digit area code followed by the seven digit number. Or you can wait for the operator to answer after dialing "0". The operator will ask you what type of call you're making. Please note that there are extra charges for this service, unless you are blind and the telephone company waives the fee.
Types of service for a call
• Person-to-Person - The operator will ask you the name of the person you wish to speak to, and you will only be connected to speak with that person, even if the operator has to try several different numbers. You will not be charged unless that person comes on the line. This is an expensive service.
• Collect - The operator will ask the person you're calling to pay the cost of the call. The charge for this service is higher than a regular call.
• Third Party - If you are calling from someone else's phone or a pay phone, you can have the cost of the call billed to your home phone number. (A better and less expensive way to do this would be to use a telephone calling card.)
Emergency
For an emergency (fire, medical, accident, crime), call 911 from any telephone and someone will assist you. There is no charge for calls to 911, and you do not need any money to call 911 from pay telephones.
The telephone book usually lists emergency numbers inside the front cover or on the first page.
Pay telephones
Most public buildings and many private establishments (restarunts, gas stations, airports) have pay-telephones which anyone may use for a charge. Usually instructions are there, but these are not always clear. To make a local call, usually you need to deposit 25 to 35 cents. (Pay phones do not take pennies.) Lift the receiver, listen for the tone, then insert the indicated amount (if you insert too little, a voice will tell you the correct amount), then dial the number.
To make a long-distance call, first try dialing the number. You will get a message telling you how much money to deposit to complete the call. You may have to deposit money first.
Pay telephones do not give any change, so be prepared with enough change to make your call. If no one answers or if the number you're calling is engaged (busy), your money will be returned.
You do not need to deposit any coins to call the operator or to call "911" for an emergency.
You can also make credit card calls from pay phones. The credit card will have calling instructions.
Doing Laundry
Where can I do my laundry?
Most dormitories and apartment complexes provide coin-operated laundry facilities where you can wash and dry your clothes. If not, look under “Laundries—Self Service” in your telephone book’s yellow pages for the coin-operated laundry nearest to you.
To save money, you may want to purchase your laundry supplies (detergent, bleach, fabric softener, and so forth) at a grocery or discount store rather than at the laundry facility, where they are more expensive.
Where can I get my suits, coats, and sweaters cleaned?
Professional dry cleaners will clean and press your clothes overnight or within a few days. Some laundries have self-service dry-cleaning machines, which are cheaper, but you will get better quality from a professional dry cleaner. (For a listing of professional dry cleaners, look under “Cleaners” in the yellow pages.)
|
