Telephone Courtesy (1948)

★★★★★ · Some Things Never Change! · donwert · 2012-12-16

A Bell System film about telephone manners in a business office. Looks to have been made in the late 40s. The point is to teach how efficient, polite use of the phone by every employee improves morale and, most importantly, the customer experience. The tips and recommendations are common sense, but anyone who has called a business office and had to deal with ill-informed, rude or indifferent people on the other end will appreciate the message. In one sense, the message of this film is timeless. But when so many businesses (most) have dispensed with operators in favor of cheaper automated…

★★★★ · Cheese Goes With Apple Pie · Dodsworth the Cat · 2023-12-05

World War Two is over and apparently almost the only people office managers can find to work as switchboard operators are annoyed, inconsiderate gum-chewing women. Yes, it appears "the Greatest Generation" had people who couldn't care less about their jobs. The Burton Supply Company had that problem, too, until the manager (played by Dick Lane) got a dose of entitlement on the phone and put on a play to change it. I still have problems conceiving businesses ever answered their phone saying "Wadda you want?" but I'll take this film's word for it. Lane does a fine job here, and the actresses…

★★★★ · A lot of people named "Shirley" work there apparently,.. · Spuzz · 2012-07-01

Film about telephone courtesy that has a pretty amazing beginning (love those white x's!) and then gets a bit boring by the time the film is through. A friend of the boss comes visiting, and he's amazed at all the friendly and efficient switchboard operators he has. It wasnt always like that, before, they were rude and unorganized! Luckily, a trip to the phone company and a large meeting with all the employees (who handled their phone calls when this was happening?) solves the trick! The examples were fun, but the whole film really does run too long.