3-way calling -- any thoughts?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

I've been using this feature since I started with Verizon around 4 years
ago. It's always worked well, and I've used it for quite a few purposes.

The typical way I invoke it is to dial person one, then press the green send
button, This also yields another dial tone. Dial person 2, press send twice
to complete calling person 2, and join the 3 persons.

I tried tonight from home, and it didn't work. Called CS for help, they
confirmed I have the account feature, but told me I'm doing it wrong (their
website shows the way they told me over the phone).

They say dial person 1 (send), then dial person 2, then press send twice to
place and join the calls.

When I try this, person 1 and I here the dialing digits, but nothing
happens. It simply does not dial person 2. Further, usenet posts spanning
years show the way I was doing it either is correct, or has been correct in
the past. i.e. maybe they changed it.

Anyway, CS hasn't been much help on this one. They've been polite and
friendly but I'm not sure they know what I'm talking about, and I suspect
few people use this feature.

-Dan

PS: One Cool way to use 3-way:
- Dial your home cordless phone, mute the cell, dial the person you want to
call, and join the calls. This gives you landline quality using cellular
minutes. Be careful, 3-way uses double-the-minutes, but I don't mind using
them off-peak. This call actually does not use your cell at all. Callers 2
and 3 are connected via Verizon's network, and neither is necessarily a
cellular phone. It actually works well in my experience.





--
Eugene, Oregon -- Pacific Northwest
http://cell.uoregon.edu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Dan Albrich wrote:
> Anyway, CS hasn't been much help on this one. They've been polite and
> friendly but I'm not sure they know what I'm talking about, and I suspect
> few people use this feature.

It's

--dial call 1, press send, start talking to party 1
--press send again
--dial call 2, press send, start talking to party 2
--press send to connect both parties

so... whoever told you otherwise wasn't being very accurate

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

>The typical way I invoke it is to dial person
> one, then press the green send button, This
> also yields another dial tone. Dial person 2,
> press send twice to complete calling person
> 2, and join the 3 persons.

>. . . Called CS for help . . . They say dial
> person 1 (send), then dial person 2, then
> press send twice to place and join the calls.

Both ways work while on Verizon's network. The second way may not work
when on Extended Network or roaming.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

i dial person 1 then while they are on the line i dial the number then hit
send then once it rings i hit send again... i am in the northeast region

brian

"Cinder Lane" <Cinderlane@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:530-416227A0-103@storefull-3134.bay.webtv.net...
> >The typical way I invoke it is to dial person
>> one, then press the green send button, This
>> also yields another dial tone. Dial person 2,
>> press send twice to complete calling person
>> 2, and join the 3 persons.
>
>>. . . Called CS for help . . . They say dial
>> person 1 (send), then dial person 2, then
>> press send twice to place and join the calls.
>
> Both ways work while on Verizon's network. The second way may not work
> when on Extended Network or roaming.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

To me your description of your old way and of the way verizon said to
do it match.

Dan Albrich wrote:
> I've been using this feature since I started with Verizon around 4 years
> ago. It's always worked well, and I've used it for quite a few purposes.
>
> The typical way I invoke it is to dial person one, then press the green send
> button, This also yields another dial tone. Dial person 2, press send twice
> to complete calling person 2, and join the 3 persons.
>
> I tried tonight from home, and it didn't work. Called CS for help, they
> confirmed I have the account feature, but told me I'm doing it wrong (their
> website shows the way they told me over the phone).
>
> They say dial person 1 (send), then dial person 2, then press send twice to
> place and join the calls.
>
> When I try this, person 1 and I here the dialing digits, but nothing
> happens. It simply does not dial person 2. Further, usenet posts spanning
> years show the way I was doing it either is correct, or has been correct in
> the past. i.e. maybe they changed it.
>
> Anyway, CS hasn't been much help on this one. They've been polite and
> friendly but I'm not sure they know what I'm talking about, and I suspect
> few people use this feature.
>
> -Dan
>
> PS: One Cool way to use 3-way:
> - Dial your home cordless phone, mute the cell, dial the person you want to
> call, and join the calls. This gives you landline quality using cellular
> minutes. Be careful, 3-way uses double-the-minutes, but I don't mind using
> them off-peak. This call actually does not use your cell at all. Callers 2
> and 3 are connected via Verizon's network, and neither is necessarily a
> cellular phone. It actually works well in my experience.
>
>
>
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Jerome Zelinske <jeromez1@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<GMu8d.3164$UP1.1887@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> > happens. It simply does not dial person 2. Further, usenet posts spanning
> > years show the way I was doing it either is correct, or has been correct in
> > the past. i.e. maybe they changed it.


It works the way you described here in the Tn market with vzw--I also
have a sprint line and it's a bit more tricky---with sprint the 2nd
party must answer prior to pressing the send the 2nd time--with vzw,
you can press it as soon as the 2nd line begins to ring (maybe
before?)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

First off thanks for all the responses.

I did solve this mystery, and it's not good news. I called Verizon customer
service tonight and got someone really good who knew exactly what I was
talking about. She confirmed that a recent upgrade to our switch changed
the 3-way calling behavior from what I was used to for more than 4 years, to
what is now posted on the Verizon website.

Here's how it works now, and I/we cannot change it:
1) Dial person #1 (send) (connect and start talking).
2) Dial person #2 (send) --- note both you and caller #1 here really loud
digit-tones. (ouch!)
3) You *must* wait for person #2 to answer before pressing (send) again to
join all callers.

This is all new in Oregon, due to an "upgrade" in the firmware of our
Motorola switch. This change cannot be undone, and it's now the officially
supported method of 3-way calling for my market.

-Dan

PS and FYI: Here's how it used to work.
1) Dial person #1 (send) (connect and start talking)
2) Press (send), hear the dial-tone, dial person #2, press (send) to
complete the call. Press (send) again to
join all persons.

Key advantages about the old system:
1) Person #1 and I do not hear very loud and annoying tones of the dialing
sequence for person #2 which we now do. This echo-tone was not present for
me to hear, nor was it present for person #1 who only heard silence as I
completed the call to person #2. They were effectively put on hold.
2) I now must wait until person #2 *answers* before I can press send to
join the calls. Under the old system I could simply press send twice
rapidly, and both person #1 and I could hear the ringing for person #2 and
infact could leave voice mail together for #2 if they did not answer.

This is a feature I use frequently, so I'm really sad to lose the "old
system." It sounds like my Verizon market now works like Sprint. This is
one of those things few people care about so I doubt it will be in any way
addressed.

I'm one of those odd folks who uses literally every function of every device
I have, so I do get effected when they remove functionality, even though it
effects very few people.

Incidentally, this "broken" method of 3-way calling is what I experienced on
AT&T and T-Mobile prior to Verizon so I am familiar with it even though I
don't like it. I was hoping this meant we had upgraded to a Lucent switch
which has this bad behavior, but other good behaviors (like adjusting
ring-back time) yet unfortunately, we still have a motorola switch.

--
Eugene, Oregon -- Pacific Northwest
http://cell.uoregon.edu

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

On Tue, 5 Oct 2004 20:43:31 -0700, "Dan Albrich"
<junkmail@shaney.uoregon.edui> chose to add this to the great equation of
life, the universe, and everything:

>2) I now must wait until person #2 *answers* before I can press send to
>join the calls. Under the old system I could simply press send twice
>rapidly, and both person #1 and I could hear the ringing for person #2 and
>infact could leave voice mail together for #2 if they did not answer.

Can you (now) bring in person #1 once #2's voice mail kicks in?

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[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

> Can you (now) bring in person #1 once #2's voice mail kicks in?

Yes, that would be logical. Person #2's phone must answer prior to
allowing a confernece call, but it need not be them in person.

The convenience lost is that the old system wasn't timing dependent.
You could simply dial #2, hit send twice immediately, and relax (no timing).

Even expert computer users sometimes miss the window of opportunity
to enter safe mode on a PC. The three way is simply more complex now.

-Dan

PS: This change may have been intentional to discourage certain types of
usage, or possibly to discourage its use altogether.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.cellular.verizon (More info?)

Dan Albrich wrote:

> This is a feature I use frequently, so I'm really sad to lose the "old
> system." It sounds like my Verizon market now works like Sprint.

For the record, I have used 3-way calling on Sprint, and it does NOT
work the "new" Verizon way. Since 96, it has always been (at least for
me and everyone else I know, anyway):

1. Dial Person #1, hit "talk" to connect with that person.
2. Hit "talk" again. Get a dial tone.
3. Dial Person #2's number. Hit Talk. #2's line starts ringing.
4. Hit "talk" one last time to bring person #1 into the call. This can
be done while #2's line is still ringing.



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