e in terms of prompt
answering. Formerly telephone service was boasted of as being
"three-second service" if most of the originating calls were answered in
three seconds. Often such prompt answering reacts to prevent prompt
disconnecting. Patient, systematic work is required to learn the real
quality of the service.

As to answering, the clearest, truest statement concerning manual
service is found by making test calls to each position, dividing them
into groups of various numbers of whole seconds each, and comparing the
percentage of these groups to the whole number of telephones to that
position. For example, assume each of the calls to a given position to
have been answered in ten seconds or less, in which

100 per cent are answered in ten seconds or less;

80 per cent in eight seconds or less;

60 per cent in six seconds or less.

It is probable that a reasonably uniform manual service will show only a
small percentage answered in three seconds or under. Such percentages
may be drawn in the form of curves, so that at a glance one may learn
efficiency in terms of prompt answering.

_Disconnecting Time._ Prompt disconnection was improved enormously by
the introduction of relay manual boards. Just before the installation of
relay boards in New York City, the average disconnecting time was over
seventeen seconds. On the completion of an entire relay equipment, the
average disconnecting time was found to be under three seconds. The
introduction of relay manual apparatus has led subscribers to a larger
traffic and to the making of calls which succeed each other very
closely. A most important rule is, _that disconnect signals shall be
given prompt attention either by the operator who made the connection,
by an operator adjacent, or by a monitor who may be assisting_; and
another, still more important one is, _that a flashing keyboard lamp
indicating a recall shall be given precedence over all originating and
all other disconnect signals_.

_Accuracy and Promptness._ Promptness and accuracy in connecting with
the called line are vital, and yet a large percentage of errors in these
elements might exist in an exchange having a very high average speed of
answering the originating call. Indeed, it seems quite the rule that
where the effort of the management is devoted toward securing and
maintaining extreme speed of original answering, all the other elements
suffer in due proportion.

_Courtesy and Form