>> If one calls the Verizon business office the charge is now
>> $5.50. However, if one were to establish an account on-line and use
>> the Internet (see, there are advantages -- at least for now -- in
>> using the Internet!), the charge to change LD carriers is only
>> $1.25. AND if you change both regional toll and LD carrier at the same
>> time the charge will be discounted an additional 50%.
> This actually makes sense. If you call the office, a human droid must
> take the info from you and enter it into some system that will make > the change.
> If you do it online, it gets done "untouched by human hands" and costs
> VZ considerably less.
Do you mean to tell me that when I had Verizon I could turn features on and off via their web interface and the switch would actually make the changes sans human contact?
That isn't the Verizon that I know. For example -- on the Business/Government side in order to get a Verizon screw up fixed takes a minimum of four people at Verizon including a VP, and account exec, one of that account execs flunkies and a switch technician.
That might be why the average cost of a line in this area is $35 a month.