Even Phone Directories Need Directory Assistance

Phone directories are not created equal. This became evident  recently.

I had a phone book. I used it often. White pages, yellow pages. One white page tore and fell out. I tried to retape it. My surgical skills weren’t up to par. That page was never the same.

So, when the postman delivered directories for the New Year, I rejoiced. I grabbed my new phone book, said a proper goodbye to my old one, and moved on.

Until weeks later, when I attempted to call the library. I used the number in my new phone book. I got a recording saying that number had been disconnected. It was, I realized, the number from twenty years ago. Similar things happened when I tried calling the stationery store and other businesses. By that time, my beloved phone book was long gone. Even a long distance call couldn’t have reached it.

I wondered why my new book contained outdated numbers.  I called the phone book company. To my surprise, it had no relation to my phone company. It was merely a company that aggregated phone number listings sent to it. Aggregated, and in the process, aggravated. When I complained, the customer service rep claimed that all the numbers were up to date.

After years of dealing with bad phone directories, I took action. I called my phone company. It directed me to directory assistance for directories.

With any luck, I will receive numbers I can count on. Not phonies.

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