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411 Directory

A 411 directory is a listing of business names, addresses, and their associated phone numbers. Similar to the white and yellow pages; these directories are used by companies providing 411 support.

411 directories used to be the same kinds of directories shipped to every house in an area… the phone book. You could call 411 and they would page through the white or yellow pages for you, looking for the person or business name you wanted.  In modern times however the 411 directory is most often an electronic database.

411 calls are information requests to the phone company. They are in the category of #11 calls that call on various public services. The most well known #11 is 911; the emergency contact number. Other services available through this system are 511 for traffic information, 711 for telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD), and 611 for phone company repair and customer service.

411 calls used to be fielded by telephone company personnel with phone books at their fingertips. The advent of the personal computer changed tactics, providing companies with a cost saving method of managing their database. So 411 directories became digital databases rather than hard copied. The operators would retrieve information from the database from their workstation. This method not only saved money, but response time improved.

Outsourcing further changed the 411 business. Now, most 411 directory assistance centers are run by sub contractors who are either employed by the phone company or in business for their own competing 411 line. While this further cut costs for phone companies, it also relaxed quality and customer service standards, which can have a negative impact on consumers.

Within the last decade, the 411 business has taken to using voice recognition software and computer automated menus. This has cut the cost of running a 411 line even further. Where previous 411 directories had to have operators available for all calls, now as few as 1 in 10 callers actually requires an operator’s assistance. Again this cut in cost comes at the expense of customer service, no matter how well programmed the computer system is, it does not provide individual customer service.

Another new development in the 411 directory industry is 411 websites. These sites advocate both traditional 411 assistance and reverse directory assistance. The 411 lookup is free on most sites, whereas the reverse 411 has a nominal fee associated with it.

The 411 website has several advantages over the 411 call. The first and most obvious advantage is that it is free, 411 calls range in cost from 50 cents to $2. The second is that from a web page the 411 website can provide direct links to a company’s website. This allows the consumer access to easy information about the company in question. It also cuts down on cases of mistaken identity, where you are given the phone number for a company that is not the one you were looking for.

However 411 directory calls can be made from a phone, and with cell phones that means they can be made from just about everywhere. You need internet access to check a 411 website. This ensures that 411 phone calls will have an economic niche well into the future.

 

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