[BC] Cell Phone Number Questions

[tpt at literock93r.com]

Another reason it is handy to have a "local" cell  phone is the  
reluctance of many businesses to return calls to long distance  
numbers. If your cell phone number is from an exchange that is out of  
your local dialing area, you may have problems getting your telephone  
calls returned. My station is in WV, on the border with Ohio, while I  
live in Ohio.

The radio station is a local call from most parts of our nearest city  
(Parkersburg); leave that number if you call a business and they will  
return your call. It's long distance from the nearest city in  
Ohio--Marietta,--but they recognize the radio station's exchange as  
"local" or at least nearby, and will call back, even though it is a  
long distance call. Perhaps because many people in our town cross the  
border to trade in Marietta--it's closer; so they adjust to returning  
long distance calls to our town.

If I would leave either my old number in Athens, or the cell phone  
number (also an Athens exchange), as the call back number, I wouldn't  
get a call back.  It's LONG DISTANCE, we can't call LONG DISTANCE!

Seems to be more of a problem with folks with a fixed office--doctors,  
stores, etc. Also if the person returning the call is a  
secretary/receptionist/clerk type person. Service folks who are out on  
the road --and who do most of their business over the cell now,  
usually return calls when they get the chance, to whatever number you  
give them.

Interesting phenomenon.  Will probably go away gradually as more and  
more people rely on cell phones rather than land lines as their main  
phone.