I see, cental. I am unaware of Sprint Relay's contact with Georgia. I just checked Georgia PSC and FCC's websites - AT&T is still listed as our TRS provider. Could it be Alabama TRS that you were thinking of that made the recent switch to Sprint Relay? Sprint does have its Southern (or Southeastern) region headquarters here.cental34 said:
MCI's relay business will no longer be an "American company"
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apathrev
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I know Sprint has a pretty big call center down there. For some reason, I thought they had the state contract. Nevermind. I must be thinking of something else.
Dennis S.
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According to Sprint, they have no relay centers in Mississippi or Georgia. They recently opened a relay center in Jacksonville, Florida.
http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-031005a.shtml
Someone told me that CSD runs the Sprint relay centers. Here's a list of the centers. Look at the job openings for Relay.
http://www.c-s-d.org/default.aspx?tabid=33
Sprint customer service (1-800-676-3777) told me to contact Matt Gwynn, Manager for Sprint (1-800-377-1180 TTY, 1-913-345-7787 videophone) if there were any further questions. He was out of the office when I called today.
http://www.hearingexchange.com/articles/henews-031005a.shtml
Someone told me that CSD runs the Sprint relay centers. Here's a list of the centers. Look at the job openings for Relay.
http://www.c-s-d.org/default.aspx?tabid=33
Sprint customer service (1-800-676-3777) told me to contact Matt Gwynn, Manager for Sprint (1-800-377-1180 TTY, 1-913-345-7787 videophone) if there were any further questions. He was out of the office when I called today.
Sorenson Communications just opened a call center in the Buckhead section of Atlanta about a year ago. I have not tried any VRS service out there.cental34 said:
Actually Mississippi TRS is provided by Sprint Relay since July 2002. Check http://www.mississippirelay.com .Dennis said:
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cental34 said:
SprintVRS and CSDVRS share the same account data for our 5-digit extension number for hearing callers and VRS-Mail.
So, maybe "some" are TTY calling centers, but it appears "all" VRS services may be contracted from Sprint to CSD.
Steve
Dennis S.
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Whoa, looks like some people have some total confusion here.
1) Mississippi Relay: Run by Sprint, YES. There are no centers IN Mississippi. Sprint has the best technology in that it allows them to have a lot of centers in many states, but they don't have to have a center in-state to do relay. Arkansas is run by Sprint but no relay center is in there. In fact, Sprint has 30 contracts but only 14 centers, according to this press release: http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2005/06/sprint_relaysm.html
2) VRS and TTY relay -- they are two different things. CSD boasts that they "... currently manages over 20 call centers in the U.S. CSD offers telecommunications relay services (TRS), video relay services (VRS) ..."
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Mar/1129774.htm
Sprint boasts 14 centers. From the CSD job site, it appears that CSD only runs (counts) 10 of those centers.
http://www.c-s-d.org/Default.aspx?tabid=33
CSD also has an annual report that lists relay centers separately from their human services and VRS centers:
http://www.c-s-d.org/pdfs/annualreport2004.pdf
That means that there are more than 10 separate VRS centers for CSD.
Interestingly enough, I then checked Hamilton and other relay services and their centers. I can't find anything about them. Help? CSD and Sprint were so easy to find out about.
1) Mississippi Relay: Run by Sprint, YES. There are no centers IN Mississippi. Sprint has the best technology in that it allows them to have a lot of centers in many states, but they don't have to have a center in-state to do relay. Arkansas is run by Sprint but no relay center is in there. In fact, Sprint has 30 contracts but only 14 centers, according to this press release: http://www.deaftoday.com/v3/archives/2005/06/sprint_relaysm.html
2) VRS and TTY relay -- they are two different things. CSD boasts that they "... currently manages over 20 call centers in the U.S. CSD offers telecommunications relay services (TRS), video relay services (VRS) ..."
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Mar/1129774.htm
Sprint boasts 14 centers. From the CSD job site, it appears that CSD only runs (counts) 10 of those centers.
http://www.c-s-d.org/Default.aspx?tabid=33
CSD also has an annual report that lists relay centers separately from their human services and VRS centers:
http://www.c-s-d.org/pdfs/annualreport2004.pdf
That means that there are more than 10 separate VRS centers for CSD.
Interestingly enough, I then checked Hamilton and other relay services and their centers. I can't find anything about them. Help? CSD and Sprint were so easy to find out about.
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apathrev
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See, I haven't been able to find this information anywhere. Except, I do remember reading somewhere that MS does have a call center. But as far as trying to find out call center locations for AT&T, Sprint, Hamilton, and even MCI, has been difficult for me. If you can find the location for AT&T's Atlanta call center, please let me know. I have no idea where to check besides the FCC site.
I see. If Sprint Relay wins contract with Tennessee TRS, it would make sense to have the call center in Southaven/DeSoto, MS., serving the customers in Tennessee and Mississippi. I think this would be good news for Memphis-based Relay Operators – they won’t have to worry about moving elsewhere, or losing their job.Dennis said:
Yeah, it is pretty difficult to find information what you are looking for. I tried to find info at att.com.cental34 said:
From what I can remember was that Georgia TRS’ call center was located in Norcross just outside Atlanta. But I have received e-newsletters in the past that Georgia TRS was located in Augusta, Georgia – about three hours from downtown Atlanta. No address of the location was provided.
I even did a search on Michael Lozynsky, he was employed by AT&T-Georgia TRS before going off to MCI-Tennessee TRS. Nothing, other than MCI came up.
With Atlanta being one of AT&T’s very important market, AT&T Relay probably still has a call center – in Norcross or elsewhere in the Atlanta suburbs.
I have at least three links you might find interesting:
Georgia Public Service Commission (contact Ken Ellison for any info you need - his contact info is listed in there.)
Georgia Relay
AT&T Relay Services
I see. I have sent an E-mail to the AT&T Customer Service division asking for any direct info on AT&T Relay like the ones available at the Sprint/C-S-D sites. But the lady (Jenny) sent me these websites that are readily available at the att.com site. 
I will try to attend the meeting in downtown ATL. for the discussion on Georgia TRS in August. Maybe I can ask them some questions that aren't available or hard-to-find on the Internet.
I will try to attend the meeting in downtown ATL. for the discussion on Georgia TRS in August. Maybe I can ask them some questions that aren't available or hard-to-find on the Internet.
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Brian said:I see. I have sent an E-mail to the AT&T Customer Service division asking for any direct info on AT&T Relay like the ones available at the Sprint/C-S-D sites. But the lady (Jenny) sent me these websites that are readily available at the att.com site.
I will try to attend the meeting in downtown ATL. for the discussion on Georgia TRS in August. Maybe I can ask them some questions that aren't available or hard-to-find on the Internet.
They can't even give us a specific web page to direct us to? At least Sprint serbice admitted that they didn't have it but could direct us to someone who did.
I wanna post this before I go out-of-state shortly.cental34 said:
I just found the street address for AT&T-Georgia TRS Call Center in Norcross, Ga through this FCC site - probably outdated information. But I found two phone numbers for AT&T and at&t.com at 5856 Buford Hwy (Norcross). You can go to AT&T's AnyWho.com site, type the local numbers in, you will see it listed as AT&T Communications and at&t.com.
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apathrev
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I'm not sure what address exactly they are listing. If you look on TN's section, it list an address in Brentwood, TN, but the MCI call center is located in Memphis, TN.
Yeah, that Brentwood location was once home to AT&T-Tennessee TRS Call Center for about ten years until MCI got the state contract.
I just looked up for AT&T locations in Williamson County (Brentwood/Franklin) - the only one I found in that county is in Franklin and two in Nashville-Davidson.
I just looked up for AT&T locations in Williamson County (Brentwood/Franklin) - the only one I found in that county is in Franklin and two in Nashville-Davidson.
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apathrev
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Argh! Where do you find this at?! 
I'm really anxious to find out some information about AT&T's call center in Georgia now. I'm looking to move to Atlanta fairly soon, and I'd love to keep doing what I am doing now.
I'm really anxious to find out some information about AT&T's call center in Georgia now. I'm looking to move to Atlanta fairly soon, and I'd love to keep doing what I am doing now.
cental34 said:Argh! Where do you find this at?!
I'm really anxious to find out some information about AT&T's call center in Georgia now. I'm looking to move to Atlanta fairly soon, and I'd love to keep doing what I am doing now.
I think I may have misunderstood your question on where I found this. If you're asking how I knew about the one in Brentwood - I have known about this for years while I was still living in Tennessee. They sent me info and newsletters sometimes in the past. I knew most of the CA's by their ID numbers (7001 - 7100). I still could recognise some of them even if their ID numbers were changed. I don't do this anymore.Brian said:
Rumors...
Although it's easy for many "crackheads" off the street to work at MCI's relay center, many of the people working there are mothers, fathers, students, and people who need their pay to get by. No one's being told anything. Everyone has been in the dark.
The decision to sell MCI to VCustomer was sprung on the RO's overnight and they were ASSURED it wasn't outsourcing, even though it really is. The big question is where the TNRS contract is going considering I thought you couldn't outsource government contracts. The TRS contract *HAS* to stay in TN, plain and simple. And now the newest rumor is that the VCustomer buy out has fallen through because of it.
I talked to Sprint today and they do NOT have centers in TN or MS and have not announced any kind of merger or buy-out of MCI.
I don't know where anyone could say outsourcing is a great idea. Outsourcing takes jobs away from the people in our own country and gives them to people in other counties for a fraction of their pay. Outsourcing is a way for companies to earn more money, that's it. They don't care about spreading deaf culture overseas, they care about lining their pockets with more money -- period.
Many RO's put up with horrible schedules and pay at MCI. There are a LOT of unfair practices and many people are getting the rug pulled out from under them as we speak. Yes, I realize that many people aren't wild about MCI, but I know many RO's that CARE about deaf culture and what they do. If you don't like MCI don't blame the RO's. Most of them hate their policies and procedures as much as you do.
Although it's easy for many "crackheads" off the street to work at MCI's relay center, many of the people working there are mothers, fathers, students, and people who need their pay to get by. No one's being told anything. Everyone has been in the dark.
The decision to sell MCI to VCustomer was sprung on the RO's overnight and they were ASSURED it wasn't outsourcing, even though it really is. The big question is where the TNRS contract is going considering I thought you couldn't outsource government contracts. The TRS contract *HAS* to stay in TN, plain and simple. And now the newest rumor is that the VCustomer buy out has fallen through because of it.
I talked to Sprint today and they do NOT have centers in TN or MS and have not announced any kind of merger or buy-out of MCI.
I don't know where anyone could say outsourcing is a great idea. Outsourcing takes jobs away from the people in our own country and gives them to people in other counties for a fraction of their pay. Outsourcing is a way for companies to earn more money, that's it. They don't care about spreading deaf culture overseas, they care about lining their pockets with more money -- period.
Many RO's put up with horrible schedules and pay at MCI. There are a LOT of unfair practices and many people are getting the rug pulled out from under them as we speak. Yes, I realize that many people aren't wild about MCI, but I know many RO's that CARE about deaf culture and what they do. If you don't like MCI don't blame the RO's. Most of them hate their policies and procedures as much as you do.