Goodbye 344, Hello 369

At Columbia, we really take our “create… change” slogan to heart. So, changing our telephone exchange this summer won’t even cause us to break a sweat. (Well, maybe just a little bit.)

If your number today is 344-1234, it will become 369-1234, effective immediately. (However, the good news is that 344- will continue to work for the next several months. So, you still have some time to tell friends and business associates about the change.)

Why are we making the change? How do I tell my friends and business associates? Should I discard existing printed materials? Here are answers to these and other questions you may have. Submit other questions to news@colum.edu and find answers in biweekly editions of columbiaONLINE.

What about alerting my vendors to the change, especially the change in fax numbers?
Sure, it’s probably a good idea to let them know the next time you speak to them. But in July, the college’s Purchasing Office will distribute a 369- postcard to the college’s list of your most recent vendors. You can also order the 369- postcards from Creative & Print Services to distribute to your own personal set of contacts.

Should I order new business cards or other printed materials immediately?
Continue using existing stocks of these materials. For economic and environmental reasons, avoid throwing away materials wherever possible. But, as you place new orders for printed items, start using the 369- exchange. You have about six months to reduce existing stocks of business papers. After that, callers will simply be notified that the 344- number they called has been disconnected. You won't need to order new letterhead (preprinted with the existing switchboard number) until July of next year.

Will the college’s switchboard number change, as well?
Yes. The new number is 312-369-1000. The 312-663-1600 number will be continued for the next 12 months. So, you have about 12 months to deplete your stock of existing letterhead. New letterhead you order will include the 369- number.

What about discarding promotional brochures or other printed materials?
Balance the need to be frugal and environmentally conscious with the need to be successful in the marketplace. Discard materials if you must. Creative and Printing Services will supply paste-on labels that can be used to update numbers on existing brochures, but affixing labels may be too labor-intensive for mass-distributed materials.

What about the website and the college’s online telephone directory?
Go ahead and make the 369- changes on your own or your departmental websites. The Office of Web Services will make the changes to the online directory.

What about my e-pay files? Should I make updates there?
Yes. Especially if you have your office number included as a contact number for our Emergency Notification System.

So, why make the switch?
We simply ran out of numbers in the 344- exchange. We’re a victim of our own success. Columbia’s 3,000 numbers in the 344- exchange just weren’t enough anymore!

Why make the change so soon?
The phone company wants the 344- numbers returned, and there’s no real advantage to delaying the switchover. Today, both exchanges connect callers to Columbia: When your friends or business contacts dial 369- or 344-, the calls go directly to your phone.

How will callers learn about the change?
After September 30, when people call the 344- exchange, they’ll get a recorded courtesy message informing them about the switch and inviting them to alter the number in their records. Callers will have to redial the 369- number to be connected. The courtesy message will continue to be delivered to 344- callers until December 31, 2008. After that, callers will be told the number they have dialed has been disconnected. No courtesy message will be delivered.