Place a Collect Call
What happens when you are desperate to make a phone call and are out of phone minutes? What do you do when you are phoneless, out-on-the-town, and need to get hold of a friend, neighbor, lover, etc? You make a collect call - that's what you do. These instructions are if you are using a payphone, though similar instructions apply to other phones.
Steps
- Take the phone off the hook and put up to your ear.
- Press "0".
- Wait for an answer.
- If a real person answers, say politely "I'd like to place a collect call to BLANK (eg. Texas, America, Australia), please", then give them the number and your name.
- You may find yourself listening to a recording, saying "if you'd like to place a call, press 1, if you'd like directory assistance, press 2", etc. Press the appropriate number and continue with the instructions.
Tips
- Don't call collect to just say 'hey' - have a reason.
- There may be instructions on the pay phone - if so, use them!
- Be sure your friend is OK with you calling collect - remember, they will have to pay the bill.
- Only call collect if you need to - it's not fair to call collect when you have spare change.
Warnings
- Your friend may get mad if he/she is broke and you place a collect call to them.
- Some people use collect calls to steal your identity - be careful.
Things You'll Need
- Access to a telephone
- No spare change
- A phone number to call
Related Articles
- Make a Phone Call
- End a Phone Call With a Talkative Person
- Make a Three Way Phone Call
- Decide Whether to Ignore a Phone Call
