Tuesday, March 4, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
WATCHING the audience react to singer Jerry Vale during one of two performances at the Boulder Station Railhead Saloon was a delight. The silver-haired singer thrilled the partisan crowd that had come to hear and adore him. He sang the songs they had come to hear, and he told the innocent jokes that always make audiences laugh. The kind of jokes they could go home and tell the kids, if they could only remember the punch lines.
Jerry was in great voice, relaxed and happy. He connected with the audience with each song. They responded with generous applause, and at the end of the show stood up and cheered his return. So did we.
Sitting with his wife, Rita, daughter Pamela and longtime friends Pat and Sam Lionel and Yvonne Franchi was a reminder of those halcyon days when the Vales made their home in Las Vegas. We'd gather regularly for family-style dinners where Rita would cook the homey, delicious Italian dishes taught her by Jerry's mother. Other entertainers would come by, too. There was a never-ending exchange of barbed humor. Most of it was directed at the comedians who always showed up in time for dinner. There were plenty of laughs and good food.
After the show, we watched the line of fans waiting patiently for Jerry to make an appearance. Some had brought pictures taken with him at performances in other cities. Some were taken many years ago. He chatted with each person, gave autographs and signed the photos with the good grace that has always made him a favorite with his fans.
Later, we talked about the durability of the entertainers who had appeared here in years past. Like Jerry, they're still in demand and once again playing Vegas, and the fans are loving it. The audiences may be older and the venues smaller, but that's all that's changed.
Both performances at Boulder Station were sold out as soon as advertised -- a sure bet that the Vales will be spending more time in Las Vegas.
Sprint service
For some months I've needed a new phone, so when a Sprint/Central Telephone-Nevada promotion in the SUN offered just what I wanted, with just a phone call, I bought one.
The service person who took my order was friendly and helpful. Except for having to pick up the phone I was completely satisfied. I was getting the phone I wanted without running all over town to find it, and I could, if I wished, have the payments added to my phone bill over an extended time, interest-free.
My problems began when the representative failed to tell me the phone could be sent; there was no need to pick it up. It took a week before I could get to the office on Valley View Boulevard, just a short distance from the SUN. The lines were long, my time and patience limited, so I left.
The next day I tried again. The line at the service desk snaked almost out the door, so I tried the retail counter where the phones are displayed and sold. There were two reps waiting on customers and two of us waiting. The odds looked good, finally, I would get the phone. Twenty-five minutes later, I was not so sure and not so happy.
After the long wait, I was no closer to getting my phone and no one had offered a kind word or any encouragement for me to wait.
As much as I wanted the phone, I decided to cancel the order. There's little enough service these days. A kind word goes a long way. I'd not had any in two tries. After a long wait (I timed it at 12 minutes), the person who accepted the cancellation couldn't have cared less. She never asked why I was canceling, nor did she offer any assistance. In seconds it was done, but I wasn't. After wasting precious time, I still didn't have the phone I needed.
There aren't too many familiar faces in the executive suites at Sprint these days. When Centel became part of a huge conglomerate, many of us mourned the loss of the personalized service that had always been so much a part of the company.
When I moved to Las Vegas in the '50s, there were no dial phones. A friendly operator asked the number and made the connection. As the town grew, the shortage of phone lines far exceeded the demand. We waited for 18 months before we could get a phone installed in our first house. Public phone booths sprung up on sidewalks. I would ride over on my bicycle to make any calls.
By the time we got a phone, the system had been updated. With the new system, we could direct dial and we had one exchange, DUDLEY. The phone directory increased to the size of the Reader's Digest.
The phone company was family-owned. In those days when everybody knew each other, if you had a complaint you called them at home.
My decision to call Dru Kopcha, public relations person for Sprint and one of the few remaining Old Guard, was merely to vent my frustration. Instead it got my phone delivered and gave me useful information that I now pass on to anyone who has experienced a similar problem.
The first thing I learned was that the phone I ordered could have been mailed. I would gladly have paid any mailing charge. It was also learned that Sprint now has 24-hour consumer service, ironically, designed to avoid the experience I had. Just barely under way, the kinks were still being ironed out when I ordered the phone.
A call to Sprint's "consumer affairs specialist" (244-7333) could also have helped. According to Lou Emmert, Sprint vice president and general manager, "this is a dedicated resource to handle escalated customer problems in a very timely and sensitive way. The department is empowered to satisfy the customer and fix their problem."
Steve McMahon, who heads Sprint in the Western states, assured me the new services are a sign the company does care about their customers. At least it's a start.
Oh yes, I'm more than happy with my new phone.
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