A-13067, FEB. 15, 1956
Highlights
AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY: REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER OF DECEMBER 16. IT IS EXPLAINED THAT IN OMITTING UNPAID BALANCES. TWO ALTERNATIVE BILLING PROCEDURES ARE USED. IN ONE OF WHICH THE BILLING AND BALANCING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED TWICE. A BILL IS FIRST PREPARED REFLECTING ALL AMOUNTS DUE (FOR THE TELEPHONE COMPANY RECORDS). THEN A SECOND BILL IS PREPARED REFLECTING ONLY CURRENT CHARGES (TO MEET GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS). IT IS POINTED OUT THAT IN ACCOUNTING OFFICES WHERE PUNCHED CARD EQUIPMENT IS USED TO PREPARE BILLS. IT IS REQUESTED THAT THE COMPANIES BE ALLOWED TO INCLUDE UNPAID BALANCES ON GOVERNMENT BILLS FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE. IN VIEW OF THE SIMPLIFICATIONS TO BE OBTAINED FOR YOUR OPERATIONS AND THAT ANY INADVERTENT OVERPAYMENTS WILL BE REFLECTED AS CREDIT BALANCES UNDER YOUR PROPOSED BILLING PROCEDURES.
A-13067, FEB. 15, 1956
TO MR. THEODORE BERRIER, ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, AMERICAN TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY:
REFERENCE IS MADE TO LETTER OF DECEMBER 16, 1955, REQUESTING THAT THIS OFFICE GIVE CONSIDERATION TO PERMITTING THE BELL SYSTEM TELEPHONE COMPANIES TO INCLUDE UNPAID BALANCES ON CURRENT BILLS FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE RENDERED TO ALL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
IT IS EXPLAINED THAT IN OMITTING UNPAID BALANCES, TWO ALTERNATIVE BILLING PROCEDURES ARE USED, IN ONE OF WHICH THE BILLING AND BALANCING OPERATIONS ARE PERFORMED TWICE. A BILL IS FIRST PREPARED REFLECTING ALL AMOUNTS DUE (FOR THE TELEPHONE COMPANY RECORDS), THEN A SECOND BILL IS PREPARED REFLECTING ONLY CURRENT CHARGES (TO MEET GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS). THE ALTERNATIVE PROCEDURE INVOLVES PERFORMING THE BILLING AND BALANCING OPERATIONS REFLECTING ONLY CURRENT CHARGES, WITH ANY OUTSTANDING BALANCES LATER ADDED MANUALLY, WHICH REQUIRES ANOTHER BALANCING OF ACCOUNTS.
IT IS POINTED OUT THAT IN ACCOUNTING OFFICES WHERE PUNCHED CARD EQUIPMENT IS USED TO PREPARE BILLS, THIS ADDITIONAL HANDLING BECOMES INCREASINGLY COMPLEX, AND IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH UNIFORMITY AND SIMPLICITY IN THE BILLING PROCEDURE, IT IS REQUESTED THAT THE COMPANIES BE ALLOWED TO INCLUDE UNPAID BALANCES ON GOVERNMENT BILLS FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE, TO CONFORM WITH PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE BILLING OF COMMERCIAL CONCERNS.
IN VIEW OF THE SIMPLIFICATIONS TO BE OBTAINED FOR YOUR OPERATIONS AND THAT ANY INADVERTENT OVERPAYMENTS WILL BE REFLECTED AS CREDIT BALANCES UNDER YOUR PROPOSED BILLING PROCEDURES, YOUR REQUEST HAS BEEN APPROVED, PROVIDED THAT SUCH BALANCES ARE SHOWN AS SEPARATE ITEMS.
THERE IS ENCLOSED HEREWITH CIRCULAR LETTER FROM THIS OFFICE TO THE HEADS OF ALL DEPARTMENTS RELATIVE TO THE ABOVE MATTER.