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August 1-15, 1996 |
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Tips, Tricks and Resources for Business Travel
Working Away From Home
53. Guest Office Rooms are available at most Westin Hotels. These include a laser printer (with
Mac and IBM cables), copier, fax machine, speakerphone, and office supplies. (800-228-3000;
$149 to $225). Marriot's "Rooms That Work" aren't as well-equipped as Westin's. They come
with mobile writing desks, PC modem jacks, and fax machines in the room but are only available at
about a dozen locations (800-228-9290).
54. Kinko's really can be your branch office. At more than 800 locations across the United States,
they offer 24-hour access to IBM and Macintosh computers, color and black-and-white printers,
scanners, videoconferencing, conference room rental, and of course photocopying. If you plan to
use their computers, allow plenty of time-they're usually occupied by students and other business
travelers in your predicament (800-2-KINKOS).
55. If you don't have a portable printer (or if yours is broken), use your modem to send the
document as a fax to the hotel front desk. For letter-quality printing, copy your document onto a
floppy disk and ask if you can use a hotel computer and laser printer.
Modem Notes
56. Some hotels have digital switchboards, which prevent your modem from auto-dialing your
online service. If this is the case, create an online setup file with no phone number, manually dial the
access number, and when you hear the tone, hit the connect button. It may take a few tries to get it
right.
57. If you need to press 9 or 8 to dial out of your hotel room, remember to change the dialing
prefix in your login-setup string.
58. Ask for a phone with a dataport to avoid crawling around behind the bed to hook up your
modem. Some hotels also offer in-room fax machines.
59. If your hotel or your client uses a digital phone system and you need to log on or send a fax,
ask if there's a separate number for a fax machine. Chances are the fax runs on a regular phone
line. Assure them that you'll be dialing a toll-free number.
60. If the hotel phones keep losing your modem connection, try going into your communications
software and reducing the baud rate to 2,400 or 1,200.
More Fun With Phones
61. Before you make a call from your hotel room, read the rate card. Hotels are notorious for
tacking on fees for local and even toll-free numbers. Using the pay phone in the lobby, even with a
calling card, is likely to save you money.
62. Use your calling card for long-distance calls from your hotel room. One of the least expensive
cards comes from LDDS WorldCom (800-264-1000; 25 cents per minute). Even if the hotel
charges for toll-free access, you'll probably save money.
63. When the hotel charges for toll-free calls, and you're using your phone card, press the # key
between calls and then just make your next call (usually by punching zero and then the number).
This will reduce access number surcharges and save you from repunching 24 keys (the access
number plus your calling card number).
64. When you use a phone card to call from a pay phone or hotel phone, always dial the toll-free
number (printed on the card). I once got slammed with an $8 charge for a one-minute call from an
"alternate-operator service" (AT&T, 800-225-5288; MCI, 800-674- 7000; Sprint,
800-877-8000; LDDS, 800-741-9000).
65. Prepaid calling cards can be expensive, but if you lose them, you lose only your initial
investment. Price carefully. A card that offers 20 minutes for $10 is no bargain. Look for at least 40
minutes per $10. Try your local wholesale club such as BJ's Wholesale Club (800- 874-0952; 25
cents per minute).
66. Use toll-free information to find the toll-free numbers you need (800-555-1212 or
888-555-1212). It's free!
67. If you're in trouble and 911 doesn't work on your cell phone, dial *SP (*77) for the State
Police.
68. In many cell phone areas, you don't need to dial 1 or 0 before punching in the area
code and phone number for a long-distance call. If your first call doesn't go through, try it with (or
without, as the case may be) the 1 or 0 prefix.
69. When you arrive in a new city, call yourself to make sure your cellular service works.
Staying Safe And Sound
70. Guard your phone card number. The person at the next phone may be watching. Look left,
right, and up. Criminals have used videocameras or binoculars from upper levels to read numbers.
Cup your hand over the keypad or use a magnetic card swipe.
71. If you lose your wallet, cancel your credit cards and phone cards immediately. Call
800-336-8472 for Visa, 800-528-4800 for American Express, or your issuing bank for
MasterCard. For an AT&T calling card, call 800-222-0400; for MCI, call 800-444-3333; and
for Sprint, call 800-877-4646. With the proper identification information, you may be able to
receive a new credit card almost immediately.
72. At hotels, secure laptops to the furniture. Put luggage away. Don't leave money or valuables
lying around. Use the hotel safe.
73. Keep the Do Not Disturb sign on the door at all times, and set the radio to a talk station when
you're out.
74. If you must carry proprietary information, encrypt it, or set levels of password
protection (but make sure these work before you leave home).
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