Time Warner opts out of printed phone books

Question: We received our new phone books and were surprised to note that we were not listed, as we had been every year in the past. We did not request an unlisted number. We inquired and were informed by Time Warner Cable that they decided to opt out of the phone book, apparently to save money and to “go green.” We have been with Time Warner Cable for a number of years, but this is the first year we have not been listed in the phone book. … It appears that many people with listed numbers have been left out. … It seems to me it should be brought to the public’s attention.

Q: I was so surprised to notice that the new phone books don’t have Oceanic Time Warner subscriber names in them. … Is there any other resource for finding phone numbers?

Q: Why were so many people left out of the new phone book?

Answer: Kokua Line heard from several Oceanic Time Warner Cable Inc. residential phone customers who were dismayed that they are not listed in the latest hard-copy Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages, which is a single, combined directory of government, residential and business telephone listings (and advertising) for 2016-17.

Some assumed that it was Hawaiian Telcom’s decision to exclude a competitor’s customers, but that’s not the case. Oceanic Time Warner’s parent company, Time Warner Cable Cable Enterprises LLC, has opted out of hard-copy residential directories nationwide, a spokesman confirmed. Business customers continue to be listed.

“Beginning four years ago, we began ending the practice of providing all residential listing information for our phone customers to local directory publishers companywide. We made this change in response to clear trends in consumer behavior,” Rich Ruggiero, a TWC spokesman based in Charlotte, N.C., said via email. “Consumers increasingly choose online tools for looking up phone listings and consumers have expressed a clear frustration with rising telemarketing calls. We continue to provide our listings to online directories. And upon customer request, we provide their individual listing information to paper directory publishers.”

Ruggiero declined to say how many Hawaii customers were affected. Anyone who requests to be in next year’s phone book will be listed, he said. Contact Oceanic Time Warner directly.

In the meantime you are listed in Hawaiian Telcom’s affiliated online site, htyellow pages.com. There anyone can search for a person or business by name or telephone number. There is no search fee. Correct spelling is required, however, as is Internet service. Telephone numbers for Oceanic customers also are available by calling 411, but there’s a fee.

A note: Customers who paid their telecommunications carrier to have an unlisted number are not listed in the phone book, the online directory or 411. This is true regardless of carrier.

As the state’s incumbent local exchange carrier, Hawaiian Telcom is responsible for compiling a comprehensive telephone directory. It partners with publisher The Berry Co. to do so.

“Hawaiian Telcom will publish residential and business customer listings of all telecommunications carriers that provide the listings for this purpose,” said Ann Nishida Fry, senior manager for corporate communications at the company.

All telecommunications companies, including Hawaiian Telcom, pay a one-time fee per customer listing (residential and business) at “the time the listing is created for maintaining and updating the customer database. There is no additional fee to be included in the hard-copy directory,” Fry said.

“It’s in our best interest to provide the most complete, accurate and up-to-date directory possible,” said Laura Cole, vice president for marketing of The Berry Co., who noted that residential customers of several other companies besides Hawaiian Telcom are included in the latest issue.

Mahalo

A special mahalo to the city and county lifeguards of the North Shore. With giant crowds on the beach all day hoping for the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, you maintained an incredible level of safety with the afternoon’s dramatic rise in swell, long after the event was canceled. It was inspiring to watch your world-class abilities as you performed a multitude of rescues, and your local-style safety announcements kept us all safe and entertained.

To hear thousands applaud you as you brought the rescued ashore reminded me of the unique level of skill and commitment the North Shore demands of its lifeguards. There will never be enough praise, and what a tribute to the lifeguarding legacy of Eddie. Job well done.

— Jodi Wilmott

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.