Lift Phone Line Usage

[Snow]

Hi all,

We're currently doing an audit of our phone lines and have noticed the lifts on site call out multiple times a day to do a self-check on an 0844 number. We're seeing around £150 p.a. per lift (we have 5 of these currently) in usage charges. After speaking with KONE it's clear the lifts are only meant to call out once per day but we're having no luck so far resolving the issue. Example usage:

Call type Date  Time Called Number Duration    (HH:MM:SS)               
Other calls        Sun 06 Nov 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:13
Other calls        Sat 05 Nov 07:21 0844576**** 00:01:41

Other calls        Fri 04 Nov 13:09 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Fri 04 Nov 10:48 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Fri 04 Nov 08:14 0844576**** 00:00:21
Other calls        Fri 04 Nov 07:58 0844576**** 00:00:21
Other calls        Fri 04 Nov 07:53 0844576**** 00:00:20

Other calls        Thu 03 Nov 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:24

Other calls        Wed 02 Nov 11:59 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Wed 02 Nov 11:47 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Wed 02 Nov 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:18

Other calls        Tue 01 Nov 13:50 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Tue 01 Nov 10:12 0844576**** 00:00:46
Other calls        Tue 01 Nov 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:22

Other calls        Mon 31 Oct 15:28 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Mon 31 Oct 12:35 0844576**** 00:00:30
Other calls        Mon 31 Oct 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:10

Other calls        Sun 30 Oct 07:53 0844576**** 00:01:11
Other calls        Sat 29 Oct 09:53 0844576**** 00:01:15

Other calls        Fri 28 Oct 11:26 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Fri 28 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:16
Other calls        Fri 28 Oct 00:24 0844576**** 00:00:44

Other calls        Thu 27 Oct 15:36 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Thu 27 Oct 08:58 0844576**** 00:01:17
Other calls        Thu 27 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:00:19
Other calls        Thu 27 Oct 02:17 0844576**** 00:00:43

Other calls        Wed 26 Oct 17:28 0844576**** 00:00:18
Other calls        Wed 26 Oct 10:59 0844576**** 00:00:42
Other calls        Wed 26 Oct 09:14 0844576**** 00:01:14
Other calls        Wed 26 Oct 08:58 0844576**** 00:00:27
Other calls        Wed 26 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:00:19

Other calls        Tue 25 Oct 12:55 0844576**** 00:00:18
Other calls        Tue 25 Oct 10:08 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Tue 25 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:19

Other calls        Mon 24 Oct 14:50 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Mon 24 Oct 13:23 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Mon 24 Oct 11:06 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Mon 24 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:12

Other calls        Sun 23 Oct 08:58 0844576**** 00:01:13
Other calls        Sun 23 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:00:20

Other calls        Sat 22 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:18

Other calls        Fri 21 Oct 20:37 0844576**** 00:00:47
Other calls        Fri 21 Oct 19:35 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Fri 21 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:22

Other calls        Thu 20 Oct 22:29 0844576**** 00:00:19
Other calls        Thu 20 Oct 19:57 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Thu 20 Oct 08:58 0844576**** 00:01:30
Other calls        Thu 20 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:00:19

Other calls        Wed 19 Oct 14:19 0844576**** 00:01:53
Other calls        Wed 19 Oct 13:22 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Wed 19 Oct 13:06 0844576**** 00:00:45
Other calls        Wed 19 Oct 06:48 0844576**** 00:00:19
Other calls        Wed 19 Oct 02:19 0844576**** 00:00:45

Other calls        Tue 18 Oct 20:06 0844576**** 00:00:20
Other calls        Tue 18 Oct 14:00 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Tue 18 Oct 12:19 0844576**** 00:00:45
Other calls        Tue 18 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:00:26

Other calls        Mon 17 Oct 13:53 0844576**** 00:00:25
Other calls        Mon 17 Oct 11:43 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Mon 17 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:13

Other calls        Sun 16 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:13
Other calls        Sat 15 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:21

Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 22:54 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 19:47 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 11:48 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 11:37 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:28
Other calls        Fri 14 Oct 00:44 0844576**** 00:00:43

Other calls        Thu 13 Oct 20:01 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Thu 13 Oct 13:42 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Thu 13 Oct 13:36 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Thu 13 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:21
Other calls        Thu 13 Oct 02:38 0844576**** 00:00:43

Other calls        Wed 12 Oct 19:59 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Wed 12 Oct 13:56 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Wed 12 Oct 11:46 0844576**** 00:00:44
Other calls        Wed 12 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:22
Other calls        Wed 12 Oct 04:30 0844576**** 00:00:42

Other calls        Tue 11 Oct 19:52 0844576**** 00:00:43
Other calls        Tue 11 Oct 08:53 0844576**** 00:01:30

According to KONE:

Sometimes the unit can fail to transfer it’s data for it’s test call and this can result in more than one attempt.

Just wondered if this was common? anyone else see a similar amount of calls from lifts? KONE have updated the profiles on all of our lifts but it's made no difference and we're struggling to get email replies.

 

Interestingly we do have one older lift which calls a local free number and only call's out once per day to KONE. KONE addressed this:

 

The reason for this is that due to VOIP issues the older auto-diallers have to dial 01535 direct No’s BUT this provides no immediate back-up in case of disaster at the responding centre. All new Auto-diallers from 2005 onwards have to have this 0844 (Non-Geographic) numbers as standard to give the responding centre flexibility.

 

To be clear I don't doubt the truthfulness of KONE's response, I just wonder what could cause our lifts to fail in sending data so often when they all have their own analogue lines.

[Blue_Cookeh]

tbh, if this wasn't outlined in any contracts, I'd be querying why it has to be an 0844 number when you can get other non-geographical numbers.

[john]

When I had lifts in a place they were set to call switchboard rather than a monitoring centre but to be fair they were not monitored by a big firm like Kone and were tested manually once a week and logged in the H&S book on-site.

 

I would certainly be looking to push them to fix the lift interface for it "failing" its call so frequently but it does depend what your contract says I guess if it doesn't say anything about how many calls and the number then your probably not going to be able to solve much.

[TechMonkey]

I've heard of companies using 0844 numbers a few times to do with alarms and safety. Usually once challenged they either give a different number or tell you to suck it up so you then have a case to change company.

[Snow]

Our alarm system is just as bad, it currently rings a premium rate 0906 number multiple times per day; my next target for sure.

 

Good advice on checking contract details, I'll see what I can find as it pre-dates my employment. I'll be contacting KONE again tomorrow morning so hopefully I can get through to someone with more answers.