You're out of town on business and you need to make contact with the office or people back home. You don't want to use your customer or host's phone to call long distance, and you don't want to pay the high rates charged by your hotel every time you pick up the receiver or log onto the Internet. No problem. That's why you have a calling card.

But did you know that using your calling card doesn't always guarantee your call will be routed over the TELUS network or even that you'll be billed at TELUS rates? Many travellers have been distressed to discover significant surcharges on their phone bills, even though they followed their hotel's instructions for using a calling card call or called from a payphone, dialling 0 and the number and following all instructions.

Here are some solutions. Take a moment to check them out and you'll be able to choose the ones that best meet your needs.

Avoid costly surprises on your hotel or phone bill:
There is a way to ensure that your calls are routed over the TELUS network and that your bill includes any discounts your TELUS long distance plan entitles you to.

When traveling in the U.S. or Canada:

• Always dial 1-800-646-0000 to place your calls. You will then be able to choose English or French instructions, enter the card number and your PIN and the area code and telephone number you want to reach.
• You can place up to 5 calling card calls in a row, without redialling the access number. Simply press # after each call.
• Once you're familiar with the welcome messages, you can save time by pressing # after dialling each number in response to a prompt. For example, press 1# for English, then 1# for Calling Card, then your card number and PIN, followed by #. This will eliminate the delay that is built in to allow customers to enter the digits.
• If you need to dial long distance to connect to the Internet or your company's internal system, you should be able to program your computer to use this method. There are various utilities and over 500 third-party software titles that allow you to automate and configure modem dialling sequences. Please check the documentation for your connectivity software or operating system.

When traveling overseas:

• Use Canada Direct™ service to call back to Canada. This service is available from over 130 countries. For a free Canada Direct pocket guide containing access numbers for the countries served, visit www.telus.com or call 1-888-308-2222.
• When you use Canada Direct in a foreign country, always listen to the first message. If it doesn't say "Welcome to Canada Direct" and doesn't prompt you to select a phone carrier, listing TELUS as one of the options, your call may be routed over a different network.

So keep that TELUS Calling Card in your wallet. And have a good trip.