Calling for Help -- Editorial page -- Title page -- LCC data -- Dedication -- Table of contents -- Notes on contributors -- Preface -- Calling for help -- 1. Overview -- 2. Helplines: Some background -- 3. Seeking and providing help -- 4. The popularity of helplines and some interactional implications -- Low cost -- Accessibility -- Anonymous expert -- The conversationally-engaged call-taker -- 5. The studies -- Part I: Technical assistance -- Part II: Emotional support -- Part III: Healthcare provision -- Part IV: Consumer assistance -- Part V: Aspects of call management -- Notes -- References -- I. Technical assistance -- Calibrating for competence in calls to technical support -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Accounting for the call -- 3. Calibrating for competence -- Technical competence -- Social-interactional competence -- The caller's first description of their computer/software competence -- CT calibrations as orientation to the heard `competence' of the caller -- 4. The contingent use of a pedagogical format -- 5. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Collaborative problem description in help desk calls -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Overall organization of the calls -- Ticket announcement -- 3. The collaborative construction of the computer-aided ticket -- CTs production of incomplete and-prefaced statements as questions -- Caller's orientation to the information to be recorded by CT -- CTs working aloud while typing -- 4. Reading back the problem description -- Problem description - acceptance/non-acceptance -- 5. Conclusion -- Note -- References -- The metaphoric use of space in expert-lay interaction about computing systems -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Spatial scalability in concepts -- 3. Conceptual models and interactional structure -- 4. Interactional strategy at the beginning of a helpdesk call -- 5. Conclusion -- References.

II. Emotional support -- The mitigation of advice -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The practice of giving advice -- 3. Dilemmas of advice-giving on consumer-run warm lines -- 4. Methodology: Procedures for data collection and analysis -- 5. Encouraging clients to adopt a solution -- Client tells of an urgent problem -- Client implicitly seeks a solution -- 6. Discussion -- Notes -- References -- Four observations on openings in calls to Kids Help Line -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Kids Help Line -- Observation 1 -- Observation 2 -- Observation 3 -- 2.1. Observation 4 -- 3. Conclusion -- References -- 'I just want to hear somebody right now' -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Analytic material and context -- 3. Analysis -- Seeking help? (segment 1) -- A competent participant -- Needs and identities -- What is your star sign? (segment 2) -- I can't hear you, now what did you say? -- Aha aha: Outlining the client (segment 3) -- Having a very sensitive side (from Cancer probably) -- Psychological peeling -- 4. Conclusion -- Acknowledgements -- Notes -- References -- Original Dutch extract -- III. Healthcare provision -- Callers' presentations of problems in telephone calls to Swedish primary care -- 1. Introduction -- 1.1. The focus of this study -- 1.2. The database -- 1.3. Working on the telephone and computer -- 2. Callers' presentations of problems -- 2.1. Requests to see a doctor -- 2.2. Questions -- 2.3. Narratives -- 3. Discussion -- Note -- References -- Constructing and negotiating advice in calls to a poison information center -- 1. Introduction -- 2. The first advice sequence -- 3. Caller's response and its consequences -- 4. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- IV. Consumer assistance -- Opportunities for negotiation at the interface of phone calls and service-counter interaction -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Aims of the study -- 3. The data.

4. Background to the study: Stages of `Troubles-Telling' -- 5. Data analysis: Example 1 -- Stage 1: Customer as `troubles-teller' -- Stage 2: Customer as `troubles-recipient' -- 6. Data analysis: Example 2 -- Stage 1: Customer as `troubles-teller' -- Stage 2: Customer as `troubles-recipient' -- 7. Data analysis: Example 3 -- 8. Summary and conclusion -- Note -- Appendix: Transcription notation -- References -- Institutionality at issue -- 1. Introduction: when institutionality is at issue -- 2. Language games in Wittgenstein and Garfinkel -- 3. Big and little language games in call 01 -- Language games in a Consumer Complaint narrative -- Insertion sequence -- 4. Big game, play one -- The Sale of Goods Act and the ``short length of time'' -- 5. Replaying the big game -- 6. The footing shift in the replay -- Caller's new ending - Preface -- 7. Institutionality at issue in a little game -- Institutionality at issue in caller's new ending - First -- Institutionality at issue (ii) in caller's new ending - Then -- Caller's new ending - Response -- 8. Institutionality at issue in the big game - helper's new ending story -- Helper's new ending - Then -- Call closing as caller's story response -- Call completion in two game plays -- 9. Conclusion -- Sacks' agent/client game -- One game or many? -- Notes -- References -- V. Aspects of call management -- Some initial reflections on conversational structures for instruction giving -- 1. Introduction -- 2. Instruction giving and instructional sequences -- 3. A system for the transfer of instructions -- Requesting the telephone number: The basic instructional chain -- Departures from the typical structure -- Further instructions -- 4. Ambiguity and repair -- End repairs -- Formulating instructional courses -- 5. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Appendix CN2:4-00 -- Working a call -- 1. Introduction.

2. Central County Dispatch -- 3. Interactional scaffolding -- 4. Mutual monitoring -- 5. Transitions between work and not-work activities -- Methods for disengaging talk -- Re-engagement displays and fitting -- Disengagement displays and fitting -- 6. "Speeding cars and a loud party'' redux -- 7. Conclusion -- Notes -- References -- Name index -- Subject index -- The Pragmatics & Beyond New Series.