Minnesota Relay is a Telecommunications Relay Service designed to connect persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf/blind or speech disabled with people and businesses that use standard telephones. A specially trained communication assistant (CA) relays the telephone conversation between a person who has a hearing or speech disability and a hearing person.

Receiving a Call From a Minnesota Relay User

1. You will hear a Communication Assistant (CA) say "Hello, a person is calling you through Minnesota Relay.  This is CA number XXXX.  Have you received a relay call before?"
   • If you are not familiar with relay say "NO" and the CA will explain how relay works.  If you have any questions, ask them at this time.
   • If you are familiar with relay say "YES" and the call will begin.
2. Remember to say "Go ahead" or "GA" after each time you are finished speaking. When the CA says "Go ahead" back to you, it is your turn to speak.
3. See "Tips For Successful Calls" for smooth call handling.

Placing a Call To a Minnesota Relay User

1. To place a call to a Minnesota Relay users, dial 7-1-1 or 1-800-627-3529.  If you hear something that sounds like fax tones and/or if the line is silent, stay on the line and wait for Minnesota Relay to answer (it may take up to 2 minutes for the CA to come on the line).
2. Minnesota Relay will answer and the communications Assistant (CA) will state her/his identification number and gender.
3. If you are not familiar with relay you may ask the CA to explain how relay works.  If you have any questions, you will need to ask them at this time.
4. Give the CA the 10 digit telephone number of the person you wish to call.
5. Once the person you are calling answers, proceed with the call as you would a regular phone call.
6. Remember to say "Go ahead" or "GA" after each time you are finished speaking. When the CA says "Go ahead" back to you, it is your turn to speak.
7. See "Tips For Successful Calls" for smooth call handling.

Tips For Successful Calls

• Say "Go Ahead" or "GA" each time you have finished speaking: The term "Go Ahead" or "GA" is important for relay calls for turn taking purposes.  "GA" insures that you (the standard phone user) and the relay user do not respond at the same time and miss each other's communication.  Say "Go Ahead" or "GA" each time you have finished speaking and are ready for a response.  When you hear the CA say "GA" it is your turn to speak again.
• Speak directly to the person calling, not the CA: Talk in the first person and pretend the CA is not on the call.  The CA is not part of the conversation and will not acknowledge you if you speak to him/her.
• Asking the relay user questions: If you need to ask the Relay user a series of questions, ask them one at a time, wait for a response, and then ask the next question.  This gives the Relay user a chance to respond to each question and reduces misunderstandings.
• Be patient, and speak slowly: Relay calls take longer than regular telephone calls.  Because the CA must type everything you say verbatim, speak slowly.  If you are speaking too fast, the CA may ask you to slow down or to repeat yourself.  There may be a pause before the CA begins relaying the response back to you.
• The CA will type everything that is heard: To ensure that Relay calls are functionally equivalent to standard telephone calls, CAs type everything they hear, including background noises and voice intonations. Your words will be typed exactly as you say them.
• When Minnesota Relay calls, don't hang up: The person calling is deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled and is using Minnesota Relay to contact you.  This is not a telemarketing call and it is very important that you do not hang up on the caller.
• Long Distance Charges: The long distance carrier you have chosen for your home or business service is NOT automatically applied to Minnesota Relay calls. To make sure your long distance calls are carried and billed through your existing long distance service or calling plan, it is recommended that you submit a Minnesota Relay Customer Preference form. You also may inform the CA of your preferred carrier of choice prior to placing a long distance Relay call. If no carrier is indicated, long distance Minnesota Relay calls will be carried and billed by Sprint.
• PBX (Private Branch Exchange) Systems and 7-1-1: You may not be able to dial 7-1-1 to make a Relay call if your business has a PBX system. If you encounter this difficulty, contact the telecommunications manager or PBX coordinator from your building and ask them to re-program the PBX switch software to allow 7-1-1 access.
• Additional Detailed Calling Instructions: For detailed calling instructions for Voice Carry Over, Two-Line Voice Carry Over, Hearing Carry Over, Two-Line Hearing Carry Over, CapTel, Two-Line CapTel, and Speech-to-Speech go: www.mnrelay.org  and click on Relay User Support.

11/2008