Have you ever tried to make an international call and been surprised when an operator came on the line to complete the call? Have you been even more surprised when the bill came, and you were charged insanely high rates? I have some answers for you.

From the U.S., there are actually two ways to dial an international call. One is direct distance dialing, and the other is operator assisted dialing.

To dial your call direct, you will dial 011, then the country code, then the city code if any, then the local number.

But to dial with operator assistance, you would dial 01, then the country code, then the city code if any, then the local number. An operator will come on the line to complete the call.

Do you see the problem yet? To dial direct, you dial 011, but to dial through an operator, you dial 01. So if you miss hitting that 1 key twice, or your Touch-Tone^® keypad sticks, or what have you, you’re going to get an operator.

This dialing plan was put in place decades ago, when international direct distance dialing was first introduced, so it’s a little late to change it, even if it would ultimately reduce confusion to do so. Most everybody knows you dial 011 to make an international call. If we changed that now, it would cause more confusion — and billing problems — at least in the short term.

For now, take caution to ensure that you dial 011 rather than 01 when making an international call, and you should be fine. And about that strange operator assisted call on your bill, call your long distance company. Most of them will adjust the price of the call to your regular international rates.

And be sure to sign up for your long distance carrier’s international calling plan if you call outside the U.S. at least once a month. Even with the monthly fee, it will save you money.