It all begins when the driveshaft comes apart on Oliver's tractor. He decides to phone the company (his phone sits atop a telephone pole) to have a replacement part shipped to him, but can't get through because the operator is not available - she's at home cooking a rump roast. Eb mans the antiquated switchboard, but is only able to play recordings explaining the operator's absence. At Drucker's General Store, Oliver discovers that everyone has come to tolerate the operator's frequent absences. Oliver's blood pressure rises a few more notches when he can't use Drucker's two-piece telephone, which sits below the counter (whose very short cord is too long, per the phone company's constitution). The final straw comes when Mr. Trendell, the phone company CEO, refuses to reason with Oliver, viewing his grievances as mere complaints from an unhappy subscriber. Frustrated with the outdated equipment, frequently absent operator and the phone company's notoriously poor customer service, Oliver (thetvdb.com)