IMO, you couldn't be more wrong. The "they work for us" thing simply doesn't fly. They work for their boss, and if their boss sees them on the phone all the time/frequently, they are sure to hear about it. And where is it written that they are prohibited from accepting calls? The more calls they get, the more frustrated they feel, I'd bet, because they are human.

The USPTO provides visibility on all patent activity in an automated system available to the public. That's their reporting system. I can almost guaranty that if they start getting a bunch of calls from anyone/group on a particular patent/re-exam/whatever, the response will quickly become: 'Please consult our automated system (PAIR?) as when there is an action taken it is reported there, and we are prohibited from reporting to the public on actions other than through that mechanism".

JMHO,

SGE