No phone line due to rain !?&#

[frannn]

My business phone line has been down for 3 days. I have been given every excuse from Verizon, from repairpeople layoffs to a backlog of repair calls due to the rain. I am normally a very understanding person, but Verizon has made 4 or 5 "repair commitment" time frames with me that they have not kept. They said business lines have top priority, so I wonder how long regular people would have to wait? This phone line is also used for my business fax and modem. Thank goodness I also have a cable modem, but I can't send my payroll in on that. I work from home, and my co now has to email or call me at home. What can I do?

 

[nativetxn]

How frustrating. I don't know <i>what</i> you can do. Perhaps you should have your attorney call? Expensive, I know, but if they are costing you money because they won't keep their committments to you, they need a little wake up call.

I think I might be changing carriers after they got everything fixed.

 

[dcgrumpy]

Do you in NY? If so, ask to speak to a manager and tell them you are going to call the PSC.

 

[RUDisney]

Who pays the bill? Does it go directly to your company or to you and you are reimbursed? If you are the owner of the company, how many lines do you have?

For Verizon, I've learned through the years that the more lines we have, the faster response I get from them. More lines, faster circuits=more money to their bottom line.

As for rain bringing down your phone line, you have given me dejavu, in a way. When I had all of our data circuits upgraded to T1 speeds, all of my locations came up fine except one branch. It was down for almost a week and a half. Don't get me wrong, they were quick to respond (and quick to pass the blame to our equipment ) but it finally turned out that the problem was caused at its switch. Water from the heavy rains that we were having leaked onto our circuit's connection so it wouldn't conduct the signal. Since they've patched their leak, we haven't had any problems with the circuit.

It sure is frustrating when you're going through it, though.

If it's any consolation to you, we also deal with another carrier for whom the FCC guarantees its territory, so we're stuck with them. Verizon is leaps and bounds better than the other carrier. Maybe this will provide you with the solace that it could be worse for you.

Sorry you're having these troubles.

 

[poohbear1029]

We are in a new development and have underground wiring....we've been here only 3 years (the rest of the houses much longer).....Verizon has only this winter been able to make it so we dont lose service when it rains!

 

[Jenzebelle]

I work in telecom and have to deal with baby bells and mama bells all day, so I understand your frustration.

I would ask them to escalate your problem and get a manager on the phone. Unfortunately the CSR that answers your calls has no control over tech dispatches. But a manager can get the ball rolling