If you live in the High Desert/Victor Valley and was a Verizon customer, then you should know that you’re a Frontier Communications customer by now. Most of us have transitioned to Frontier with relative ease, but not all are so lucky. I’ve received numerous calls and message from my clients and friends with all kinds of problems. I’m hoping my input here will help some navigate through the storm.
Why this transition is happening is because Verizon wants to shed it’s less lucrative terrestrial business (phone, Internet & TV), while Frontier wants to expand these services to smaller cities and rural areas. In the long term for the High Desert, this could mean that areas like Phelan, Wrightwood, Lucerne Valley and the liking could finally have high speed Internet services like the city folks. However, we have some serious problems in the short term.
This isn’t the first time Verizon transferred part of their business and customers to Frontier. In fact, the first time went so well that neither side expected problems this time… except that instead of a year long gradual transition, they were going to transfer ten times more customers located in three of the most populous states in the country virtually overnight. So what could go wrong?!?!
Many suddenly had their services disconnected because of technical screw ups during the transition. It’s bad enough that Internet or TV is out. However, no phone also means no 911 emergency service and this is critical especially for the elderly and those who have health issues. Adding to the problems is Frontier’s terrible customer service that just got slammed with ten times more customers.
Despite acquiring over 10,000 Verizon employees, Frontier’s customer service are offshore call centers many with very basic technical skills and heavy Indian accents. I’ve heard “awful”, “rude”, “arrogant”, “combative”, “ignorant”, “impolite”, “insulting” and other words I that can’t say publicly used as descriptions of Frontier’s front line… and it gets worse. If you’re able to get through their perverse customer service treatment to schedule for a technician to come out, you will find that they are overbooked and it could be days or weeks before service is restored.
These issues are certainly not acceptable, and it’s gotten the attention of people with some clout to do something about it. Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), who is the chairman of the Utilities & Commerce Committee, is taking action with public statements and a government forum questioning Frontier’s performance during the transition. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look good for us customers in the short term, because both companies are blaming each other for the problems. It could be a while before an amiable solution comes out of the Sacramento bureaucracy. In the meantime, what can you do?
Frontier Will Eventually Fix All The Problems
It may not seem like it, but they are actually working on fixing all the problems from the transition. Many issues are getting resolved faster than others. Patience could be a virtue in dealing with Frontier right now.
Be Polite But Firm on Customer Support Calls
Trust me when I say that every Frontier customer service staff deserves to get their heads chewed off for their terrible service so far. Yelling and screaming may feel good at the moment, but will get you nowhere because their hands are already tied and they also know that hanging up can get rid of you. Being courteous but firm will get you further towards resolving your problems with them.
Record And Notate Your Conversations
Customer service representatives usually treat you with a lot more respect when they know you’re monitoring their conversation and are more informed and better prepared than they are. When they inform you that the call is recorded for quality issues, inform them that you are also recording and notating the conversation. Be sure to ask for a name and employee ID number as the first part of the conversation. Take notes of your conversations and record if possible so you can reference in future conversations. Using a voice recorder smartphone app and a speaker phone is sufficient.
Contact Government Representatives
As I mentioned, Frontier’s stellar performance has gotten the attention of certain government officials intent on assuring former Verizon customers are treated properly and their issues are dealt with promptly. Those government officials would love to receive your Frontier complaints supported by the recordings and notes you’ve taken to support their efforts. Here’s contact information for the pertinent government officials:
Assemblyman Mike Gatto
http://asmdc.org/members/a43/
Assemblyman Jay Obernolte
https://ad33.asmrc.org/
Post Your Issues on DSLReports.com
DSLReports.com is one of the top sites for Internet service provider reviews. Posting your issues will go a long way to helping others avoid the same problems as well as gain the attention of industry leaders. Here’s a link to DSLReports.com:
DSLReports.com: http://dslreports.com/
Submit a Complaint to BBB & Consumer Affairs
These two organizations are respected places for submitting customer issues. Here are links to Frontier’s profile with provisions to submit your complaints:
Better Business Bureau:
http://www.bbb.org/upstate-new-york/business-reviews/telephone-communications/frontier-communications-corp-in-rochester-ny-31775/complaints/
Consumer Affairs:
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/cell_phones/frontier.html
Part of what I do is to help my clients and friends in these situations because I have the background that can usually fix these problems. You can certainly contact me for assistance, but keep in mind that I’m also a bit overwhelmed with all the problems that Frontier has created.
I hope this helps someone get through the Frontier debacle. Please feel free to share this information as well as any comments you may have.
Good luck! ~ Dan
