Qwest Phone Service ripoff

I agree with Pete. Someone in the business office
definitely dropped the ball here. As a past employee in both a customer service (yes, there actually used to be some) and then a sales position, I can assure you anyone who answers the telephone as a Qwest representative has had ample training to help make sure they do their job right.

The process you referred to that would enable you
to keep your original telephone number is called
"porting".

This is a complicated proceedure at best and unless everything goes smoothly between both the old and the new telephone company, the customer is usually the loser, sometimes spending weeks and even months without a telephone. Setting up an order for porting a telephone number has several more steps than that of a regular new connect and the order is actually put on "hold" until every thing is set between the two companies.

The new company actually has to send a purchase order over to the old company in order to be able to use your old phone number. If everything doesn't happen on the correct timeline and the telephone number is disconnected by the old company before all of the red-tape is completed, the old phone number can not be reconnected.

The number MUST be a live number in order to port it. Several things may have happened to your order. When it was put on hold, there may
have been mis-communication between the two companies and the order never came out of hold. If, when you phoned in you spoke to someone who hadn't been with the company long, they may simply not have known how to, or where to, look for the order.

If there was a problem on the order, it can sit there indefinitely, waiting for someone to work it.

As to the work on the inside of the home, again...
the ball was dropped. Any time a customer requests either a move or a new connect, the Qwest representative should ask about the wiring and jack situtation in the home. They should ask how many jacks you need activated and in what rooms.

They should also ask if there are existing jacks or if we will need to install them. If there is to be more than one line activated, they should ask how many jacks you want to ring on each line.

When the information is collected and the representative sets up a date for you, the
computer will give the rep a calendar of what dates are available for the hookup. If the order is placed correctly with the desired number of jacks and lines, the system will allot the correct amount of time for the technician to do the job. Obviously, in this case, the representatives you spoke to didn't do their job.

Wiring jacks on the inside of the house is usually a fairly simple job. If you're not sure how to do it, ask afew friends....I'm sure one of them can do it for you.

Another suggestion....if you don't know how to wire phone lines on the inside, it might be a good idea to think about adding LineBacker to your service.

Even as a Qwest representative, I had the service
on my own account. With LineBacker, if something
went wrong inside the home, they would come in and
repair without additional charge. Without that,
they can, and usually do, charge $85 for a trip
charge just to tell you whether the problem is on
the inside or the outside of the home. This doesn't include any costs to repair the problem.

I know this doesn't help the situation nor the
frustration you experienced, but I hope it gives
you a bit of information on how the system works.
If you move again, this may be helpful. If you
get a representative that doesn't do their job,
at least you may know what information to give them, even if they don't ask.

I agree with Pete. Someone in the business office
definitely dropped the ball here. As a past employee in both a customer service (yes, there actually used to be some) and then a sales position, I can assure you anyone who answers the telephone as a Qwest representative has had ample training to help make sure they do their job right.

The process you referred to that would enable you
to keep your original telephone number is called
"porting".

This is a complicated proceedure at best and unless everything goes smoothly between both the old and the new telephone company, the customer is usually the loser, sometimes spending weeks and even months without a telephone. Setting up an order for porting a telephone number has several more steps than that of a regular new connect and the order is actually put on "hold" until every thing is set between the two companies.

The new company actually has to send a purchase order over to the old company in order to be able to use your old phone number. If everything doesn't happen on the correct timeline and the telephone number is disconnected by the old company before all of the red-tape is completed, the old phone number can not be reconnected.

The number MUST be a live number in order to port it. Several things may have happened to your order. When it was put on hold, there may
have been mis-communication between the two companies and the order never came out of hold. If, when you phoned in you spoke to someone who hadn't been with the company long, they may simply not have known how to, or where to, look for the order.

If there was a problem on the order, it can sit there indefinitely, waiting for someone to work it.

As to the work on the inside of the home, again...
the ball was dropped. Any time a customer requests either a move or a new connect, the Qwest representative should ask about the wiring and jack situtation in the home. They should ask how many jacks you need activated and in what rooms.

They should also ask if there are existing jacks or if we will need to install them. If there is to be more than one line activated, they should ask how many jacks you want to ring on each line.

When the information is collected and the representative sets up a date for you, the
computer will give the rep a calendar of what dates are available for the hookup. If the order is placed correctly with the desired number of jacks and lines, the system will allot the correct amount of time for the technician to do the job. Obviously, in this case, the representatives you spoke to didn't do their job.

Wiring jacks on the inside of the house is usually a fairly simple job. If you're not sure how to do it, ask afew friends....I'm sure one of them can do it for you.

Another suggestion....if you don't know how to wire phone lines on the inside, it might be a good idea to think about adding LineBacker to your service.

Even as a Qwest representative, I had the service
on my own account. With LineBacker, if something
went wrong inside the home, they would come in and
repair without additional charge. Without that,
they can, and usually do, charge $85 for a trip
charge just to tell you whether the problem is on
the inside or the outside of the home. This doesn't include any costs to repair the problem.

I know this doesn't help the situation nor the
frustration you experienced, but I hope it gives
you a bit of information on how the system works.
If you move again, this may be helpful. If you
get a representative that doesn't do their job,
at least you may know what information to give them, even if they don't ask.

I agree with Pete. Someone in the business office
definitely dropped the ball here. As a past employee in both a customer service (yes, there actually used to be some) and then a sales position, I can assure you anyone who answers the telephone as a Qwest representative has had ample training to help make sure they do their job right.

The process you referred to that would enable you
to keep your original telephone number is called
"porting".

This is a complicated proceedure at best and unless everything goes smoothly between both the old and the new telephone company, the customer is usually the loser, sometimes spending weeks and even months without a telephone. Setting up an order for porting a telephone number has several more steps than that of a regular new connect and the order is actually put on "hold" until every thing is set between the two companies.

The new company actually has to send a purchase order over to the old company in order to be able to use your old phone number. If everything doesn't happen on the correct timeline and the telephone number is disconnected by the old company before all of the red-tape is completed, the old phone number can not be reconnected.

The number MUST be a live number in order to port it. Several things may have happened to your order. When it was put on hold, there may
have been mis-communication between the two companies and the order never came out of hold. If, when you phoned in you spoke to someone who hadn't been with the company long, they may simply not have known how to, or where to, look for the order.

If there was a problem on the order, it can sit there indefinitely, waiting for someone to work it.

As to the work on the inside of the home, again...
the ball was dropped. Any time a customer requests either a move or a new connect, the Qwest representative should ask about the wiring and jack situtation in the home. They should ask how many jacks you need activated and in what rooms.

They should also ask if there are existing jacks or if we will need to install them. If there is to be more than one line activated, they should ask how many jacks you want to ring on each line.

When the information is collected and the representative sets up a date for you, the
computer will give the rep a calendar of what dates are available for the hookup. If the order is placed correctly with the desired number of jacks and lines, the system will allot the correct amount of time for the technician to do the job. Obviously, in this case, the representatives you spoke to didn't do their job.

Wiring jacks on the inside of the house is usually a fairly simple job. If you're not sure how to do it, ask afew friends....I'm sure one of them can do it for you.

Another suggestion....if you don't know how to wire phone lines on the inside, it might be a good idea to think about adding LineBacker to your service.

Even as a Qwest representative, I had the service
on my own account. With LineBacker, if something
went wrong inside the home, they would come in and
repair without additional charge. Without that,
they can, and usually do, charge $85 for a trip
charge just to tell you whether the problem is on
the inside or the outside of the home. This doesn't include any costs to repair the problem.

I know this doesn't help the situation nor the
frustration you experienced, but I hope it gives
you a bit of information on how the system works.
If you move again, this may be helpful. If you
get a representative that doesn't do their job,
at least you may know what information to give them, even if they don't ask.

I agree with Pete. Someone in the business office
definitely dropped the ball here. As a past employee in both a customer service (yes, there actually used to be some) and then a sales position, I can assure you anyone who answers the telephone as a Qwest representative has had ample training to help make sure they do their job right.

The process you referred to that would enable you
to keep your original telephone number is called
"porting".

This is a complicated proceedure at best and unless everything goes smoothly between both the old and the new telephone company, the customer is usually the loser, sometimes spending weeks and even months without a telephone. Setting up an order for porting a telephone number has several more steps than that of a regular new connect and the order is actually put on "hold" until every thing is set between the two companies.

The new company actually has to send a purchase order over to the old company in order to be able to use your old phone number. If everything doesn't happen on the correct timeline and the telephone number is disconnected by the old company before all of the red-tape is completed, the old phone number can not be reconnected.

The number MUST be a live number in order to port it. Several things may have happened to your order. When it was put on hold, there may
have been mis-communication between the two companies and the order never came out of hold. If, when you phoned in you spoke to someone who hadn't been with the company long, they may simply not have known how to, or where to, look for the order.

If there was a problem on the order, it can sit there indefinitely, waiting for someone to work it.

As to the work on the inside of the home, again...
the ball was dropped. Any time a customer requests either a move or a new connect, the Qwest representative should ask about the wiring and jack situtation in the home. They should ask how many jacks you need activated and in what rooms.

They should also ask if there are existing jacks or if we will need to install them. If there is to be more than one line activated, they should ask how many jacks you want to ring on each line.

When the information is collected and the representative sets up a date for you, the
computer will give the rep a calendar of what dates are available for the hookup. If the order is placed correctly with the desired number of jacks and lines, the system will allot the correct amount of time for the technician to do the job. Obviously, in this case, the representatives you spoke to didn't do their job.

Wiring jacks on the inside of the house is usually a fairly simple job. If you're not sure how to do it, ask afew friends....I'm sure one of them can do it for you.

Another suggestion....if you don't know how to wire phone lines on the inside, it might be a good idea to think about adding LineBacker to your service.

Even as a Qwest representative, I had the service
on my own account. With LineBacker, if something
went wrong inside the home, they would come in and
repair without additional charge. Without that,
they can, and usually do, charge $85 for a trip
charge just to tell you whether the problem is on
the inside or the outside of the home. This doesn't include any costs to repair the problem.

I know this doesn't help the situation nor the
frustration you experienced, but I hope it gives
you a bit of information on how the system works.
If you move again, this may be helpful. If you
get a representative that doesn't do their job,
at least you may know what information to give them, even if they don't ask.

I noticed this complaint on qwest phone service. I am a tech for them "not a company spokesman". I just want to explain a few things to make this situation a little less painfull.

Ever since deregulation was thrust upon the the bell system years ago there has been two types of work to deal with;(Regulated and Deregulated). Qwests cable comes to your apartment and stops at a box on the end of your building. That box is called a (demarcation point) That's the point where (Qwest's cable) The (regulated stuff) ends ,and ("your cable) the (deregulated
"Tenant/Property owner stuff" ) begins.

"Qwest does not own the cable inside your building!" That cable is the responsibility of you, and or your landlord. Most of the time when the poor tech arrives there is no labeling to indicate which inside wire goes to which jack or even which apartment!!

Apartment wire; especially older aprtments is usually a TOTAL MESS. This is the result of repeated hookups,ignorance,neglect on the part of lanlords; and even vandalism by previous tenants. When you get an initial installation the tech is supposed to come to your door and see if you are home.

That is what the company insists that we do. "I do that every single time". We are told repeatedly that quality matters. Most of us techs try very hard to please the customer. If the customer is home we are to see that at least one jack is opperating provided that the house cable is functioning. We use a signaling device to determine which jacks are hooked up to which wires. In this way we can be sure that the jacks you want are hooked up to the demarcation point. If nobody is home that's impossible. We are not required to repair house cable in apartment buildings by law. In fact we are prohibited from doing repairs on this wire system without charging for that service. We can do a courtesy hookup to one jack inside. If we do more than that it is considered unfair competition.

"Anyone"; you, or any lisensed contractor can do jack hookups inside. If you shop around you'll find our rates more than reasonable .

ANALOGY/ When you call the electric company to turn on your electricity you don't ask them to fix your lamps or change your light bulbs you have to call an electrician to fix stuff inside. I have lived in apartments and I used to think it was unfair also. Ask yourself did the honest upright landlord explain this to you when you moved in?? I don't think so .

If Qwest's tech din't come to your door he/she is a looser and probably won't have a job there very long. I apologise to you if this person din't do their job. As techs we do have a heavy workload that's the nature of business today. We can't wait around for half an hour or more until someone shows up we have ten-fifteen minutes thats all. After that someone has to pay, or we have to go. Don't get angry with qwest get angry at your landlord for not labeling the cable. Get angry at congress and your legislature for creating a shark feeding frenzy in the phone business.

I have worked for four different companies over the last ten years and I can tell you qwest is miles ahead of the other clowns out there. If someone from the business office dropped the ball I apologise for that.

As a union member I take pride in what I do and we hate it when that sort of thing happens. Unfortunately thats one of the draw backs about apartments you have to deal with what was left to you by the last tenant. Pete proud Member Communication Workers of America. PS always leave a phone number of a nieghbor or representitive who can let us in if you can't be there.

I noticed this complaint on qwest phone service. I am a tech for them "not a company spokesman". I just want to explain a few things to make this situation a little less painfull.

Ever since deregulation was thrust upon the the bell system years ago there has been two types of work to deal with;(Regulated and Deregulated). Qwests cable comes to your apartment and stops at a box on the end of your building. That box is called a (demarcation point) That's the point where (Qwest's cable) The (regulated stuff) ends ,and ("your cable) the (deregulated
"Tenant/Property owner stuff" ) begins.

"Qwest does not own the cable inside your building!" That cable is the responsibility of you, and or your landlord. Most of the time when the poor tech arrives there is no labeling to indicate which inside wire goes to which jack or even which apartment!!

Apartment wire; especially older aprtments is usually a TOTAL MESS. This is the result of repeated hookups,ignorance,neglect on the part of lanlords; and even vandalism by previous tenants. When you get an initial installation the tech is supposed to come to your door and see if you are home.

That is what the company insists that we do. "I do that every single time". We are told repeatedly that quality matters. Most of us techs try very hard to please the customer. If the customer is home we are to see that at least one jack is opperating provided that the house cable is functioning. We use a signaling device to determine which jacks are hooked up to which wires. In this way we can be sure that the jacks you want are hooked up to the demarcation point. If nobody is home that's impossible. We are not required to repair house cable in apartment buildings by law. In fact we are prohibited from doing repairs on this wire system without charging for that service. We can do a courtesy hookup to one jack inside. If we do more than that it is considered unfair competition.

"Anyone"; you, or any lisensed contractor can do jack hookups inside. If you shop around you'll find our rates more than reasonable .

ANALOGY/ When you call the electric company to turn on your electricity you don't ask them to fix your lamps or change your light bulbs you have to call an electrician to fix stuff inside. I have lived in apartments and I used to think it was unfair also. Ask yourself did the honest upright landlord explain this to you when you moved in?? I don't think so .

If Qwest's tech din't come to your door he/she is a looser and probably won't have a job there very long. I apologise to you if this person din't do their job. As techs we do have a heavy workload that's the nature of business today. We can't wait around for half an hour or more until someone shows up we have ten-fifteen minutes thats all. After that someone has to pay, or we have to go. Don't get angry with qwest get angry at your landlord for not labeling the cable. Get angry at congress and your legislature for creating a shark feeding frenzy in the phone business.

I have worked for four different companies over the last ten years and I can tell you qwest is miles ahead of the other clowns out there. If someone from the business office dropped the ball I apologise for that.

As a union member I take pride in what I do and we hate it when that sort of thing happens. Unfortunately thats one of the draw backs about apartments you have to deal with what was left to you by the last tenant. Pete proud Member Communication Workers of America. PS always leave a phone number of a nieghbor or representitive who can let us in if you can't be there.

I noticed this complaint on qwest phone service. I am a tech for them "not a company spokesman". I just want to explain a few things to make this situation a little less painfull.

Ever since deregulation was thrust upon the the bell system years ago there has been two types of work to deal with;(Regulated and Deregulated). Qwests cable comes to your apartment and stops at a box on the end of your building. That box is called a (demarcation point) That's the point where (Qwest's cable) The (regulated stuff) ends ,and ("your cable) the (deregulated
"Tenant/Property owner stuff" ) begins.

"Qwest does not own the cable inside your building!" That cable is the responsibility of you, and or your landlord. Most of the time when the poor tech arrives there is no labeling to indicate which inside wire goes to which jack or even which apartment!!

Apartment wire; especially older aprtments is usually a TOTAL MESS. This is the result of repeated hookups,ignorance,neglect on the part of lanlords; and even vandalism by previous tenants. When you get an initial installation the tech is supposed to come to your door and see if you are home.

That is what the company insists that we do. "I do that every single time". We are told repeatedly that quality matters. Most of us techs try very hard to please the customer. If the customer is home we are to see that at least one jack is opperating provided that the house cable is functioning. We use a signaling device to determine which jacks are hooked up to which wires. In this way we can be sure that the jacks you want are hooked up to the demarcation point. If nobody is home that's impossible. We are not required to repair house cable in apartment buildings by law. In fact we are prohibited from doing repairs on this wire system without charging for that service. We can do a courtesy hookup to one jack inside. If we do more than that it is considered unfair competition.

"Anyone"; you, or any lisensed contractor can do jack hookups inside. If you shop around you'll find our rates more than reasonable .

ANALOGY/ When you call the electric company to turn on your electricity you don't ask them to fix your lamps or change your light bulbs you have to call an electrician to fix stuff inside. I have lived in apartments and I used to think it was unfair also. Ask yourself did the honest upright landlord explain this to you when you moved in?? I don't think so .

If Qwest's tech din't come to your door he/she is a looser and probably won't have a job there very long. I apologise to you if this person din't do their job. As techs we do have a heavy workload that's the nature of business today. We can't wait around for half an hour or more until someone shows up we have ten-fifteen minutes thats all. After that someone has to pay, or we have to go. Don't get angry with qwest get angry at your landlord for not labeling the cable. Get angry at congress and your legislature for creating a shark feeding frenzy in the phone business.

I have worked for four different companies over the last ten years and I can tell you qwest is miles ahead of the other clowns out there. If someone from the business office dropped the ball I apologise for that.

As a union member I take pride in what I do and we hate it when that sort of thing happens. Unfortunately thats one of the draw backs about apartments you have to deal with what was left to you by the last tenant. Pete proud Member Communication Workers of America. PS always leave a phone number of a nieghbor or representitive who can let us in if you can't be there.