Selected ISP Support > Windstream > Windstream DSL Investigation: South Carolina

reply to computerdoc

Re: Windstream DSL Investigation: South Carolina

At the rate Windstream is going it probably will. Start a similar thread for OH. The more active the community gets on this the more attention the matter will receive.

Look at the facts, Windstream has one of the top 10 worst CEO's and now have been found to be the worst in providing advertised broadband speeds. Well done Jeffery Gardner, well done.

reply to Otro
Just my thoughts. I would continue state by state. First both the consumer protection people and the news listen closer. It's a home town type of story for a station that does a whistle blowing segment or likes that type of news.
I think the next one will probably be as hard as 1st on was to organize. But the third and so forth will have it easier at least with the media. Point the the other states. Someone will pick it up national. My experience bringing things to the national media has been zero. I understand why, more so now, since a couple corporations own nearly all the media, those at the top at Windstream would be considered piers and you don't rat out piers.
Local stories I have had about 50/50 success on stories much less than this (how many effected).
I worked in TV a lot time at the engineer dept, but you learn how the others operate and still watch a fair share of national, cable and local news, a bad habit, lol. For the last 10 years and some, the new works are owned as I said above. They avoid news that isn't comfortable for the owners and their friends. But it something starts going viral on twitter, and or Facebook, then a few blogs, showing how many states have covered this on local news, it slowly becomes more and more mainstream. But seriously I doubt it gets covered nationally unless you can tie this to other ISPs (which you can).
The state level will get things done.
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| Speedstream 4200 Modem - 3m/384 plan | W98-W2KSP4-XPSP2 - All AMD | Buffalo WHR G54S with Tomato 1.18 | 3 downstream switches feeding 6 total clients (no wireless) | Including the Data port on the side of my neck |

reply to Otro
There is plenty that all can do. Unfortunately, my experience is that when push comes to shove and you actually confront people and ask them to do the simple work of filing a complaint with their state's consumer protection division, many somehow cannot seem to get that simple task done. Yet the same person somehow has plenty of time to rant online. See the predicament? Too many chiefs. Not enough Indians so to speak.
A lot of work needs to be done before you jump that far. The media won't even listen to you unless you have solid proof (excellent documentation) to back yourself up. And that takes time. I know this first hand.
The problem is, many jump on to this wanting to vent (and rightfully so). But few actually want to put up the time and effort to document all this and then present it to any and all who will listen.
And, even fewer actually want to follow through in joint efforts. Some are afraid to be known for doing this. Others think nothing will actually come of it. Again, I know all this first hand.
I've been preparing to launch a national, coordinated campaign. But I need the few like Computerdoc and Bodybagger to join with me because they have shown they are willing to stay in the fight. So far, most of the ones I have talked to or offered to help have backed down once we talk over the phone and they hear what all I have had to do and have faced.
I'm glad these 2 guys are willing to join up. I need all the guys who have done similar to Computerdoc and Bodybagger to get involved and become a part of the national effort I am working on.
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-- DawsonvilleG

Stand and Fight! -- »How to fight to get what you are paying for

I work at Windstream in Customer Service and Sales.

My experience working at Windstream is that they forbid us giving credits to customers in latent areas. Their accounts are tagged as being latent and our broadband help desk is not allowed to send techs for service calls in these areas. When I read the notes that are on these tagged accounts, it shows that the equipment is overutilized at 99%+. The equipment is designed to run at 80%, but we are continually selling to these areas and when someone wants to disconnect, instead of disconnecting them, our loyalty department (who gets dinged for not saving a customer) will put them in "broadband always on" at $16 per month and put a credit on for a year and hope that the customers don't notice the increase on their bill a year later. In other words, we are still giving them internet when they are not using it and it takes up space for people who actually will.

There are thousands of accounts like this. I see them every day and only about 4% of our customer base actually calls into the center. Our sales quotas are such that some are selling internet packages to the elderly and to people who don't even have computers because it is "the same price as the unlimited long distance plan" and "gives you the price for life guarantee". What they don't know is that the promotion ends and they end up paying more as well as taxes on something they don't need or want.

These people don't NEED or WANT the internet and it is taking away from people like myself who DO. If we don't make our sales quotas, we loose our jobs. In a small community like where I live, jobs that pay as well as Windstream are nonexistent. So.... we truck on.

What I find to be funny is that we don't want to give customers credit for bad service or outtages, but we have contests and get extra bonuses and eat ALL the time on Windstream's dollar. I've worked for some major corporations out of Atlanta and it is one fat cushy job working at the call center. I've gained 20lbs just working there for 7 months. :-/ We are sending employees to Disney and on trips to Colorado and in general do not want for extra money and bonuses.

The only department that has a lick of sense are our field techs and their area managers. The support departments as well as the assignment and planners (people who build DRS records and dispatch work to the field) are atrocious and consistently lie to customer service reps who in turn relay that information to customers who are just wanting service installed. We aren't given any information as to when something is to be fixed or upgraded.

The worst of it all is that we formed 2 teams in each of our 3 call centers to handle calls from customers whose accounts have been tagged as "latent". They are instructed to tell the customers, SORRY... your service runs on copper and there is nothing we can do. And no credits are to be given. What a joke.

Any way, not sure if any of this information is helpful to you and your community, I just felt the need to relay that to someone. Feel free to pass this information along to whomever you think it will benefit.

This is great info, I really appreciate you sharing this! Inside information such as this will be crucial in building a case, story and hopefully an investigation.

Everything you stated is spot on with my experience with Windstream. Sounds like the support department and planners are of the highest evil in spreading misinformation around causing stress not only to us the customers but the CSR's that have to relay the web of lies.

That's outrageous they don't disconnect customers when they terminate their internet service. The fact that this eating up bandwidth is idiotic when there is already a over utilization issue at hand. What are these guys thinking?

Again, thanks so much for taking the time to post this. If you have any other interesting information that might be helpful don't hesitate to share more =)

reply to WSEmpl
Great informatoin. Every company has their "little secrets" and I'm glad that someone can come along and have the courage to bring them out on it.

On a side note.. I would be careful of what you say around your office. Businesses are really stupid now about what people post online about their jobs, coworkers, bosses, etc. Our freedom of speech is meaningless when it comes to outing a business for incompetence.

Everyone here really appreciates your info you have shared with us! Just be careful of you personal info.