atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Telecom Service & Providers Order Provisioning and why to keep records

I agree but I also agree with some others about it being a PITA.

My reasoning is basically the same as Grider. Customers don't know what to order and the customer service reps will talk then into anything.

We have had customers that were moving within the same CO area. They order their lines to be installed at the new location and think they have done a great job because they made the due date two weeks before they are to move in.

Imagine their surprise when they have no phone service at the old location two weeks before they are to move.

-Hal

No wonder so many of you are so successful. Customer support really helps and following up on these orders is critical, but even with follow ups there are delays. Many of you mentioned that you take notes and I think that is terrific. Keeping accurate records will be necessary to determine if billing is accurate and that your customer received only what you ordered (or what they ordered).

I recommend keeping records for each time you talk with the LEC (Local exchange carrier) regarding anything for the customer. One important column would be the name of the Rep you are speaking with and their ID or location. How many of you have been on hold for what seems hours ... only to be disconnected? Identifying who placed your telecom orders will help you in more ways than one.

How many of you check the phone bill after you place an order?

I am a customer and not a technician and I can vouch for record keeping. I've been in my job for 13 years. Two years prior to my coming on the previous Telecom person cancelled some old circuits connecting two plants in town and put in a SBC T-1. A few years ago I wanted to know what was under the "Monthly Fees" charge and found those old circuits to still be billing. I dug back into old records and even found the memo to the president suggesting the T-1 along with the SBC order number to cancel the circuits (which was the golden nuget). I gathered everything up and went after SBC. After a 10 month battle SBC would only pay me back two years of wrongful billing. I went to the PSC. To make a long story short, the PSC not only made SBC pay our company for incorrect billing back to the statute of limitations (6 years) but they made SBC pay us back to the time of the T-1 install and the circuit order disconnect. I did not step a foot in court room to do this. I had and found great documentation. We received a SBC refund check for approximately $54,000.00. I got a bit of a pat on the back but what I loved was winning. I knew SBC was wrong and I could proved it and the PSC knew it.

We pay enough to dialtone companies to be paying for cancelled service, unpurchased service and a host of other charges they try to put on us and everyone else. Keep records - It works!

We spend time with our customer's. Find out what their business objectives are, do an audit of their bills, provide cost comparisons to see what type of solutions we can provide and if we can save them money or not. We clean up a lot of Verizon messes down here in Southern California. What our customers like is how quickly we respond and when we become their reps, they can call us directly at any times and not have to wait on hold for a customer service representative.

You totally understand the joy of success when you find telecom billing errors and fight to get the refunds that the clients are due. Great job and thank you for the wonderful post! Keeping records doesn't just make cents... it produces thousands of dollars to those who understand tariff and billing mistakes and can put that extra effort into it.

At my company Auditel Inc. www.auditelinc.com, we specialize in billing errors, tariff disputes, telecom expense reduction and recovery and consider it a challenge to educate the public on telecom billing errors and overcharges.

Thanks again for sharing this great info!

web page

Can anyone else share any of their dispute resolutions or tell us how keeping records has profited their clients, or reduced their bills?

Our problem with SBC in Chicago (now called ATT)- we faxed them a contract with particular long distance and international rates. Our next bill had much higher rates, I called and got credit for hundreds of dollars. Next bill, much higher rates again. They had to unenroll us and reenroll us. When they did that, the rates we initially signed for were no longer available and their computer system couldn't override the current rates. After 2 levels of supervisors, the rerated the calls to the original deal. The next month, much higher rates again. Then they said they couldn't rebill us because we had exercised our "rights" to 2 rebillings and there were none left. Even with a fax report showing we faxed back their contract months prior, they said they could only give us the current special rate which was slightly higher than we signed up for. The following month our local call rates were sky high, because the "new" long distance program we were now on did not include discounts on local service! THEN I RECEIVED A PHONE SURVEY ASKING IF THEY PROVIDED "Excellent Customer Service"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I dare ask how you responded to the survey? This is just more of a brewing monopoly again. Fasten your seatbelts.

Ahhh yes, yet another smooth transition. :read:

File a complaint with the PUC. You have a binding contract. It's amazing how a complaint will get the attention of a lot of folks.

I have to agree with you Kyle, the PUC definitely brings attention to issues within carriers, All it usually takes is for the complaint to pass across an executives desk and well we all know what rolls down hill.