Small businesses suffering after Frontier switch from Verizon
Some residential customers and small business owners are frustrated with losing their phone, Internet and television following the takeover of Verizon Fios customers by Frontier Communications a few weeks ago.
KESQ & CBS Local 2 have been reporting this story for more than a week. Almost daily we are getting complaints from people about the problems they are having and the apparent lack of customer service by Frontier.
Lana Reimer is a traveling notary working in the Coachella Valley. She is a former Verizon Fios customer who lost her office phone and Internet after Frontier Communications took over. She had to fight for 10 days to get her services back.
“On Monday no one showed up. They told me someone was working at my house at 6 p.m. There wasn’t. On Tuesday they said someone would be out between 8 and 5 and no one showed up with no phone call, no anything,” said Reimer.
Reimer ended up finding a way around corporate to fix the problem.
“I was leaving my last job and I saw a Verizon truck and I flagged him down. We started talking and he gave me his card. He said he had he had an install to do and when he was done he would come over to help me and he did,” said Reimer.
Reimer said she was losing hundreds of dollars a day when because her phone and Internet were not working.
Fran Brown is an office manager with Jacobsson Engineering in Thousand Palms. The construction company didn’t have phone or Internet for five days.
“We couldn’t get bids out, our emails didn’t work, payroll, everything we do is online and I had to send employees home last week,” said Brown.
Brown says talking to Frontier customer service was almost useless.
“They were just transferring us and everyone was passing the buck. So that was the worst part was their customer service or I should say their lack of customer service,” said Brown.
According to a representative with Frontier Communications, the company is in the process of completing the transition of more than 1 million customers in California alone. The company is working quickly to restore any service issues.
Residential customers in need of assistance should call 1-800-921-8101. Business customers should dial 1-800-921-8102.
