Telecom For Dummies

There are three groups of telecom people you need to have on your speed dial before you have a crisis. These are the individuals who troubleshoot and repair your phone system problems when you cannot dial out, have static on the line, are dealing with echo (echo, echo), or any issue that prevents you from completing a call. Although I offer extensive troubleshooting information in this book that you can use to isolate problems, you still need the right company to correct problems. These are not DIY tasks. Be prepared to call the following individuals:

• The customer care center for your long-distance carrier(s): These people can help you troubleshoot and repair anything that is the responsibility of your long-distance carrier. Not every problem belongs to your long-distance carrier, but when you identify a long-distance telecom issue, you need to call the long-distance carrier. In the event of a serious problem, keep a full phone list that escalates all the way to the vice-president level. Nothing feels worse than having a contact number for the lowest end of the support spectrum, and no way to escalate.

• The trouble reporting center for your local carrier: Generally, you can reach this office by dialing 611 from your phone, but if your phone lines are completely out, you may have to use a cellphone. Unfortunately, dialing 611 from your cellphone won’t do you any good at all. Instead, find the customer service number on an old phone bill or search the Web for the customer service number, and keep the number handy. As with your long-distance carrier, have an escalating list of phone numbers so that if you don’t receive immediate resolution you can talk to someone with more authority.

• The service number for your hardware vendor: Keep the number of your hardware vendor close at hand. Sometimes phone issues are hardware related, and in those situations, your long-distance or local carrier can do nothing to resolve them.