Friday, October 5, 2001
Friday, October 5, 2001 |
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Complaints about AT&T Broadband cable in PTC result in changes at local office By JOHN
MUNFORD
Peachtree City customers of AT&T Broadband are now able to walk in to the local office to get service instead of calling one of the company's service numbers. AT&T officials made the change after city officials received over 40 complaints from residents about cable service in July and August. Previously, local residents were left to use the new service numbers, spurning numerous complaints about not being able to get through and long hold times, said Betsy Tyler, the city's public information officer. Some residents said they waited over half an hour or more on hold to speak to a AT&T representative when using the service numbers. Reg Griffin, executive director of communications for AT&T, said Peachtree City customers can now go to the local office for service issues, billing problems and other cable needs. "You can do everything there face-to-face," Griffin said. The city has also cited AT&T Broadband for failing to provide service to 35 occupied homes in new subdivisions. It is likely that the city will not seek a fine, Tyler said, unless the improvements aren't made by the time company officials have indicated. Griffin said AT&T officials have presented a buildout plan for those subdivisions and a timeline for construction to begin. Providing service to all homes in Peachtree City is a stipulation in the company's franchise agreement with the city, Tyler confirmed. The agreement also requires AT&T to hold an annual public meeting for local customers; it has been scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 25, at City Hall. Customers are invited to learn about the planned upgrade of the system and to express complaints to AT&T executives. Griffin said the company's vice president of engineering, Mark Davis, and its vice president of customer operations, Kirk Dale, will be present at that meeting. Griffin said the company has also been holding its own public meetings and plans to do so in Fayette County on Tuesday, Nov. 13, although the location has not been selected yet. Griffin said the upgrade of Peachtree City's cable system for digital cable is underway. It will involve some service interruptions at times, but the company tries to keep those limited to before 6 p.m., Griffin said. "We try to hold interruptions to a minimum and outside the prime time hours," Griffin said. The upgrade will allow for the channel lineup to be expanded, Griffin said. The upgrade was recently completed in Fayette County with excellent feedback from customers, he said.
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