Re:  Telecommunications Companies, Chapter 480-0120 WAC
 Docket No. UT-990146

04/14/99  1
WUTC Complaint No: 51192

Background:  We purchased a piece of property on Vashon Island in the fall of 
1997, intending to build a new house the following year.  In the spring of 
1998, we started working with a local architect on the plans, and at that time, 
we contacted CenturyTel (then PTI Communications) to verify what we needed to 
do to keep them informed as to our planned schedule of construction.

After completing the plans and securing financing at the end of the summer of 
1998, we again contacted CenturyTel on September 17th to inform them that we 
were going ahead with construction, and that the target date for phone 
installation was sometime in the first quarter of 1999.  We verified location 
of our telephone cable, and we were told to call them within two weeks of the 
needed hook-up so that they could schedule the installation.

During the first week of February, 1999, we contacted CenturyTel to inform them 
that we expected to move in during the last week of February, and we scheduled 
hook-up and phone transfer (from our rental house) for the 19th of February.  
At this time, they said there would be no problems, and that the installation 
should be completed in a timely manner.

We arrived at the house on Saturday, February 20th to find a notice on our door 
that installation had not been completed and that we were to contact the Phone 
Company.  What we found out was that the cables to the junction box that 
CenturyTel had planned to use for our phone hook-up were either all in use or 
had gone bad.  A new line from the street and a new junction box would have to 
be installed for our residential service.  This would entail obtaining a permit 
from King County and then scheduling an internal work order for the digging of 
the cable.  They estimated that it would take two weeks to get the KC permit, 
and then another 4 weeks to process the work order – this meant that we would 
receive phone service in another six weeks.

In reality, we did not receive a hook-up until April 15th, almost eleven weeks 
after we had originally scheduled our hook-up, and eight weeks after the 
original date of installation.  KC took an extra week and a half to issue 
permits and CenturyTel refused to change their four-week period from receipt of 
permit to installation.  Installation of the cable itself and the associated 
junction box took less than three actual working days.

While we were able to keep our phone service at the rental house until February 
28th, we had to leave the rental house for the new tenants, leaving us without 
phone service.   CenturyTel did change over our phone to a remote mailbox to 
allow incoming calls to be recorded and then retrieved from another phone.

The new house is located in somewhat of a rural area, with the nearest neighbor 
approximately 300 yards away.  We have a 3-year-old son, so it is imperative 
that a phone is handy in case of an emergency.  In addition, at the time of the 
move, my wife was heavily involved in organizing a charity event, so it was 
critical that we have phone service, and not operate out of a pay phone booth a 
half-mile away.

We purchased our own a cell phone – an item that I normally feel is very 
unnecessary for our life.  Because we had to purchase a calling plan with 
enough minutes that was suitable for use as an everyday phone, the cost for the 
first two months of service was over $500 (including purchase of the phone 
itself – a refurbished unit).  Luckily, our cell phone server allows us to 
change plans so that as the need for call time decreases, we can change to 
cheaper plans.

Comments:  The delay in installation of our phone was solely due to the 
ineptitude of CenturyTel.  We gave them plenty of notice and time to verify 
that the installation could be done as scheduled.  It is inexcusable that a 
company that is supposed to be service oriented to leave a customer so 
inconvenienced for such a long period of time, especially in such a potentially 
dangerous situation.  What would have happened if there was a medical 
emergency, and we had to run to the neighbors to get a phone – it would have 
taken precious minutes.  What also would have happened if we had not been able 
to afford the cost of a cell phone?  As it is, the $500 we spent, and the money 
that we continue to spend on service could well be used elsewhere.

I believe that all phone companies have a mandate to provide phone service to 
their customers in a reasonable and timely manner.  It is the responsibility of 
the Service Company to provide its service on the date agreed to with its 
customer.  In this era of readily available cell phones, there is no reason why 
a cell phone cannot be supplied on a temporary basis to a customer who is 
inconvenienced in the way that we were.  A phone is no longer a luxury, but is 
a necessity, especially in rural areas.

Recommendations:  I offer the following recommendations for consideration:

Upon initial contact between the company and customer, a written work order is 
to be generated, stating intended service type (single residential line, two 
lines, high-speed computer line, etc.) and service initiation date.  It is then 
the responsibility of the customer to keep the company informed of any schedule 
changes for hook-up, and it also the responsibility of the company to verify 
that hook-up can be established at the intended time.  Any potential problems 
need to be explored at this time – not at the day of hook-up!
  
  2.  If a problem with hook-up does occur, then it is the responsibility of 
the company (assuming the problem is with the company and not with the 
customer) to provide some means of temporary service to the customer for the 
duration of time before normal service can be provided as contracted.  This can 
be by cell phone or temporary landline if possible.  As an option for companies 
that do not have cell phone service (CenturyTel’s excuse for not providing cell 
phones was that “they were not a cell phone company”) is to provide some credit 
on the billing that can be applied by the customer towards there own cell phone 
service.  Based on our experience, this credit should be on the order of $150 
for the first week, and $35 a week thereafter.  (The first week credit is 
higher because one has to purchase a phone and pay for the initiation of 
service).