Reporting Trouble  - It is ideal for the person who experienced the trouble to report it to the appropriate carrier.  This person should be prepared to answer the following questions

1)  When did the trouble start?

2)  Provide a detailed description of the trouble and some examples of the trouble.  For instance, if you are having problems making certain types of phone calls, you should have a few examples of the phone numbers and times when the problem occurred. 

3)  In the case of data/Internet problems, did you try to reset or reboot the equipment?

4)  Is the problem intermittent or constant?

5)  What are your hours of operation?

Once you report the trouble, you will receive a trouble ticket number which should be recorded along with the time and any other information the support representative may have provided.

Escalation  - If the problem is not resolved in a timely manner, typically within 2-4 hours for T-1 Service or 12 to 24 hours for traditional analog service, the problem may need to be escalated.  While you can certainly contact the carrier and ask for them to escalate the problem yourself, you can also contact Brisk Consulting and ask us to escalate the issue on your behalf.  Often times, we have special phone numbers and contacts that make the escalation process more efficient and effective.

Click here go to the list of our carriers with their support numbers and procedures

Anybody who's had to deal with telecommunications services has had to deal with the frutrations of trying to get a service issue resolved.   Over the years, we've discovered some tips for resolving issues which are listed below.  Some of these tips may seem remedial and they may seem to indicate that the carrier is flawed in some way.  But the reality is that every carrier has good, experienced employees and they also have less experienced employess.  The best advice is to take a few extra minutes to follow these tips and your likelihood of an efficient resolution to your problem increases.  In about 80% of the cases, regardless of the carrier, the problems are resolved quickly and effectively.  That  leaves 20% of the time where it will have been a good idea to follow these tips.

1)  First and foremost, the best way to get an issue resolved is to remain calm.  Even though you are frustrated for many reasons, the person from your phone company will be much more likely to help you if you do not lash out at them.

2)  Ask lots of questions  - whether it's your initial call to report trouble or a follow up call, make sure to ask lots of questions about what you should expect from their support team.  Ask about timeframes, processes, and what you should do if certain things don't occur the way they are supposed to.  You should also find out if there is a direct phone number to the person you are talking to.

3)  Confirm everything  - if the support person tells you that he or she will do something, be sure to confirm exactly what they will do.  If you can get the names of the persons who will be performing various tasks, do so.  Confirm the timeframes and processes from the previous tip.  Make sure to understand what is supposed to happen and when.

4)  If there is a technician visit necessary, be sure to speak to him or her.  Make sure to inform anyone who may have contact with the technician to inform you when s/he arrives.  When you speak to him or her, emphasize that you want to speak to them before they leave.  Sometimes the technician will say "I have to leave but I will be back".  If this happens, find out exactly why s/he is leaving and exactly when s/he will return.

5)  Keep your facts straight - if you do need to eventually escalate your issue, it will be better to have as many facts as possible that will help you make your case to get someone to help you.  Write everything down and resist the urge to exaggerate time frames or other facts.