FairPoint Communications Expresses Concern with Activities that Could Impede Communications, Intimidate Customers and Obstruct Customer Service
Company Reinforces Commitment to Serving Customers and asks for Customer Patience with Inclement Weather Approaching, as it Continues to Mobilize Managers, Non-union Employees and Contractors to Meet Customer Needs
PORTLAND, Maine, Oct. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- FairPoint Communications today reiterated its commitment to providing high-quality customer service as it implements and ramps up its contingency plans. At the same time, the Company is expressing its concern with activities and incidents that have alarmed individuals and obstructed customer service. The company issued the following statement:
FairPoint's first commitment is to the safety of our customers and employees all across northern New England. As our unionized workers strike, we are fully engaged in executing our contingency plans to ensure continuity of customer service. We are mobilizing qualified and highly skilled managers, non-union employees and contractors to meet service needs and safeguard our networks. We expect our contingency plans to be fully implemented shortly, and the company greatly appreciates customer patience and understanding at this time.
FairPoint is concerned with activities to disrupt services and intimidate employees and customers and is taking steps to ensure these activities are stopped. It is critical for customers and especially emergency personnel to have communication capabilities.
We have been experiencing significantly higher than usual call volumes into some of our call centers. A large number of these calls, based on all available indications, appear to be computer-generated and intended to interfere with our ability to answer legitimate customer calls. We have taken steps to stop this phone jamming activity and prevent it from occurring again so that customer call centers can more promptly address customer needs.
In addition, while FairPoint respects the employees' right to strike, we cannot allow any actions that threaten the safety of our employees or the service needs of our customers. Individuals have followed and intimidated contractors and employees, blocked our trucks, surrounded our workers on job sites, trespassed on customer property and engaged in conduct that impedes the work FairPoint is doing to meet customer needs. This type of activity creates a dangerous environment for customers and workers. We have also confirmed reports of intimidation of small, local businesses with which we do business.
The Company has sent a letter to union leadership regarding this conduct and has asked them to take action to stop any of their members who may be responsible for these activities immediately.
Once again, we would like to extend our appreciation to customers for their patience and understanding as we continue to execute on our contingency plans to ensure continuity of service. We are expecting heavy rains across northern New England over the next several days and those rains may cause system disruptions. As our managers, non-union employees and contingent workforce ramp to capacity to address the needs of our customers, we are deploying all available resources to prepare for and respond to any storm related impact.
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SOURCE FairPoint Communications, Inc.
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