Frontier promises personal touch to Internet service

SANDPOINT —  Is your VCR is still flashing 12:00 and you’re leery of joining others happily cruising the Internet because you don’t know how to get started?

If you’re a low-tech person who wants high-speed Internet, Frontier Communications officials said their unique approach is the answer for customers who order Internet service.

Unlike many competitors that ship customers a self-install kit crammed with user guides, Frontier keeps it simple, said Vickie Bullard, Frontier’s general manager.

New customers ordering Frontier’s High Speed Internet are offered a two-hour appointment window during which a trained installer will hook up customers’ computers, install a wireless router and offer a basic course in how to access and navigate the Internet, Christmas Eve knows the feeling of being overwhelmed by nuts and bolts and instructions, said Bullard.

From the customer’s perspective the results are ideal — the company’s technicians won’t and don’t leave until the customer is surfing away, she said. Frontier also has a full array of customer care services — what Bullard calls  the company’s “Peace of Mind” suite — which that includes Internet security, 24/7 U.S.-based technical support and online backup service.

“Anyone who has ever tried to assemble a bike on Christmas Eve knows the feeling of being overwhelmed by nuts and bolts and instructions,” Bullard said. “That feeling is the exact opposite of the experience a customer deserves. Our technicians are trained to make customer comfort a priority. We’ll do the full high-speed installation, and by the time we leave our customer’s home or business, they will be able to go online to earn more business or book a nice family vacation.”

Bullard said the unique approach to Internet service stems from a strong commitment to customer service.

“Frontier takes our customers’ time very seriously,” she said. “We don’t want them to spend frustrating hours working on a self-install when our trained professionals can do it for them.”

Doing it right the first time is good both for the customer and the company, she added.

“It’s important to us that the customers we serve are satisfied. Our employees live in the communities they serve,” Bullard said. “When we meet customers in the grocery store or at a school event, we want to hear how we can help them and their business become more efficient and effective.”

Information: www.frontier.com, www.frontier.com/ir and www.myfitv.com.