Grrr... I'm struggling with Citizens Internet PA at the moment (wpa.net). Citizens are a small provider here in PA who among other services now offer fiber-optic internet. Interestingly, the connection is not actually that fast, certainly not to warrant fiber status, but its the service that I really need to focus on.
I've been having problems since last night (Friday) when sites would not resolve properly. After switching out to OpenDNS, checking InternetPulse.com, running through a local proxy and the problem still persisting, I guessed it had to be a router their end so this morning gave them a call.
When I called their out of hours service line I was informed that OOH service was available Mon-Fri something AM to about 10PM and Saturday 10AM to 6PM. All I needed to do was leave a message... great!
Not so great. Two messages and five hours later, with the 6PM deadline fast approaching I had still not received a reply. Small companies need to realise that service is the most important service they have to offer which should set them apart from the big boys. I guess Citizens needs to take note here.
It was also the first time I had checked their website. Seemingly unchanged since 2002, this whole company seems to be based on word of mouth and yellow pages referral. The site is buggy, outdated, misinformed and more importantly, was reporting a generic OK! network status. I would love to get my hands on that website, get them setup with a forum maybe, a proper network status, up to the minute Internet health checks, FAQ bases, support systems etc... even online chat maybe?
Frustrating to say the least. I wonder if I'll have to wait until Monday morning before I can get service now? We will see! Citizens Internet... only for select Citizens within business hours.
Update 7/12/09 - 2:40PM: As expected, the problem is still persisting this morning. Last night I found the fiber box attached to the side of the house, opened it up and checked all the connections... but everything looked good. Today I was able to get around it by installing a wireless router at a neighbours house (nice guy!) and the signal *just* reached. It only reaches my office, but that's good enough. I have cable. Next week I'm thinking I'll switch to Verizon FiOS... maybe they will be manned over the weekend?
Update 7/13/09 - 9:50AM: So I guess the Internet started working properly again last night, with all sites resolving as normal. I called and spoke to Brendan this morning at Citizens Internet customer service. It turns out that they do not "really have anyone in charge of Internet services", so I relayed my concerns about no weekend service through him. He said that the account would be credited a couple of days service, which is fantastic considering I did not have service for that time... it was more insulting than anything else, a whole months refund may have saved them... but not that. I'll be looking for a new carrier as soon as possible.
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