In addition to providing the live call center and e-mail instructions on www.hawaiiantel.net, Nishida said the company provided instructions for accessing e-mail on its interactive voice response number. The Web page also provides instructions for configuring e-mail managers. Hawaiian Telcom
Hawaiian Telcom takes charge
Final ties cut with Verizon
By BOBBY COMMAND
West Hawaii Today
bcommand@westhawaiitoday.com
Despite unexpected issues caused by stormy weather, Hawaiian Telcom celebrated “Independence Day” April 1 when it cut the final ties to Verizon.
“The network transition overall went smoothly,” said Hawaiian Telcom Senior Manager of Corporate Communications Ann Nishida. “Basic service, long distance, E911, Directory Assistance and Internet access all switched over smoothly and continue to function normally.”
Nishida said disruptions at that time were due to the record-setting rains which parts of the state experienced during the last six weeks.
Also part of the $100 million changeover are new network monitoring and local call centers, she said. Under Verizon, network monitoring was done in eight separate mainland locations and support came from mainland-based call centers.
“About 40 to 60 local representatives answer our DSL support inquiries now,” Nishida said. “Hiring locally is a reversal of a trend toward outsourcing work to other states and countries, and we’re proud to have created good jobs here in Hawaii.”
Over the April 1 weekend, a few isolated issues with individual customers were identified and resolved. Hawaiian Telcom is monitoring network traffic, especially looking for other issues that might not have been identified over that weekend.
“Due to the unusual volume, repairs are generally being completed within three to four days,” said Nishida, “though restoration could take longer in certain situations.”
Nishida said a download of massive amounts of customer data from Verizon’s systems is also nearing completion. She said Hawaiian Telcom is in the process of converting and uploading this data into its new information technology-customer service platforms.
This past week, Hawaiian Telcom was in a “quiet” period, according to Nishida. The company completed repairs and took orders and service-change requests, but most new installations and service activity will resume this week. This quiet period was to ensure the accuracy and consistency of customer data during the data transfer process, she said.
Nishida also said Internet access was not disrupted by the switch, but the company did receive an unexpectedly high volume of calls seeking help with accessing or configuring e-mail.
Customers who previously used “verizon.net” e-mail migrated successfully to “hawaiiantel.net” e-mail. However, the new Web portal (www.hawaiiantel.net), which would have provided instructions for e-mail access, was not available April 1.
However, by mid-day, the company had placed a “static page” on the site with information regarding e-mail access. While some Oahu customers had to hold for nearly a half an hour to speak to the new technical support center, the wait on April 2 averaged only three to four minutes.
Most of the calls were from customers who had forgotten their passwords, but Nishida said they were provided following a security check. Others who use an e-mail manager (such as Microsoft Outlook) rather than the default Hawaiiantel.net Web mail service sought assistance in configuring their e-mail manager.
In addition to providing the live call center and e-mail instructions on www.hawaiiantel.net, Nishida said the company provided instructions for accessing e-mail on its interactive voice response number. The Web page also provides instructions for configuring e-mail managers.
