To the editor:

I know I am not alone in voicing my disappointment in Whidbey Telecom’s latest — and may I say extended — email migration issues. First of all “migration” might be a word they consider not using when describing their poor efforts at upgrading service, because it may be exactly what happens: a great migration of loyal customers moving to cable or other services offered. Second, let’s just take a look at the bottom of Whidbey Telecom’s homepage and notice they say:

“Locally owned and operated, Whidbey Telecom is committed to providing our communities with the best of all worlds: the latest in telecom technologies and personalized, first-class customer service.”

If this is the latest of technologies, perhaps they should consider staying with what worked. Saying they have “personalized, first- class customer service” is yet another disappointment to many who tried to call and simply get information from those folks who work the phones. Yes, they are on the front lines, and yes they are dealing with upset customers, but that’s  their job. OK, they get their information from the system’s administration level — folks who only tell them what they predict, but if you’re being rude to the customer, many of whom depend on Whidbey’s email service for time sensitive data that equates into financial gain or loss, and they are unable to make other arrangements without the knowledge of knowing when the service will be back up and running or not, then it is terrible customer service.

Again, I feel a bit of compassion for those who have to deal with the angry onslaught of customers asking what is happening now? But again, it is their job!

We got an apology which was at a minimum necessary but I am hopeful that there will be better in-service training for the first-class customer service they say they offer and perhaps some kind of monetary reimbursement for all the time lost.

Mike Morris

Langley