New phone issues frustrate residents
Campus Times
October 3, 1997
Rather than dealing with billing issues that occurred last year, University
of La Verne students are having to deal with the technical side of phone
calls.
Students have complained that their long distance calls go through,
but as their conversation is in progress, the phone suddenly cuts out, forcing
many students to make their costly calls again and again.
Joel Perez, who is the University's liaison to CampusLink, said that
the problems students have been experiencing are attributed to the t1 card
that is located in Founders Hall.
The card was defective and was responsible for the disconnecting While
waiting for the new card to arrive the existing calls had to be rerouted
in order to avoid the problem further. The problem has reportedly been fixed.
Despite the t1 card problem, some students have found that CampusLink
representatives are rude to them when they call with questions regarding
their bills or service in general.
Sophomore Carissa Callahan said, "They give us the run around and
never give you a straight answer."
Callahan made attempts to remedy the situation through communication
with CampusLink and found the service to be unpleasant. She commented that
she feels it is because of her age that she is treated so badly.
"It is because I am young, they think that my questions are stupid
and a bother to them," she said.
Callahan's reason for that is that when her mother Sharon, placed a
call, unlike Callahan, her mother's call was returned the next day.
Derek Vergara, director of housing and residential life, said that he
will not put up with poor customer service. He feels it is unnecessary and
voiced his opinion at a meeting with CampusLink before school started where
Vergara, Sheila Degraw, director of support services, Loretta Rahmani, dean
of student affairs, Perez and Luanne Wilson, a CampusLink representative
to discuss our contract.
"We sat down with a list of last year's complaints, from A to O,
and said these will not happen this year. I told them that they are not
meeting the demands of the students and we will not tolerate it," said
Vergara.
Vergara's theory on the CampusLink problems stem from phone company
changes. He says every year since he has been director, the University has
changed phone companies. Therefore, he believes every year students experience
the initial glitches of the transition to a new company and their new billing
and their new policies.
Vergara hopes that this year, as residents stay with CampusLink, the
problems will iron themselves out. Some students have doubts.
"My freshman year, we had a company by the name of NCI. My sophomore
year, it was Fujitsu, the company that bought out NCI. Well, guess who bought
out Fujitsu, my junior year? CampusLink," said senior Par Nag.
How does CampusLink compare?
"It is just as bad as the others, but there is more static this
year," said Nag.
Vergara also said that he is putting together a task force to research
other phone companies. He wants the students to have a say in the decision
that is made. He is not afraid to change companies again, but he said he
wants to do it with ethics and integrity and not prematurely.
"I realize it is frustrating. We need to let the students be apart
of the process," said Vergara.
The task force should be assembled by the end this month and will start
working immediately. Although Vergara said that he would like to stay with
CampusLink at least until the semester to see how things progress.
On-campus students are scheduled to receive bills early this month.
A CampusLink representative will be on campus later in the month to help
with questions or concerns.
