The unwritten rule was that, if someone had an emergency and told you so
while you were talking, you would hang up to let that person make that
call. There were times when this was a subterfuge to get you off and
make your own call -- shame on you! And shame on you too if you listened
in to what the emergency was. In those simpler days, when someone
called you, they didn't announce their name; they started talking, and
you recognized their voice.
In the space of a few years, the Waitsfield-Fayston Telephone Company
became a state-of-the-art telecommunication system on the cutting edge
of that technology, and changed its name to reflect this. Their internet
service is unequaled; calls to their tech people are handled with
admirable competence, and problems are fixed expeditiously -- and you
are e-mailed with a request for comments on the outcome. Their service
to their customers is unrivaled. You always get a person to answer the
phone when you call -- not a bunch of irritating and interminable menus
that often don't even address what you are calling about.
Any inquiries to Waitsfield-Champlain Valley Telecom are dealt with
speedily and in the most friendly manner. If you experience a problem
which the repair tech deems to require that a truck be sent to your
residence, that truck will arrive within a short time -- sometimes
within minutes -- as I have experienced several times. I doubt that
Philadelphia Verizon is so responsive. The Mad River and Champlain
Valleys are indeed fortunate to have such a dedicated and competent team
serving them with the latest technology.
My only wish is that the Haskins had bought the Verizon Vermont
landlines instead of FairPoint. What a difference this would make in the
daily lives of those who live just beyond Waitsfield Telecom's reach!
Fortunately, for me, I have been able to keep my e-mails with them.
Henri de Marne
40-year Valley resident, now living in Essex
