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NEWS - 06.24.2008

Improved Services from Suddenlink

The CSUMB Foundation has extended the agreement with Suddenlink for cable TV services until April 30, 2009.

The new Agreement specifies the following improvements:

1. Improved customer call-in repair support and service appointment practices using a new Suddenlink phone number: (866) 672-1135. 

In summary:

a. Residents on East Campus should call Suddenlink at (866) 672-1135 for all cable TV problems and the CSUMB Help Desk (582-HELP) for all cable modem problems.

b. Residents on Main Campus (i.e., ResHalls and NQH) should call the CSUMB Help Desk (582-HELP) for all cable TV and network problems.

Specifically, the following language from the new Agreement now specifies the following for residents on East Campus:

East Campus Call in Suddenlink shall provide sufficient toll-free telephone line capacity and personnel to assure that customer calls shall be answered before the 6^th ring, and that telephone answer time, including wait time, before the caller is connected to a customer service representative, shall not exceed two (2) minutes. Suddenlink shall assign each call the equivalent of a unique Service Request  “trouble ticket number” and provide that information to the customer at the time of the call.  When Suddenlink considers the reported issue to be resolved, Suddenlink will make at least three attempts to contact the customer, either via telephone or e-mail, to verify satisfaction before closing the Service Request trouble ticket.  All relevant Service Request trouble ticket activity will be logged by Suddenlink and be available to Suddenlink’s management upon request for audit purposes.

East Campus Customer Appointments - Appointments for on-site repair, installations, or service changes shall be scheduled within a specified 4 hour window, such as 8-12, 1-5, etc.  If the Suddenlink technician or installer assigned to the response finds that he or she will be unable to keep the appointment, due to problems encountered on previous jobs, the customer shall be notified as soon as possible, and the call rescheduled for a time that is convenient for the customer.  If the customer fails to keep an mutually-agreed upon appointment, Suddenlink shall leave a notice on customer’s front door that specifies a phone number to call Suddenlink to make a new appointment.  If the customer fails to keep two sequential appointments, Suddenlink shall leave a note on the customer’s door stating the Service Request has been canceled and the ticket closed. Suddenlink will note appointments and their outcome in the Service Request ticket for audit purposes.

Service Requests regarding CSUMB-provided cable modem service should be reported to the CSUMB Help Desk, which will attempt to resolve the reported problem. In the event the CSUMB Help Desk determines the reported problem is caused by Suddenlink’s System, the CSUMB Help Desk will request the customer schedule an appointment directly with the Suddenlink by calling the toll free number provided on the Suddenlink’s customer support web page.  Once Suddenlink resolves the reported problem, Suddenlink will notify the CSUMB Help Desk accordingly, using the CSUMB’s Help Desk’s original Service Request number so that the CSUMB Help Desk may close its Service Request or perform additional troubleshooting as required.

Once again, the toll free number for East Campus cable TV problems is: (866) 672-1135.

2. During the next six months, Suddenlink will deliver all over-the-air channels in both the current analog format as well as in the highest quality format broadcasted by the station (i.e., SDTV, HDTV).  These channels will be in an “unscrambled/unencrypted” transmission format directly supported by commercially available consumer digital-cable-ready television set receivers.  No additional equipment, including “set top boxes,” will be required to receive or view these channels.  As of May 1, 2008, the over-the-air channels provided by Suddenlink in analog include: KCBA-FOX 35 Salinas, KION-CBS 46 Monterey, KICU-IND 36 San Jose, KGO-ABC 7 San Francisco, KSBW-NBC 8 Salinas, KQET-PBS 9, San Francisco, KSMS-Univision 67 Monterey, KTEH-PBS 54 San Jose, and KSTS Telemundo 48 San Jose.  If these stations broadcast SDTV or HDTV signals, Suddenlink will deliver these signals, no later than December 1, 2008, unaltered directly into the coax connector in the back of any commercially available consumer digital-cable-ready television set receivers.  In addition, the three existing CSUMB channels (70, 71, 72) will be upgraded to support HDTV content.

3. The performance of CSUMB’s cable modem service on East Campus is directly affected by the number of cable modems connected to each of Suddenlink’s eight “nodes.”  As of May 1, four of these nodes have greater than 150 active cable modems.  Therefore, by July 1 (according to the contract), Suddenlink will “split” these nodes such that the East Campus cable modems will be spread across twelve nodes (instead of 8) with each node having less than 150 cable modems.