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State officials have blasted AT&T’s customer service record, saying the phone giant must get faulty lines back in service within 24 hours.  AT&T defended its record in a hearing before state regulators.

Utility watchdog, the Office of Consumer Counsel filed a complaint in July criticizing AT&T’s repair record, saying for the last 8 years the company has failed to meet standards set by regulators.  Those mandate that 90 percent of out-of-service phone lines must be repaired within 24 hours.  The watchdog points to layoffs in the state which it says have had an adverse impact on service.  In a hearing before the state Department of Public Utility Control the OCC’s Margaret Bain said it’s time for action:

"The company has given no indication that it wants to voluntarily improve its service, and indeed stands in opposition to having quality of service standards.  Connecticut consumers need and deserve a good quality of service and we urge the Department to ensure its speedy delivery."

But speaking for AT&T Rex Hatch says the phone giant has already begun to improve the system for dispatching repair techs, and has invested in improving the overall infrastructure:

"Over the last few years we have spent millions of dollars in Connecticut placing digital switches, fiber optics, digital loop carriers, trying to provide our service closer to the customer to eliminate problems, to eliminate repair tickets."

Governor Jodi Rell also submitted written testimony to the hearing, saying it’s especially critical that AT&T improve because more than one and a half million land line customers are seniors.  She also deplored the company’s recent decision to move its repair dispatch center from Meriden to Michigan.