DFT Communications’ Response to the COVID-19 Virus
Updated June 19, 2020
This update is an effort to keep you informed about the steps we are taking during the Coronavirus pandemic.
DFT as a designated Essential Work Force Will continue to strive to provide the best possible service and repair services to our customers and neighbors as we continue to navigate through these uncertain times. Keeping our team, customers and community healthy and safe remains our top priority.
What we are doing here at DFT
We now have nearly one half of our employees working remotely from home.
DFT has reopened our store and walk-in payment center at 38 Temple Street in Fredonia. The following procedures have been put in place to protect the health and safety of our employees and customers:
• Only two customers will be allowed in the store at a time.
• Customers and visitors are required to wear a mask during their visit.
• We ask all visitors to respect social distancing guidelines while in the store.
DFT is offering a $10.00 bill credit if you select to sign up for our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), and paperless billing. This is where bill payment is automatically made from your checking or savings account.
You may also pay by using our Bill Pay on-line, calling in by phone to 673-3000, by mailing your payment or by using our night deposit box 24 hours per day, located by the front door at 38 Temple Street in Fredonia.
DFT’s Computer repair service will schedule picking-up or dropping off your repaired equipment at no additional cost. Please understand that some repairs may take a little longer to return with this new policy. Exchange of internet modems/routers will follow the same plan.
Should you need service at your home, our call center and customer service representatives will be asking the following questions in order to prevent virus exposure:
• Is anyone in your home feeling sick?
• Has anyone in your home been sick recently or had a fever?
• Has anyone in your home traveled outside the immediate area recently?
If the answer to any of these is yes, we will need to schedule an appointment for a later date.
Our Construction and Installation crews have been given a procedure to follow and it is up to them to determine if they feel comfortable to enter a home.
Any Employee feeling ill has been instructed to remain home and seek medical attention. They are also asked to remain home if a family member in the household is feeling ill.
Our Staff is performing ongoing environmental cleaning of work surfaces and common areas like restrooms are being disinfected on a regular basis.
In addition to our offer of a $10.00 statement credit for taking advantage of our EFT payment program, DFT is offering free internet service through June 30, 2020 to any new sign-up with K-12 school age children at home, college students or those now working from home. There is no obligation to continue service after June 30, 2020.
What can you do?
• Make use of our free remote services like live webchat, EFT, online bill pay, or by paying your bill by phone.
• Be mindful of our new policies at our 38 Temple Street, Fredonia office for customer visits. Be prepared to wait your turn if there are already two customers in the store before you, and wear a mask during your visit.
• If you need to schedule service, our Customer Service team will ask you questions regarding whether or not you have tested positive for COVID-19 or have been asked to voluntarily quarantine yourself. We ask you to answer these questions honestly, so that our team of technicians can take the appropriate steps to protect themselves from infection if a home visit is required.
• Be patient and plan ahead. No one knows how severe this outbreak will be, or how long it will last. If your school, business, or organization shuts down for a certain amount of time, realize that this will increase demand for our services – and it would likely be during a time when we have more staff out as well.
• Beware of scams related to the Coronavirus. The Federal Trade Commission has released an article with details on what you can do to avoid these scams. You can read more here.
Remember, everyone can follow these simple steps to avoid illness:
• Avoid large gatherings where illness can spread.
• Utilize social distancing, stay at least 6 feet away from others.
• Wash your hands several times a day for at least 20 seconds. If hand washing isn’t immediately possible for you, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a back-up solution.
• Avoid direct contact with others, especially if they appear sick.
• If you are sick, stay home to avoid spreading your illness to others. If you are unable to stay home, then remember to cough or sneeze into your arm or a tissue or wear an appropriate medical mask to reduce the likelihood of others catching your illness.
• The Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) has compiled an FAQ on the coronavirus, to help educate the community on what this virus is, who is at risk, and how we all can take measures to prevent its spread. You can find the CDC information on COVID-19 here.
Federal social distancing guidelines were just extended and here at DFT we are very aware of our need to protect our employee team, as well as our customers. Experts believe that if we all temporarily limit close personal contact with those outside our households, everyone will benefit as this precautionary step will slow the spread of the virus.
Together we will get through these trying times to emerge stronger. Please know that it has always been DFT’s mission to work with you in providing you the most reliable communication services and equipment, while making you feel safe and secure in your home and business. DFT’s team members are committed to helping you and help is only an email or a phone call away! Should you find yourself in need of assistance regarding your service or account, please contact us at 673-3000 or 1-877-653-3100. You can also chat live with one of our Customer Service Representatives Monday thru Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm.
Thank you for choosing DFT Communications.