Frequently Asked Questions
Repair FAQ
- What do I do if I have no dial tone?
There are several troubleshooting steps you can take before you call in a repair that will help save you time.
1. Make sure the phone cord is securely plugged into the phone and the jack.
2. If you are using a cordless phone, make sure the base is plugged into an electrical outlet and the battery in the handset is good.
3. Plug a different phone into the jack to make sure the problem is not in the phone equipment.
4. Plug the phone into a different jack to make sure the problem is not in the jack.
5. Unplug all of your phones from the phone jacks for at least 15 minutes, then plug them back in one at a time to see if you have a dial tone at any of your jacks.
If you still have no dial tone after completing the troubleshooting, test the phone at the telephone box (also called a D-Marc or Interface). This box is usually located on the outside of your house or a nearby phone or power pole. There is a test jack that you can plug your phone into to test for a dial tone.
If you have a dial tone at the box but not inside the house, the problem is probably an “inside” issue. (See below for an explanation of an "inside" issue and what to do in this case.)
If you do not have a dial tone at the box, call in a repair to your local SouthEast Telephone Authorized Agent or contact our Customer Care Department to place a repair request. It is important to let us know if the dial tone is intermittent (A dial tone that comes and goes). If it is intermittent, does it happen at the same time every day? On the same days every week? Only when it rains? When it gets really hot or really cold? Is it random?
Dial tone issues are usually resolved within 48 hours of the time it is reported, but may take longer depending on the work load and staffing in your area.
- What do I do if I have static or roaring on my phone line?
There are a few troubleshooting steps you can take before you call in a repair that will help save you time:
1. If you are using a cordless phone, make sure the base is plugged into an electrical outlet and that the battery in the handset is good.
2. Also, make sure the cordless phone base is not situated close to a computer, modem, baby monitor, or other electrical equipment that may cause interference. Move the phone and see if that resolves the problem.
3. Plug a different phone into the jack to make sure the problem is not in the phone.
4. Plug the phone into a different jack to make sure the problem is not in the jack.
5. Unplug all of your phones from the phone jacks for at least 15 minutes then plug them back in one at a time to see if you have static on any of your phones at any of your jacks.
If you still have static after completing the troubleshooting, test the phone at the telephone box (also called a D-Marc or Interface), if you are able to do so. There is a test jack that you can plug your phone into to test for static.
If you do not have static at the box but do inside the house, the problem is probably an “inside” issue. (See below for an explanation of an "inside" issue and what to do in this case.)
If you do have static at the box, call in a repair to your local SouthEast Telephone Authorized Agent or contact our Customer Care Department to place a repair request. It is important to let us know if the static is intermittent (Does the static come and go). If it is intermittent, does it happen at the same time every day? On the same days every week? Only when it rains? When it gets really hot or really cold? Is it random?
Static issues are usually resolved within 3-5 business days of the time it is reported, but may take longer depending on the work load and staffing in your area.
- I am paying for a private phone line, so why am I hearing other conversations on my phone?
If you are using a cordless phone, make sure what you are hearing is not interference. Try using a corded phone and see if you still hear other conversations. If you do, then you probably have what is known as “crossed lines.”
You do have a single or private line, but sometimes wires literally get crossed and other conversations can be heard. Usually, they can hear you too. If at all possible, get the phone number of the other line(s) and report the issue to your local SouthEast Telephone Authorized Agent or contact our Customer Care Department to request a repair. Advise the people whose conversations you are hearing to report the issue to their telephone provider also and be willing to give them your phone number for the repair.
Though it’s rare, sometimes a person will have their phone calls forwarded and enter the wrong phone number by mistake. If you are getting calls for someone else, ask the caller what number he/she dialed. If it is not your number, have them hang up and try again. If they are still getting through to you, report this as a repair. If the repair closes as an “inside” issue, it may be that someone has accidentally entered your phone number when they activated call forwarding.
- Why can’t I call Long Distance (LD)?
To better help us service any LD problems, your assistance with the following information can be critical:
1. What is the dialing sequence you are using? You may need to try with and without 1 and the area code. If you are on the Bluegrass or USA plan, even though some LD numbers are included in the flat price, you may still need to dial 1 and the area code for the call to go through.
2. We need to know at least two numbers that you are trying to dial and are unable to complete. If you are unable to complete calls out-of-state, we will need to know at least two specific numbers you are trying to call out of state. If you can’t call any number in a particular exchange, we will need two specific numbers you are trying to call within that exchange.
3. We need to know exactly what you are hearing when you try to dial a LD number that will not go through. Are you getting a fast busy signal? Dead air? A recorded message? If you are getting a recorded message, we need to know the exact message.
4) If you are on the USA plan or if you are in the Windstream service area, please call 1-700-555-1212. You should get a message that says, “Qwest local and long distance directory assistance.” You need to let us know if you are or are not getting that message when you dial that number. This is only if you are on the USA plan or if you are in the Windstream service area (if you have any other phone plan or if you are in the BellSouth service area, then you do not need to do this test.)
- Why is someone else’s name showing up on Caller ID when I call someone?
If you have recently been issued a new phone number, the databases have probably not updated to show your name just yet. This can sometimes take up to two weeks to correct, but it should automatically correct and you do not need to report this as a repair.
However, if after two weeks, your name is still not showing on Caller ID, report it to your local SouthEast Telephone Authorized Agent or to our Customer Care Department. We will need to know if it is showing wrong to everyone that you call or just some people. If it is only showing up for some people, it would be helpful to us if you could give us a list of the phone numbers so we can narrow down which database may not yet be updated.
- What do I do if my caller ID isn’t working?
1. Check to make sure all of the connections are right and secure.
2. Change the batteries in your Caller ID box.
3. Test another Caller ID box with this phone/jack.
If these troubleshooting steps do not resolve the problem, report it to your local SouthEast Telephone Authorized Agent or our Customer Care Department. It will be helpful for us to know the following:
- What, if anything, is showing on the Caller ID box? (No data, etc...)
- Has your Caller ID ever worked?
- Has this particular Caller ID box ever worked?
- Did your Caller ID work through a previous telephone service carrier?
- How old your is your equipment?
If your Caller ID works while you are not on the phone but does not work if you are on the phone (assuming you have Call Waiting Deluxe) then the issue is with Call Waiting Deluxe and is not a Caller ID issue. You will need to report it as such when you call in the repair.
- What is an “inside” issue?
If your repair closes as being “inside,” it means that it is on the customer’s side of the box, which includes the cable from the box to the house and anything inside the house. If Inside Wire Maintenance (IWM) is active on your account, we will dispatch someone to the inside and you will not be charged for the visit.
If you do not have IWM, we can fix the problem for you but will charge up to $110/hour per repair technician. If you rent your home, your landlord might be responsible for inside issues. Check your rental agreement or talk to your landlord or property manager to see if this is the case. You might also decide to call an electrician, as they will not charge as much as the telephone company. Hardware stores and home improvement stores might be able to refer you to an electrician if you don’t know one but be sure to check their licenses, etc. before hiring anyone to work on your lines.
- What is inside wire maintenance?
This feature provides you with protection against failure of any existing wiring or jacks in your home. With this option, you get free diagnosis of problems with your telephone line and, if problems are found in the wiring or jacks in your home, you get full repairs free of charge.
- How much is inside wire maintenance?
$4.75 per month.
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