Meetinghouse Phone Service

[johnshaw]

If the ward or stake is paying the phone company, then I can see where the FM group wants that unit to report the problem to the phone company. Otherwise the Telco is likely to say something like "who are you?"

"He who pays" is automatically recognized. Everyone else has to be somehow added to the account as an authorized person.

This makes sense to me and is likely the reason behind what is communicated, but it would be helpful for them to go out of their way to help a lay volunteer understand how it works rather than saying... we don't do that.. you do, etc...

In my head I couldn't figure out why the FMG wasn't going to switch the phone line for the clerk office to the other side of the bishop's office.... They just said it wasn't their job.. honestly it didn't occur to me to call the phone company, neither did they say to me to call the phone company... it's just 2 wires.. I've been doing that work in my home for 20 years....

[wcovey]

The FM Group in my Stake has the Stake Clerk place service calls and if we have a dial tone to the demarc than the FM group is contacted to correct internal wiring. I do not know what the policy of a ward having a land line in the office is. All but two of the Bishops in my Stake have requested the phone service be removed and only a hall phone for the building in operation.
I have all of the phone service transferred to Windstream who will manage the phone service to all church buildings and I then just see the IROP in the budget report.

[JeffTurgeon]

From past experience the Stake Clerk gets all of the phone bills and has the contact information, account number, etc, to get the lines repaired. Often the Stake Clerk will delegate the repair request to the local unit after providing them with the number to call for service etc. If the problem is unknown to be inside/outside the building the Stake Technology Specialist (or designee) is asked to check the lines before a service call is generated with the phone service provider.

If a service call to the phone company is generated they will typically want a local contact to meet them at the building for access. Unless it was verified that the problem is outside.

The phone company is responsible up to the D-mark. Anything requiring repair inside the building beyond the D-mark is chargeable based on their trip charge and then time and material.