By Isle of Wight Observer
The IW Observer team takes pride in raising issues that matter to Islanders. So, when one of our readers contacted us about another subject, but also mentioned the lack of a phone-only service from high-speed broadband provider WightFibre, we decided to follow it up.
John Symonds explained that his mother doesn’t use a computer and simply needs a reliable phone line. He was frustrated to find this wasn’t available from WightFibre.
We know very well that some readers are not on-line, because we often receive hand-written letters. Someone has taken the trouble to find paper and an envelope, write a letter, spend good money on a stamp and go to a post-box to get their message to us. We treat these with respect as it’s a poignant reminder that, in a world where multiple emails can be fired off in moments, inclusivity matters.
Wondering if there was a way Mr Symonds’ concerns could be addressed, we contacted WightFibre. We’re delighted to report that WightFibre listened and, even more importantly, acted. They have now introduced a brand-new ‘phone-only’ service.
While it’s easy to report problems and fling criticism, we believe it’s just as important to celebrate positive outcomes and good customer service. So WightFibre’s response deserves recognition – especially from a company so linked into the digital world. We think it’s a great example of a company listening to feedback – even if only a relatively small number of Islanders use the new service.
Mr Symonds said: “I’d like to say ‘well done’ to WightFibre for listening to the needs of Islanders; they’re a very good company to deal with. I’m very pleased that I mentioned it to the IW Observer. We look forward to reading our local newspaper every week and this proves that it is worth raising local concerns with their team.”
Asked to comment, Wightfibre’s CEO, John Irvine, said: “When the IW Observer contacted us we were astonished to see how much a phone line from BT costs. WightFibre were happy to undercut this and to include free anytime calls and our nuisance call blocker – all for much less than BT charges new customers just for a landline.
“Thank you to the IW Observer for raising this with us. We were happy to help.”