The Westfield Gas & Electric Elm Street customer service team (photo courtesy Westfield G&E)
by Daniel Howard, General Manager, WG+E and WCF
Got questions? Plenty of people come to Whip City Fiber (WCF) info events with a lot of questions. Some bring a list, some shoot from the hip, and some have so many questions they don’t even know where to begin. No need for fear! Just like Westfield Gas + Electric’s service people are right up the street, so are the Whip City Tech Team and Customer Care Team. They are happy to answer any questions you have and even a few you haven’t thought of yet.
Probably the most common questions we get at info events (and all around town) are about “cutting the cord” and “streaming” entertainment. Let’s start by defining these terms. “Cutting the cord” is becoming a popular thing to do—and it means cancelling your cable subscription and getting your entertainment through streaming services. “Streaming” your entertainment simply means watching TV shows, sports, and movies over the internet. Streaming requires either a smart TV or a streaming device like a Roku, Apple TV, or Amazon Fire Stick and a subscription to a streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, or Playstation Vue. As an added bonus, not only can you watch streaming services on your TV, but they are also accessible on your phone, tablet, or laptop for viewing just about anywhere you have internet access.
Most of us have had many years with cable TV and it can be a bit daunting to think of cutting the cord. Can you really watch all the same shows and content with streaming services? Generally speaking, yes.People have a pretty clear lineup of entertainment that they watch regularly. Maybe you’re a movie buff, can’t live without HGTV, want high-quality family options, or can’t wait for the Red Sox season to start. Fortunately, streaming services give you great options for each these situations. Instead of paying for hundreds of channels, most of which you’ll never watch, you can pick the right service for your own tastes and see significant savings. Streaming services do not have contracts so you can pay month-by-month as you like.
What about local TV and the nightly news? The solution for getting your local channels is a throwback to the days of TV antennas. Now you can pick up a high-definition antenna for a one-time cost (approx. $35-125) and get all your local television networks in HD. Currently, WCF will even install antennas for customers who request them at the time of their WCF installation. Problem solved.
DANIEL HOWARD
Now, we know it might still be hard to know where to start and that’s where the Whip City Tech Team comes in. Our technicians Matt, Kit, and Zach are manning the tech support line (413-485-1204) to talk any Whip City Fiber customer through any and all aspects of this transition. They will even come to your home and help set up a streaming device or install a new HD antenna. And that’s not all. We’ve set up a drop-in center at the WG+E Operations Center (40 Turnpike Industrial Road) where you can stop by anytime Monday through Friday between 9AM – 5PM to see what is involved with a WCF installation, watch an HD antenna in action,and explore streaming options and phone service. By April 3rd we’ll have a second center set up at our 100 Elm Street Office. We really hope you’ll come by and see what the buzz is about. Our top-notch customer service representatives are ready to help.
We have worked with Tina Gorman and the Westfield Senior Center staff to set up regular information sessions at their beautiful facility on Noble St. The first two drop-in events, open to everyone, will be from 10:30 am-noon on April 18 and 25.
You’ll be happy to hear that the Whip City Fiber expansion is going well and we’re moving quickly to bring Westfield’s fastest internet to an additional 10,000 homes in town. If you haven’t done so already, sign up at www.whipcityfiber.com and we’ll let you know when we expect to install service in your area. If you live in the East Mountain Road and Holyoke Road area, the Ridgecrest Drive area, the Montgomery Road area from Edgewood Street to the MassPike overpass, or the Meadow Street area between Lewis and Otis Streets you’ll get a free month of high-speed internet if you sign up by March 15. Installations are starting in these areas now.
For more information about Whip City Fiber, check out our website at www.whipcityfiber.com, drop us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 413-572-0100.
