Local cable subscribers frustrated by out-of-state customer service will be glad to know Cable ONE plans to begin using a local answering service beginning March 1.

Ward 5 Alderman David Massey said Tuesday he received between 15 and 20 calls during Saturday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and the Minnesota Vikings from cable customers complaining about reception.

When Massey tried to contact Cable ONE, he was connected with an answering service in Virginia.

&uot;No one could answer my questions and tell me what the problem was,&uot; he said.

Massey said that kind of service was &uot;unacceptable,&uot; especially after Cable ONE advertises 24-hour repair service.

Joyce Arceneaux, Ward 1 Alderwoman and public utilities chairperson, said she too fielded several complaints about the cable Saturday.

&uot;A lot of people didn’t want to miss this game,&uot; she said Saturday. &uot;The Saints game is the wrong game to have a cable problem.&uot;

Bobby McCool, Cable ONE general manager, said a faulty piece of equipment was to blame for the bad reception and brief outage over the weekend.

Maintenance crews corrected the problem soon after the company’s answering service, which takes customer calls after hours and on weekends, notified them of customer’s complaints, he said.

Because of a contract with the area’s previous cable supplier, Cable ONE was compelled to use the Virginia-based answering service, McCool said.

But that contract expires soon and Cable ONE has arranged to use an answering service located in Natchez beginning March 1.

&uot;We feel it will not only speed (service) up, but they will be more courteous and understanding,&uot; McCool said.

McCool said anyone experiencing problems with their cable service should call the Cable ONE repair line, because that is the only way maintenance will know when something is wrong.