How would you troubleshoot a customer's internet connection that keeps dropping?

Situation

As a junior tech support rep for a telecom account, I received a call from a customer frustrated that their internet would disconnect every 20 minutes.

Task

I needed to identify the cause of the intermittent connection and resolve it or escalate appropriately, while keeping the customer calm and following our troubleshooting script.

Action

I first verified the customer's account and confirmed the issue. I then asked specific questions about all devices affected, the modem lights, and any recent changes. I guided the customer through power-cycling the modem and router, checking cable connections, and running the built-in diagnostic tool on their device. When basic steps didn't work, I checked for area outages, then escalated to the network team with detailed notes.

Result

The escalation team found a signal fluctuation from the ISP side and dispatched a field technician. The customer appreciated that I took the issue seriously and didn't just read a script, and my documentation saved the field tech 20 minutes of diagnosis.