<i>&gt;Bottom line, independent service providers need to look at the</i>
<i>&gt;born-again stage of becoming "content providers". No matter how good</i>
<i>&gt;your customer service and tech support is today your cash flow has got</i>
<i>&gt;to be in content tomorrow. ...that means re-establishing strategy</i>
<i>&gt;today. don't snooze, or else you'll l...</i>
Customer service and tech support can mean a lot more than helping
users with modem setup strings and DNS addresses. A growing number of
first-time Internet users are also first-time *computer* users. My
theory is that the successful independent ISPs will evolve into
subscription-based help desks for *all* computing needs: applications,
purchasing decisions, compatibility problems, etc. That doesn't mean
that ISPs will need to amass all of that knowledge themselves; they
will just have to teach people how to find it on the 'net.
The new ISP will be the one who teaches people how to fish, as the old
adage goes. And he will never assume that his potential customers
know a SLIP from a PPP.
-------------------------------
Darren J. Dobkin The Washington, D.C. Motorcade
Hibiscus Software <a href="<a href="http://www.motorcade.com">http://www.motorcade.com</a>">http://www.motorcade.com</a>
voice or fax (301) 530-5441 Route-based search engine for stores
dobkin@motorcade.com and restaurants in the Washington area
----
The Internet Marketing Discussion List is sponsored this week by:
Decisive makes surveying by e-mail &amp; Internet easy! &lt;<a href="<a href="http://www.decisive.com">http://www.decisive.com</a>">http://www.decisive.com</a>&gt;
Post a message to this group by filling in the form below.