<i>&gt; Customer service and tech support can mean a lot more than helping</i>
<i>&gt; users with modem setup strings and DNS addresses. A growing number of</i>
<i>&gt; first-time Internet users are also first-time *computer* users. My</i>
<i>&gt; theory is that the successful independent ISPs will evolve into</i>
<i>&gt; subscription-based help desks for *all* computing needs: applications,</i>
<i>&gt; purchasing decisions, compatibility problems, etc. That doesn't mean</i>
<i>&gt; that ISPs will need to amass all of that knowledge themselves; they</i>
<i>&gt; will just have to teach people how to find it on the 'net.</i>
I agree fully with these comments. We often have users that call for
support and the tech asks them to "double click" on the dial icon and the
client replies "whats double click?".
As long as ISP's market their services by using the technology used to
deliver service as opposed to the features and advantages gained, full
adoption by the average person on the street will be a long time coming.
As a user I don't care if the ISP has 300 modems, all I want is no busy
signals, access to my e-mail when and where I want to and good support if
I need help. I don't care if that takes T3's, 1000's of lines and 24 hour
support.
I have seen ISP's use "we are up more than the other guys" in ads. This
is a very poor approach to selling the Internet in general and the ISP's
service in particular.
We need Internet access like voice service. How often when you order a new
phone line do you ask "how long does it take to get a line out" or "how many
lines out of town do you have?"
All ISP's must rethink the whole way to sell and promote their service to
compete for the consumers dollar.
BTW, I work for the largest provider in Canada and we are actively
trying to promote the benefitsbenefits of our service and not the technology
we use.
Steven Heath
Product Manager, Content Services
iSTAR internet Inc.
E-mail: Steven.Heath@istar.ca
Voice: (902) 481-4505
Web: <a href="<a href="http://www.istar.ca">http://www.istar.ca</a>">http://www.istar.ca</a>
iSTAR is Canada's Internet Navigator (800 848-6786)
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