pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | reply to kyler13
Re: Obvious Result
Sorry. If company A is trying to get customers from company B, then company A competes with company B. It is just that simple.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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kyler13
Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD
| reply to pnh102
They are monoplies because they don't 100% overlap with any other competitor (except cellular providers which is another topic altogether). Do you think Comcast cares that much about FIOS TV or U-verse? No, because the market penetration is small for those just-getting-started services. And while they're trying to steal cable customers, cable is trying to steal phone customers. The bottom line is you have telecom and cable companies trying to act like true competitors, but their core strengths are totally different products. As for satellite, with equipment costs, line of sight issues, and spotty MDU availability, it's yet another example of not quite competing. No complete overlap. Get it? |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
 ·Comcast
| reply to Sean
said by Sean  :You missed the point when someone said the companies you're in bed with (AT&T, Comcast, etc) have monopolies. Yawn. How is AT&T a monopoly? I can get wireless service from AT&T, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel or T-Mobile. If I have AT&T phone service, I can replace that with wireless service from any of the aforementioned companies. Depending on where I live, I might even be able to get phone service from a cable company that competes with AT&T.
How is Comcast a monopoly? I can get TV service from at least 2 satellite providers. Depending on where I live, I can get Internet service from DSL providers. Their phone service also competes with offerings from wireless companies as well as the local phone company. Anyone who sees ads for Comcast always sees comparisons between them and the phone company. If Comcast was a monopoly, then why are they competing with anyone else?
said by Sean :Maybe you can find a way to get your peanut sizez brain to understand what that means. You are aware that this website provides a spell check feature, correct? If you want to throw out insults, you might want to make sure your own English is correct first.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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iLive4Apple
Hybrid power
Premium
join:2006-07-13
Helena, AL
 ·Verizon BroadbandA..
·Charter Pipeline
 ·AT&T Southeast
 ·ViaTalk
| reply to ptrowski
said by ptrowski :said by pnh102 : quote:
We've more than doubled our staff size to date ... The results of these new hires should start showing soon.
Who else thinks ViaTalk will be out of business by the end of this year? I will bet that will not happen at all. Same, their parent company Hostrocket is too big. And even if they did, I am sure it would just be the VOIP part of the company and they would give plenty of notice and allow us to port. But I don't see that happening any time soon.
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I get 29 MPG in my Toyota Highlander Hybrid! |
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Sean
join:2004-01-23
Ottawa
·Bell Sympatico
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :said by laserjobs :You are right about customer service. Most CEOs don't understand where the value is in a company. Maybe they shoud teach this curve in MBA programs. Again though, if this curve was correct, then just about every company in business today would have stellar customer service. However, we all know that this is not true. That means that customer service is not going to be the deciding factor for most people. And on another note, many companies have been done in by shoddy manufacturing. You missed the point when someone said the companies you're in bed with (AT&T, Comcast, etc) have monopolies. Maybe you can find a way to get your peanut sizez brain to understand what that means. Here's some help:
Monopoly: (economics) a market in which there are many buyers but only one seller; "a monopoly on silver"; "when you have a monopoly you can ask any price you like" |
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fldiver
Premium
join:1999-12-27
Jacksonville, FL | reply to DaSneaky1D
As an American IT Specialist (yes we still exist) I applaud Viatalk's efforts to hire within our own borders. They have my business for some time to come.
-Dan |
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cdru
Go Colts
Premium,MVM
join:2003-05-14
Fort Wayne, IN
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :said by ptrowski :I will bet that will not happen at all. I don't understand why they would need to hire so many people. VOIP is just a function of bandwidth, so I can understand taking a lot of one time charges for equipment and such, but things like tech support can easily be contracted out to other companies. If it can easily be contracted out to other companies...I guess that would mean that someone would have to still be hired to provide the service. It doesn't matter if ViaTalk signs the paycheck or if Outsourced Company Inc. signs it. ViaTalk just choses to do it in house.
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Go Colts |
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JammerMan79
Premium,VIP
join:2004-05-13
Prince George, BC
| reply to pnh102
The reason why those companies are still in business is because they haven't always had crappy service. They're BIG companies and have "history" with many customers...
Starting a new company and having crappy service is completely different.
I'm not saying that either is good ... that's just the way it is.
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I may work for, but do not necessarily represent the views and beliefs of TELUS Communications. |
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RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY
| reply to KrK
said by KrK :said by pnh102 :If Best Buy pisses you off, you could go to CompUSA or Sears or Fry's Electronics, etc. CompUSA has imploded and closed most of their stores so unless there is still one near you, they are not an alternative to Best Buy. |
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RARPSL
join:1999-12-08
Suffern, NY
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 : quote:
We've more than doubled our staff size to date ... The results of these new hires should start showing soon.
I love these statements that sound good but provide no real info. Saying that you have doubled your staff size sounds good but is meaningless without the number that it represents. Increasing your staff from one person to two (for example) for example qualifies as "doubling" but is pure hype/spin-control. I am not saying that he is lying or anything but whenever I read a statement of this type which leaves out vital info (such as the number of employees in this case) a Red Flag goes up and my Bovine Excrement detector gets triggered (even when this is not an appropriate reaction). |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :It is that simple, really. Companies like Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Best Buy and such all provide mediocre to bad customer service, but they manage to stay afloat. These counterexamples provide indisputable and irrefutable proof that bad customer service does not kill a company. Actually, I have no problems with customer support at Best Buy. I've heard people have had problems with things like computer repair, or with contracts not being honored but since I don't use those services it's been ok. Also, in my experience in fixing people's computers for them, I've gotten decent support via the websites of Dell and HP. However... the other companies you mention are examples of large entities with huge market share and lack of significant competition, and therefore they can get away with a lot of crap.... If Best Buy pisses you off, you could go to CompUSA or Sears or Fry's Electronics, etc. If MS pisses you off... well... I guess you could start learning Linux.... if you get my drift.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
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KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK
·AT&T Yahoo
·AT&T DSL Service
·Cox HSI
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102 :If this is true then why are there so many companies with piss-poor customer service still in business? Touche.
Maybe I should qualify my remark by adding "businesses in a competitive market". Some of the proof of a business with a lack of competition is the fact they can get away with piss-poor customer service long-term because the consumer has few choices and has to put up with a lot of crap...
Obviously, ViaTalk has a lot of competition, so therefore, they need to make sure they have at least decent support or they will lose customers in droves.
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"Regulatory capitalism is when companies invest in lawyers, lobbyists, and politicians, instead of plant, people, and customer service." - former FCC Chairman William Kennard (A real FCC Chairman, unlike the current Corporate Spokesperson in the job!) |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20
| reply to pnh102
Yup! You got it!! Give this man a CEO's job! 
Seriously.. are you serious with this? What do all of these companies have in common?
Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Microsoft all have monopolies basically. Also, not everyone has bad experienced with these companies. As much as I loath AT&T, I've spoke with people that are satisfied with "the new at&t" and some people are happy with Comcast and so on.. so it's objectionable.
Take into account Dell, HP, and Best Buy, and that's a a matter of opinion. I've never had anything but good service from Dell & Best Buy.. HP? Again, even though I don't buy from them or have a need to deal with them, many people certainly are satisfied with them. I've never had a problem with customer service.. however, just because it's not Apple doesn't mean that people aren't loyal to their product.
So yes.. it's not that simple...
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..." |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to fiberguy
said by fiberguy :You make it sound SOOO simple... it's not, really. It is that simple, really. Companies like Comcast, AT&T, Verizon, Dell, HP, Microsoft, Best Buy and such all provide mediocre to bad customer service, but they manage to stay afloat. These counterexamples provide indisputable and irrefutable proof that bad customer service does not kill a company.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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fiberguy
My views are my own.
Premium
join:2005-05-20 | reply to pnh102
You make it sound SOOO simple... it's not, really. |
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boober321
join:2003-07-15
Milwaukee, WI
·ViaTalk
1 edit | reply to pnh102
How about the obvious... lack of competition. Phone and internet services rarely have much competition. Usually a person may have two or maybe three choices, many have but one. This specifically is why so many are against these sweeping franchise reform bills passing across the country. With no real competition (and no, the new laws won't do much to remedy that- except maybe in the richest portions of the areas served) the only way to mandate customer service is through the government- just like other utility companies like gas, electric and water... |
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n1zuk
How About Them Raiders
Premium
join:2001-10-24
South Burlington, VT
·Future Nine Corpor..
·ViaTalk
·Comcast
| reply to Hookem99
Just because ViaTalk "hired" employees doesn't mean that they have necessarily added to their permanent staff. The new people could easily be long term supplemental or temporary contract employees.
Their are quite a few businesses in the US who specialize in placement of this type of people. Many of these operations were grown from head hunter and employment agencies, as they have a large pool of resumes of people who are in transition between jobs.
Folks with IT experience, who may of spent some time at a help desk, would be capable of getting up to speed on the basics of a VOIP operation pretty fast. At lease to a Tier I level...
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New to Forum Life? Click here and learn. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to DaSneaky1D
said by DaSneaky1D :They need people there so when people like YOU call, you'll have one less thing to complain about. I don't complain, I just cancel 
But be that as it may, I simply don't believe that bad tech support will by itself doom a company. We just have so many counter-examples that disprove that belief.
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Only SHATNER is Kirk. |
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DaSneaky1D
one wall to block them all
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-29
The Lou
·Charter Pipeline
| reply to pnh102
They need people there so when people like YOU call, you'll have one less thing to complain about.
Yeah, he could contract out to another company for support calls, but they'll have to be trained to read the script, and won't have any direct access to really assist you...then you'll complain about that.
Go have some coffee and breath in the fresh air of the real world.
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:: my trivial ramblings :: |
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NY Tel
Premium
join:2004-04-09
Smithtown, NY
·VOIPo
| reply to pnh102
lol, right place at the right time for him. How we each would individually run the company might vary greatly.
I for one am a believer in process and documentation, something I think a lot of companies (small voips) lack. They fly by the seat of their pants till they fail.
Not being an insider in Clifton Park, I don't know what I don't know so my pithy comment was really meant to say that Brendan is in that position, how he got there or what he chose to do in life obviously worked for him. So he gets to decide and you and I don't irrespective of our opinions.
So the argument could be made that his outlook on customer service works and yours (or mine) might not. |
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