| Differences between Teksavvy and Start [Cable] The differences between Teksavvy and Start
I have recently switched from Tek to Start, and here's my experiences with both.
Teksavvy
So I signed up with Teksavvy ~ April this year, terribly long wait on the phone to sign up. I was given a long speech about how if anything goes wrong, they have to troubleshoot it and its not really their fault if Rogers technician doesn't show up and that's why they book multiple slots.
Fast forward to installation date, Rogers guy actually shows up, drags a line to the modem, everything lights up and leaves. I was expecting internet to work, especially since I bought the modem from Tek. Alas, after a couple of hours of seeing the Rogers registration page, I called in for support. Pretty long wait times, got someone (who had a heavy accent, Tek doesnt outsource? How am I supposed to believe that?) on the phone who told me that he can "submit a ticket" and I will be contacted once the issue is resolved. Three days later, no internet, no call, but I noticed that my money was long gone. I asked for a refund, which was denied because they "needed the opportunity to troubleshoot". Couldn't troubleshoot in 3 days? Hmm... Interesting. Took the remainder of that week to get a modem activated. I was told that I would be compensated for the week's worth of downtime, never saw that credit. Fine, whatever, I didn't expect it to show up anyways. That's just the nature of "customer service".
Then came September, where all the students flooded in. Internet slowed to a crawl, streaming was impossible and best of all my modem got kicked off the network. Was given another long and boring explanation of how it was Roger's fault and they have no control over that. Another week down the drain, oh well. But my speeds have never recovered.
Then came last month, saw the hipster advertisements & got pretty pissed off. As opposed to spending the money on better CS, and support, and perhaps fixing the daily speed tanking issue, Tek has opted to advertise to attract more customers to their unreliable service. So what did I get for buying an overpriced modem with a marginal discount on the install? Failed install/ provisioning, random de-provisioning, and tanking speeds.
Start.ca
Then to start, switching to the start has been surprisingly pleasant. Filled out the online form, got a call back to confirm the same day. I was actually quite surprised, filled form in morning, called back a little after lunch. Confirmed everything, even approximately when the modem will be provisioned. Rogers guy came and left, all lights green but no internet. Surprising thing is that start called me and asked how everything is. I told them that internet doesn't work, and the lady told me that give it about an hour, and she'll call back a bit later to check on it. Sure enough, half an hour later internet starts working, and then a 2nd followup call. It was extremely surprising to have a second followup call without any action on my part. Now that's service. However, since I only had Start's services for a week, I cant say anything about reliability. But just by comparing the install itself and the level of service, start is pretty up there in my books. Especially when you consider the fact that their setup is $50, vs Tek's $65 (if you didnt buy a modem from Tek), and you have the added option of renting. Not to mention that start actually calls you to confirm and double check, and then calls again after installation to ask followup questions. Best of all, no slowdowns, interesting as how that went away just as I switched from Tek to start.
So whats my conclusion on the two?
The two companies have a completely different attitude when it comes to customer service. Teksavvy has opted for the total transparency model, which is a nicer way of saying that they told you all the potential problems and nothing is ever their fault while they continually bill you for services that you may or may not be receiving. Start on the other hand opted for the "right away sir" model, in which they work so you dont have to.
In two simple sentences:
Teksavvy says they care but their actions certainly don't demonstrate that.
Start doesn't really promise you the "caring", but their actions have most certainly demonstrate that they do. |
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 TSI MarcPremium,VIP
join:2006-06-23
Chatham, ON
kudos:14
1 edit | We've had bumps in the road there's no doubt. Sorry to hear you had a difficult time. Can you PM me your info so we can try to learn from your experience?
I'm surprised to hear you had any slow downs on our Rogers lines though because we have and have had plenty of capacity.
For the wait times, this is true that we've struggled with this. We've hired more than 50 staff in the last 3-4 months though.. It's not for lack of trying to solve it we're just not quit getting there. Back in April we had just moved into our new location. The old one was terribly undersized and was really crippling us.
For the finger pointing, if you're hanging out in the TekSavvy forum, I think you'll find a refreshing new tone.. I agree that it needed to change and we're working on that. I know what great customer service is and I intend to get us back there very soon now that the distractions are out of the way.
For your new service, that's great that there are others who can help also. Start seems to be doing a great job as well as others are also. There's plenty to go around and I believe that having more of us in the market strengthens all of us since the incumbents are so dominant, we need to work together. I welcome the friendly competition... But I do hope to get you back someday or at least restore your faith in us somehow.
If you can PM your info or contact me somehow, I'd also like to check on that credit you mentioned.
--
Marc - CEO/TekSavvy |
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 roccaStart.caPremium
join:2008-11-16
London, ON
kudos:11
1 edit | reply to DoubleEXP
Re: Differences between Teksavvy and Start Thanks for the feedback and I'm very happy to hear about your positive experience with us as it validates the efforts we make with customer service every day.
In regards to Teksavvy you'll never find a negative remark from me as I know Marc and believe he too cares about customer experience. As he mentions there is lots of opportunity as independent ISP's only account for about 5% of the market. What is important is to educate people still on Bell or Rogers or Cogeco that alternative options exist, with better pricing, better support and community, whether that be Start or another provider. Of course I'd prefer it was Start but the differences between ISP's be it packages or support mean more options for customers, and that's a good thing.
In the mean-time our focus will continue to be on providing excellent service and support which has been the cornerstone of our success.
Thanks for choosing us and glad to have you aboard. |
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TSI MarcPremium,VIP
join:2006-06-23
Chatham, ON
kudos:14 | Tx Pete |
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DavesnothereNo-BHELL-ity DOES have its Advantages
join:2009-06-15
START&Cogeco
kudos:6 | reply to rocca
said by rocca:....independent ISP's only account for about 5% of the market. What is important is to educate people still on Bell or Rogers or Cogeco that alternative options exist, with better pricing, better support and community, whether that be Start or another provider. Of course I'd prefer it was Start but the differences between ISP's be it packages or support mean more options for customers, and that's a good thing....
You used the 'R' word !   
BTW, Indie ISPs were slightly over 6% market share, Canada-wide, as of early 2011 (when the UBB Fit Hit the Shan), as per data which I and others here gathered.
I would think that they have exceeded 7% by now, and customer counts in Bell's 2011 financials seem to support that feeling. |
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roccaStart.caPremium
join:2008-11-16
London, ON
kudos:11 | I was waiting for that. In this context it is okay. |
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| I never got why start isn't allowed to say the name of the company they do business with but others can straight up badmouth rogers (ie teksavvy  )? |
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| reply to DoubleEXP
said by DoubleEXP :I called in for support. Pretty long wait times, got someone (who had a heavy accent, Tek doesnt outsource? How am I supposed to believe that?)
I'm going to comment on the above quote. Accents have NOTHING to do with if a call centre is outsourced or not. This is Canada we have people from all over the world living here and looking for jobs and those who are willing to work in a call centre are welcome. Some may have accents, yep guess what we all have accents. Using that to judge where a call centre is located is not only dumb it will always fail for you.
Do you know Rogers Outsources 80% of there call centres? But none of them are outside of Canada yet people swear they are overseas because someone has an accent. |
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Guru
join:2008-10-01
kudos:2 Reviews:
 ·TekSavvy DSL
| said by rogersmogers :said by DoubleEXP :I called in for support. Pretty long wait times, got someone (who had a heavy accent, Tek doesnt outsource? How am I supposed to believe that?)
I'm going to comment on the above quote. Accents have NOTHING to do with if a call centre is outsourced or not. This is Canada we have people from all over the world living here and looking for jobs and those who are willing to work in a call centre are welcome. Some may have accents, yep guess what we all have accents. Using that to judge where a call centre is located is not only dumb it will always fail for you. +1 |
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 GonePremium
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON
kudos:3
·Start Communicat..
| reply to rogersmogers
said by rogersmogers :I'm going to comment on the above quote. Accents have NOTHING to do with if a call centre is outsourced or not. This is Canada we have people from all over the world living here and looking for jobs and those who are willing to work in a call centre are welcome. Some may have accents, yep guess what we all have accents. Using that to judge where a call centre is located is not only dumb it will always fail for you. I did phone support at various different companies for years when I was younger. I remember one evening a guy from the US calls in and gets my buddy with an accent. The customer then immediately freaks out about outsourced Indian support and hangs up. Guy calls right back, gets another guy sitting right next to my friend, the customer goes on about how wonderful US support is to which the guy says, "Yeah, you were speaking with so and so, he's sitting right next to me. Want to talk to him again?"
Customer shut up real good and fast after that. |
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TSI MarcPremium,VIP
join:2006-06-23
Chatham, ON
kudos:14 | Yup, we don't have many people with accents but we do have some. It's actually the law too.. hehe if you walk into a place that has 300 employees and zero of them are visible minorities. Pretty sure something else would be going on there. We've got just about all walks who work for us and that's the way it should be. We're very inclusive and we make it a point of it. Recently I defended one of our own here on DSLr who has an accent. Great employee, hard worker willing to go the extra mile, he cares. That's what I like to see.
--
Marc - CEO/TekSavvy |
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TSI MarcPremium,VIP
join:2006-06-23
Chatham, ON
kudos:14 | ...and of course we don't outsource anything. We're all in Chatham.
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Marc - CEO/TekSavvy |
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| reply to rogersmogers
Yeah but the average consumer doesn't know where the phone support is actually located. To a good majority of people out there, heavy accent = outsourced call center, which automatically equals bad service. Hence the apparent need for domestic call centers.
As to Marc's point, DSLr may be a great place for technical discussions, it shouldn't be replacement for actual support (remember that time when DSLr went down?). Also, things kinda get off topic real fast when it comes to any sort of non-tech related stuff, like reviews and opinions. Notice how ppl jumped on the call center thing? |
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GonePremium
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON
kudos:3 Reviews:
·Start Communicat..
| said by Upsidedown :Yeah but the average consumer doesn't know where the phone support is actually located. And to them I say - too fucking bad. Half of the people someone encounters on a day-to-day basis in a place like Toronto are going to have an accent on some level or another. People who think that an accent means foreign support need to grow up and take a look around the world they live in before being acting like such an ignoramus. |
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Reviews:
 ·TekSavvy Cable
| reply to Gone
Re: Differences between Teksavvy and Start Where are you located OP? I've had troubles with Teksavvy prior to Start being around. However since all the upgrades happened, I can finally get the service I'm paying for. Though I don't recommend Teksavvy anymore and I would push friends and people to go to Start, because they're on APOI, and it's actually cheaper than Teksavvy last I checked. |
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roccaStart.caPremium
join:2008-11-16
London, ON
kudos:11 | reply to eeeaddict
said by eeeaddict:I never got why start isn't allowed to say the name of the company they do business with
In the new tariffs there is language that prohibits using the name in conjunction with our service, so saying we have the same speed as x or that we are available in x territory is not allowed (and we have received a 'friendly notice' from x reminding us of such). Technically we likely are able to say that a problem was due to x but that never solves anything so we try to stay away from that too. Cogeco has applied to have similar language added to their tariffs which CNOC has opposed but there is no ruling yet. |
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 dillyhammerA. Good. Start.Premium,MVM
join:2010-01-09
Hamilton, ON
kudos:9
·Start Communicat..
·Cogeco Cable
·TekSavvy DSL
·Caneris
| I think it's probably prudent to distance yourselves from the peckerwoods incumbents anyways. I don't know why CNOC is opposed. If they were smart, they would have been the one applying for the language. Of course, that would require thinking outside the box.
To that end, I'm shocked that no-one on the indy side had applied for, or has asked for inclusion of, language that forbids the fuckwads incumbents from saying indy services aren't as fast as theirs, or are otherwise somehow hobbled.
And by peckerwoods fuckwads incumbents I mean red, blue, yellow, purple, striped, polka-dotted, whatever.
Mike
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Cogeco - The New UBB Devil -»[Burloak] Usage Based Billing Nightmare
Cogeco UBB, No Modem Required - »[Niagara] 40gb of "usage" while the modem is unplugged |
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 nitzguyPremium
join:2002-07-11
Sudbury, ON
·TekSavvy DSL
| reply to Gone
said by Gone:said by Upsidedown :Yeah but the average consumer doesn't know where the phone support is actually located. And to them I say - too fucking bad. Half of the people someone encounters on a day-to-day basis in a place like Toronto are going to have an accent on some level or another. People who think that an accent means foreign support need to grow up and take a look around the world they live in before being acting like such an ignoramus. Agreed. But most people live in their own bubble unfortunately...Ah Ali....where are you my friend, always gives me a chuckle when he said "Cable Vandals sir"....literally we had an outage on devil's night one year because I guess some kid or teenager thought it'd be fun to go into a few pedestals and snip all the wires off....
The customer called back and got me and I told him the same thing....Vandals sir, you know, Vandalism...oh well, you can't please everyone...
In the context of the OP, this was on the BLUE Network...
To Start: Could you not use, on "Canada's Reliable Network?"....
I've looked at start in the past being a TSI sub, but I can't swallow that $95 startup fee...and they don't offer Cable where i live... |
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