Vonage Billing department Dumb Move, Stupid...etc

Posts: 41 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 41

What was the Vonage Billing Department smoking? I cant express enough what Vonage did recently. They decided, that they were no longer going to send me an email to notify me about billing charges.

I read the email and I was like "****?". Their reasoning was to reduce unnecessary emails.

This makes no sense.
1) Why send me an email to tell me that?
2) Who are they to decide what to take away from customers?
3) They make you call to turn it back on.
4) They say to "review payment information from your credit card provider"
5) They say to simply, contact Customer Care. That as we all know is not true.

Are they trying to hide something? Maybe the rising cost? I dont know. I mean everyone company that I make transactions with sends me an email when they take money from me. IT'S A GOOD THING

Now I dislike people that complain and don't offer a solution or offer to help. Even if its a horrible idea.

So heres my idea:

Send me an email saying that you have added more features to make my life and my inbox easier. Give me the option on the web account. Dont just take it away and make me call Customer Care. Who I might add are extremly dumb and wont get off the script. But maybe they arent dumb and its the Mgmt telling them what to do. Unless your talking with someone from the E.R. Team your not getting anything done.

I have nine accounts that I have been seriously considering moving elsewhere. Half of the accounts bring Vonage in $400 a month. This move did not help my decision making.

Whatever idiot thought of it should be fired.

Posts: 1424 · Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2006 7:10 am Post subject:

I can't stress how stupid it is to use an email to notify you that your credit card has been successfully charged when that information is available on their web site and via your credit card company and it is a regular event.

As far as the opt-in versus opt-out mechanism, I think that is clearly a decision based on whether more people want the notification on or off. I am certain that in some future release of the web site that will become a customizable option.

I appreciate it when a company sends me emails only when something out of the unusual occurs (payment couldn't be processed). When this is done I pay more attention to the email rather than scan and delete.

Posts: 41 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 41

Maybe other than a sucessful payment recieved email. They can send me a notification that "your billing cycle is up" and payment has been processed. Maybe even attach the statement.

The more options you give the better.

Give me the option for payment notification
give me the option for a statement.

Posts: 41 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 41

I guess that old saying. Everyone cant be happy is true.

Posts: 33 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Sep 05, 2005 Posts: 33

Clearly it's a cost saving measure. The cost associated with sending batches of emails as a legitimate non-spam company is significant (more than you would think), and there's a level of spam management and relationship management that no company of Vonage's size should take on by themselves. It's almost always outsourced.

I happen to think it's a place they shouldn't cut back on (I will be calling to opt-in), but the bigger issue is if they need to cut costs on this level, it's a sign of things to come. Next thing you know you'll be charged to get voicemails as attachments to emails vs. a no-cost email that states you just have voicemail.

Obviously as a Vonage customer I hope I'm wrong; however, this is not the first sign of trouble we've seen from Vonage.

Posts: 41 · Full Forum Member Joined: Aug 16, 2005 Posts: 41

Quote:

I happen to think it's a place they shouldn't cut back on (I will be calling to opt-in), but the bigger issue is if they need to cut costs on this level, it's a sign of things to come. Next thing you know you'll be charged to get voicemails as attachments to emails vs. a no-cost email that states you just have voicemail.

Never thought of it like that. I guess it would cost a pretty penny to outsource their email notifications it would also cost significantly more to does cost alot to attach voicemail.

Then again shouldn't we be paying for that in the service price?

Some of the email services they use:
emsg.net
messages1.com
OfferedBy.net

They use those for newsletter type stuff. That I would consider annoying and I think there is a way to opt-out of that.

All of their notifications however came from vonage.com all internal. Where they wouldnt have to pay a company to do it. Just some poor guy to write up the html