Thank you for calling, goodbye.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 19, 2005 Posts: 2

If there are any other memebers of the Vonage community that can advise regarding this issue, please give a shout.

We signed up for Vonage for our business telephone service. Being ex-IT lackeies and progressive in our thinking, we figured Voip was the way to go and what better company to go with than Vonage. After all, their ads are constantly plastered in front of my face on /.

At first we thought things were cool. Then, reality struck us. We started getting complaints from customers about dropped calls. It seems that when some people call us, they get the message, "Thank you for calling, Goodbye" and then they are hung up on. Of course, when this happens, the line never rings on our end; so we are never aware that anyone has even tried to contact us.

Vonage's response, "Sorry, it's not our issue." They are telling me that it is the other phone company (caller's carrier) who did not put my number in the routing table and therefor there is nothing they can do.

Well, since I am paying Vonage and not some other carrier for my phone number and service, I found that explaination unacceptable. After complaining to the BBB about the issue, Vonage was willing to fix the issue; but only for phone numbers that I give give an exact call date and time within the last 24 hours.

Now, if I know that my customers calls are being dropped, but I don't know who they are, how am I sopposed to provide this info. Let me give you an example. We recently paid $500 to advertise in a local publication. Several days after the ad was out, the owner of the publication came to visit me at my store. He stated that he couldn't reach me on my phone number. He also stated that several people had attempted to contact us via the number in our ad and been hung up on. They called him to complain that he published the wrong phone number. Well, it wasn't the wrong phone number, it was just them getting hung up on by the phone service that I am paying Vonage for.

So, what do I do. At this point, I know that I am losing business on a daily basis. Vonage still refuses to accept responsibility for the issue. They still want me to provide information that is impossible for me to get in order to resolve a problem with a service I am paying them for. It seems to me that Vonage is aware that they have a major problem with their service and are trying to blame it on other carriers. Either that, or I was sold a bill of goods.

Is there anyone out there that has had a similar issue? Are there other businesses out there that maybe aren't aware that people are trying to call them and get hung up on? If so, what impact did this have on your business? Did you switch to a different provider? What complaints have you filed or have you taken any other action to resolve your complaint?

I have written a letter to the President of Vonage about this, and it has been ignored. So, if someone out there knows how to resolve this situation, your advice would be appreciated. Otherwise, let this story stand as a warning for other business owners. Don't let the success of your business be comprimised by Voip.

Thanks,
Ian

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:52 pm Post subject:

for someone who is progressive in their thinking, the basis for which you chose Vonage is interesting. and then to blame the problem on Voip when there are a ton of Voip providers out there...well.
either way, their explanation may very well be correct. There have been many posts of issues where people calling from X provider (cell phones most times) can't reach a newly assigned Vonage number. the solution is in fact to contact that provider and have them update their routing tables. if I were you, I would call the main telco providers and cell providers in your area and have the do that. should you have to? probably not. but if this is as dire an issue as you say, it would be worth a couple hours of time to do your best to straighten it out asap.
I know this probably isn't the explanation you want, but it's probably the best and quickest solution besides switching to another provider. and even if you do switch, it sounds like it's worth the time to call the companies until the next publication comes out with a new number.

Posts: 482 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 2:56 pm Post subject:

Hold on, John. If someone had the same problem with BellSouth, would you really suggest calling every other carrier to demand that they update their routing tables? And just how far do you think those calls would get? It's hard enough getting companies to respond to their own customers, much less someone else's.

Seems like you're putting the burden on the customer, when the burden should be on the provider.

Posts: 2 · New Forum Member Joined: Feb 19, 2005 Posts: 2

I appreciate the reply. I actually have tried that. You wanna know what many of the other carriers response to that was? F.U. call Vonage. Seriously, The main post is lengthy, but I have spent *days* trying to figure out how to resolve this, period. Unfortunatly, as a small business owner, I don't have that kind of time. I have suffered a serious financial set back from this.

Posts: 3198 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 3:01 pm Post subject:

sure, but the problem is, it makes no difference. this person wouldn't have posted here if the provider hadn't already failed. therefore, this is the best option I could think of, and I hope someone else has a better one. but until then, the only other response possible is "oh yeah Vonage **** good luck with that". so, I tried to offer some type of solution. I can only do my best, and it makes no difference to me if it doesn't please anyone or everyone.
and fwiw, I try to avoid saying pm the Vonage reps as they have their plates full already.

Posts: 47 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:21 pm Post subject:

ToddlerTN wrote:

Hold on, John. If someone had the same problem with BellSouth, would you really suggest calling every other carrier to demand that they update their routing tables? And just how far do you think those calls would get? It's hard enough getting companies to respond to their own customers, much less someone else's.

Seems like you're putting the burden on the customer, when the burden should be on the provider.

I agree with Toddler - the cutomer shouldn't have to be doing this. Vonage has done an aggressive marketing campaign for residential and business services and nowhere on Vonage's site does it warn a potential customer about having to call all of their local carriers to update routing tables and the such. Who knows what routing tables are anyway?

This is cut & dry: If you sign up for a service like Vonage and callers get dropped, cut off or simply cannot reach you for whatever reason - their service (Vonage) should deal with the issues and fix them. The customer should NOT have to be put in the position of being a middleman between Vonage and other companies to fix things - this is unacceptable in my opinion.

PM Vonagebest or Ssantana. They are very helpful and WANT to help. It's their job. The excuse that they have "too much on their plate already" is - again - unacceptable.

Vonage and other Voip providers are new -there are going to be problems, but they've got to be informed of these problems if they want to grow and provide the best service out there.

Posts: 222 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:29 pm Post subject:

Jerry@ wrote:

PM Vonagebest or Ssantana. They are very helpful and WANT to help. It's their job. The excuse that they have "too much on their plate already" is - again - unacceptable.

Jerry,

Vonagebest and ssantana have helped countless people here and deserve more respect than that. You haven't been around here long enough to perhaps to know that. You have no idea just how full their plates are.

Working on this board to help us is NOT part of their job. Indeed, it is my understanding that Vonage Corp. does not encourage its employees to be here in any official capacity. (Many corporations actually forbid employees from participating in non-affliated forums like these.) These two guys have taken some risks and given up their own personal time to be here to help us, and they deserve our gratitude.

Comments like yours don't help us keep people like that around here. I hope you will be more thoughtful before you make such comments here again. Let's not bite the hands that feed us.

Fletcher

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:37 pm Post subject:

Fletcher wrote:

Jerry,

Vonagebest and ssantana have helped countless people...

Fletcher

I would like to give that an executive "I second that".

Posts: 47 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:48 pm Post subject:

Fletcher wrote:

Jerry@ wrote:

PM Vonagebest or Ssantana. They are very helpful and WANT to help. It's their job. The excuse that they have "too much on their plate already" is - again - unacceptable.

Jerry,

Vonagebest and ssantana have helped countless people here and deserve more respect than that. You haven't been around here long enough to perhaps to know that. You have no idea just how full their plates are.

Working on this board to help us is NOT part of their job. Indeed, it is my understanding that Vonage Corp. does not encourage its employees to be here in any official capacity. (Many corporations actually forbid employees from participating in non-affliated forums like these.) These two guys have taken some risks and given up their own personal time to be here to help us, and they deserve our gratitude.

Comments like yours don't help us keep people like that around here. I hope you will be more thoughtful before you make such comments here again. Let's not bite the hands that feed us.

Fletcher

Fletcher-

Please do not jump to conclusions. I've spoken in length to Steve and give both of them MUCH respect. I am grateful to have Vonage but they do have their faults as any growing company does. My comments about this fact are in no way meant to be disrespectful. I think my post in question was completely valid and helpful. I have EVERY right to express my opinion. "Bite the hands that feed us?" You've got it backwards - Vonage or ANY company should be careful not to bite the hands that feed them.

As for your posts - I've never read anything helpful that you've posted. You generally reply to customers in need of help by telling them they are "whiners" and you are very condescending. If you know so much and have been around here to know things - why not post helpful, informative answers instead of attacking and downplaying others? You'd be doing Vonage a great service.

When I first subscribed to this board - I was hesitant to post a question asking for help because of people like yourself who respond by telling the person to "deal with it" and to "quit complaining." However, after getting to know Steve (ssantana) I know now to ignore you because you scare customers away.

So, perhaps take my advice into consideration and be helpful when posting - or don't post at all.

Thanks! Smile

Jerry

Posts: 222 · Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:52 pm Post subject:

Jerry@ wrote:

As for your posts - I've never read anything helpful that you've posted. You generally reply to customers in need of help by telling them they are "whiners" and you are very condescending. If you know so much and have been around here to know things - why not post helpful, informative answers instead of attacking and downplaying others? You'd be doing Vonage a great service.

Please post links to some of my offending posts. I have never used that word here and have helped dozens of people. I truly think you have me confused with someone else. Have you done a search on my username and actually looked at what I have posted?

Fletcher