If Vonage is bad, then how are the other VOIP services?

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 9

There seems to be a common pattern to all of the discussion:
1. Bad customer service or lack of....
2. System does not work:
2a cannot install, cannot sucessfully hear a dial tone.
2b. cannot dial out/cannot dial in.
2c. i dial a number but i'm connected to some other number, i.e., dial work, get connected to lady in Iowa.
2d. someone dials beaumont hospital but they ring my phone. i'm not a doctor but they keep insisting they are dialing correctly.
3. my local number will not transfer and it's been 90 days.
4. sometimes i get no dial tone, try again, it works. not consistent. not stable.

Before I decide on keeping this latest (bleeding) technology can anyone share with me what the other services are like?

Is this Vonage's strategy?
Get some end-users, lots of them, don't provide enough technology to keep them 100% satisfied but pump lots of money into marketing. Get bought out because we have lots of customers. New company jacks the price up, improves quality.

Should we just find a quality company that can handle the bandwidth, service, support, overall customer satisfaction?

Thanks,

Ken

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 1:13 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Before I decide on keeping this latest (bleeding) technology can anyone share with me what the other services are like?

From: The Vonage Forum Rules

Quote:

Postings with comments regarding other Voip companies that are clearly off topic will be moderated at will. Links to other Voip companies are not allowed.

Some how I feel my buttons are being pushed lately. This is the Vonage Forum, we are not a Voip comparison site.

I find it hard to believe that this thread can continue without those rules being broken, but lets see.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 9

My Bad. Did not read the rules.

Sorry.

Posts: 176 · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 2:29 pm Post subject:

If you really want to compare go to BBR... http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/voip

The thing here is it seems everyone just wants to complain, and not use the search button for similar topics. It's annoying.

This is a different system than the old phone company. I really haven't any problems, maybe a bad connection in over 6 months that's not bad considering we are saving over $45/mo on the phone bill. Anytime I have called CS I have had any issue resolved in a reasonable time. My connection is great, never dropped a call. Nothing really to complain about.

It is a crap shoot, some folks have poor connections and it does also depend on your ISP. Vonage continued to work even when Comcast was having DNS issues.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 9

SuperDave wrote:

If you really want to compare go to BBR... http://www.broadbandreports.com/forum/voip

The thing here is it seems everyone just wants to complain, and not use the search button for similar topics. It's annoying.

This is a different system than the old phone company. I really haven't any problems, maybe a bad connection in over 6 months that's not bad considering we are saving over $45/mo on the phone bill. Anytime I have called CS I have had any issue resolved in a reasonable time. My connection is great, never dropped a call. Nothing really to complain about.

It is a crap shoot, some folks have poor connections and it does also depend on your ISP. Vonage continued to work even when Comcast was having DNS issues.

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Well, I am venting but I do see the return on investment but I can't start benefiting until my line switches over. It's just frustrating becuase it does work well when it works well. BTW, I am on comcast...

Posts: 2251 · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 8:05 pm Post subject:

I am sorry I did not provide you with that same link, I should have. I did a few hours earlier in this now locked thread: http://www.vonage-forum.com/ftopic6068.html

Posts: 90 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 90

Vonage is an Internet Service, not a phone company.

If you don't like it, don't use it. That's the whole point.

They DO NOT have a government mandate to serve all customers, nor do they have a government monopoly. This is an optional service, not some guaranteed right.

Frankly, I think their marketing strategy is pretty smart.

Why try to make 100% of customers 100% happy all the time? It would cost a fortune! Dump the complaining 10% and run a more efficient operation and make more money (with less hassle) with the remaining 90%.

Here's why:

1. Some folks are never happy. You can bend over backwards (or forwards) for them, and they will still whine. These silly threads about Voip "securtiy" are a case in point. These time-wasters are costly to serve. If you can dump 10% of your customer base that is costing 90% of your customer service, you'll really save a lot of money (Oh, if only the Airlines could do this!).

2. Some homes do not have the proper bandwidth. For whatever reason, some broadband connections are better than others. If a home does not have *consistently* sufficient bandwidth, there is nothing Vonage can do about it. For these folks, it just won't work. Better to have them disconnect than to waste hours and hours of time trying to fix the unfixable.

3. Some tech geeks will try to play with it. I've seem some pretty esoteric stuff being tried here - and Vonage being bashed when it doesn't work. Buying your Vonage box off eBay to save $20? BAD IDEA! Trying to use a modem/alarm/fax/credit card swipe machine on your Vonage line? BAD IDEA! Trying to use the equipment in a novel and unauthorized configuration? BAD IDEA! Again, it is far more cost-effective for Vonage to dump these customers than try to make their weird ideas work (it would take an army of technicians!).

So what good is Vonage? First, it works for the VAST MAJORITY of people (like me). These folks DON'T post here generally, because their service WORKS GREAT! Voip would be dead in the water if it didn't provide some connections for some folks.

SECOND, for those who can't get it to work, Voip acts as a reality check on Ma Bell.

Satellite TV (Dish network and the like) doesn't work for everyone, and often the service can be spotty and the features not as complete as Cable TV (sound familiar?). BUT, since the introduction of these Dish services, the cable companies have had to scramble to offer newer and better services, better customer service, and also more competitive PRICING.

So even if Vonage doesn't "work" for you, Vonage will "work" to save you money. The telcos will have to improve their service levels and pricing to compete with Vonage.

So it is a win-win for consumers, even if you can't get Vonage service in your home.

For me, there is no question comparing Verizon to Vonage. Vonage wins hands down on price. As for customer service, after a half hour and three calls to Verizon's new voice recognition system, I'm not convinced they have an edge on Vonage....

As for service and growing pains? Well, as one of those folks who was an early adapter of PayPal, all I can say is wait. Once matured, many internet services with growing pains end up becoming pretty respectable institutions.

Vonage isn't working out for you. Go try something else!

But I suspect if you are having trouble with Vonage Voip, then you'll have similar troubles with other Voip services.

Regards,

--Bob.

Posts: 90 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: May 05, 2005 Posts: 90

With regard to installation,

do you try to use the INSTALL discs?

I ordered my service from the website. The LINKSYS comes pre-programmed with the IP address.

Just plug it in, and you'll get dialtone. No "installation" necessary.

The INSTALL discs were nearly impossible to figure out. I tried messing with them and then realized they were unnecessary (although this was not made clear in any instructions!).

I think some RETAIL sales require their use. The units sold through www.vonage.com do not (at least according to the admin here).

MORAL: Buy from the website. Save the hassle. Plug the Vonage box directly into the cable modem (and then your netowrk box into the Vonage box). Make sure the cable modem is at least 2 feet away (seems to help, I'm told. Works for me). You should get dial tone in 20 seconds.

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 9

robertplattbell wrote:

Vonage is an Internet Service, not a phone company.

If you don't like it, don't use it. That's the whole point.

They DO NOT have a government mandate to serve all customers, nor do they have a government monopoly. This is an optional service, not some guaranteed right.

Frankly, I think their marketing strategy is pretty smart.

Why try to make 100% of customers 100% happy all the time? It would cost a fortune! Dump the complaining 10% and run a more efficient operation and make more money (with less hassle) with the remaining 90%.

Here's why:

1. Some folks are never happy. You can bend over backwards (or forwards) for them, and they will still whine. These silly threads about Voip "securtiy" are a case in point. These time-wasters are costly to serve. If you can dump 10% of your customer base that is costing 90% of your customer service, you'll really save a lot of money (Oh, if only the Airlines could do this!).

2. Some homes do not have the proper bandwidth. For whatever reason, some broadband connections are better than others. If a home does not have *consistently* sufficient bandwidth, there is nothing Vonage can do about it. For these folks, it just won't work. Better to have them disconnect than to waste hours and hours of time trying to fix the unfixable.

3. Some tech geeks will try to play with it. I've seem some pretty esoteric stuff being tried here - and Vonage being bashed when it doesn't work. Buying your Vonage box off eBay to save $20? BAD IDEA! Trying to use a modem/alarm/fax/credit card swipe machine on your Vonage line? BAD IDEA! Trying to use the equipment in a novel and unauthorized configuration? BAD IDEA! Again, it is far more cost-effective for Vonage to dump these customers than try to make their weird ideas work (it would take an army of technicians!).

So what good is Vonage? First, it works for the VAST MAJORITY of people (like me). These folks DON'T post here generally, because their service WORKS GREAT! Voip would be dead in the water if it didn't provide some connections for some folks.

SECOND, for those who can't get it to work, Voip acts as a reality check on Ma Bell.

Satellite TV (Dish network and the like) doesn't work for everyone, and often the service can be spotty and the features not as complete as Cable TV (sound familiar?). BUT, since the introduction of these Dish services, the cable companies have had to scramble to offer newer and better services, better customer service, and also more competitive PRICING.

So even if Vonage doesn't "work" for you, Vonage will "work" to save you money. The telcos will have to improve their service levels and pricing to compete with Vonage.

So it is a win-win for consumers, even if you can't get Vonage service in your home.

For me, there is no question comparing Verizon to Vonage. Vonage wins hands down on price. As for customer service, after a half hour and three calls to Verizon's new voice recognition system, I'm not convinced they have an edge on Vonage....

As for service and growing pains? Well, as one of those folks who was an early adapter of PayPal, all I can say is wait. Once matured, many internet services with growing pains end up becoming pretty respectable institutions.

Vonage isn't working out for you. Go try something else!

But I suspect if you are having trouble with Vonage Voip, then you'll have similar troubles with other Voip services.

Regards,

--Bob.

Hi Bob,

My problems were only related to not being able to get my local number transfered and also recieving strange calls from strange people who swear they were dialing correctly. My listing of problems were based on what other posts and frequency of posts... I do agree with everything you wrote and I probably will have problems with other services.

Ken

Posts: 9 · New Forum Member Joined: May 25, 2005 Posts: 9

robertplattbell wrote:

With regard to installation,

do you try to use the INSTALL discs?

I ordered my service from the website. The LINKSYS comes pre-programmed with the IP address.

Just plug it in, and you'll get dialtone. No "installation" necessary.

The INSTALL discs were nearly impossible to figure out. I tried messing with them and then realized they were unnecessary (although this was not made clear in any instructions!).

I think some RETAIL sales require their use. The units sold through www.vonage.com do not (at least according to the admin here).

MORAL: Buy from the website. Save the hassle. Plug the Vonage box directly into the cable modem (and then your netowrk box into the Vonage box). Make sure the cable modem is at least 2 feet away (seems to help, I'm told. Works for me). You should get dial tone in 20 seconds.

Hi again,

My installation was perfect. Again, reading stuff from other posts.

thanks nonetheless.

Ken