"Infant Newbie" <infant@newbie.new> wrote in message
news:f37qir$9ig$1@news.freedom2surf.net...[color=blue]
>I have to reply to myself because the thread is so long. I dont want to
>start a "spam war". Ivor, I live in London and I dont spam. My email
>address is invalid, just like yours. I do have a rarely used yahoo address
>which you can contact me directly on - if you wish. its meshcode at
>xxxxxhoo.co.uk. I have read the whole thread and I will condense the wish
>list and reply to all.
>
> HOWEVER, one thing worries me and maybe you guys can tell me how to manage
> it....SUPPORT !!
> How can I provide proper live person on the phone (note I said person, not
> cretin) with some knowledge and keep the service reasonably priced. I know
> what people think about non-UK call centres so lets not even go there!
>
> Most of the things required are usually sourced from BT Wholesale and I
> will surely try to provide a good service.
>
> Second thing - how does the provider improve the sound quality when so
> much of it depends on the connection from the end user?[/color]

Bart,

You have hit probably the biggest issue on the head, customers are hard
people they want good service
and they don't want to pay for it. customers want free geographic calls, all
functions, and cheap costs and a live support
person who will answer the calls in 3 rings and they want the moon on a
stick.

Working in support in another industry I see supporting VOIP a nightmare,
You not only have to support your systems but also
other peoples internet connection/router/softphones/hardphones/ata all for a
customer who may only add £10 credit a quarter. In other
industries you would maybe charge customers £80/hour for decent tech
support.

I think having live telephone support is nice it is really an impossible
dream, unless a user whants to pay for it either via services charges for
the
VOIP services or having premium chargable support ( in addition to standard
support - no likes only form of support to be premium rate number)

or you can go down the Betamax route, they have several VOIP services which
offer no support, but prices are so cheap and people get such a good deal
that you kind of let the issues go when you have them as the savings are
huge.

Sound quality can vary a lot from different services providers.
The voice provider needs to have the bandwidth to cope with all incoming and
outgoing channels
should have different internet backbones
plus there is the routing of calls, some cheaper companies use grey routes
to channel calls abroad and quality can be iffy