Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

You`re right, Leah, `Back around....` is probably a better alternative so that the customer can plan her/his time.   I`ll pass the idea on to my niece.  Thanks.

Cookie

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how do we all feel about,



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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

Funny, Rich, but I think that won`t fly!  It`s right up there with `Off to Tahiti`....

Cookie

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Actually...I think that all depends on your location. For instance...in my town and a few of the towns around us...that would be completely acceptable. Again though...I would urge ANYONE who uses a sign to say they have gone anywhere to at least put a time that their clients/customers can expect them back...or at the very least a rough estimate. Although I live in a very small town that really wouldn`t mind that sign...I am originally from a big city...and there are just some things I have come to expect...like being able to get the things done that I need to get done...and for store owners or service providers to be respectful and responsible towards their clients/customers.

I think if you are going to own a business...you need to OWN it. There needs to be balance in life and business (gone fishing is completely acceptable balance)...but you have to be responsible enough for your business sake...your name sake...to tell your customers when they can expect to see you again.

Just my humble opinion though!

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Leah Tucker

Rich I am kind of experiencing one now. I a currently a Vonage customer but sometime the people I speak to can not hear what I say. I have spent so much time on the phone with Vonage trying to solve the problem, with their tech support I figured it was not worth my time anymore so I added phone service to my Comcast account. I had an appointment with Comcast to install the phone service Jan. 6th. I came home early and they never showed up. When I called they said the appointment was canceled. Then they found out it was canceled because Vonage was not porting over my number. We reset the appointment this time they showed up and installed my new modem but the number was not ported so I have to be here for a third time when they will hopefully be able to hook up the line.

I have another similar story which I will share later.


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classsssic!

(btw, as a vonage user at home, i had similar problem with people not being able to hear me talk. i think it has to do with the bandwidth not allowing for full duplex sound (sound going both ways at the same volume at the same time. it`s particularly frustrating if you like interrupting people (like i do) and can`t!).

(let me know how the new service works out when you FINALLY get it live!)


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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

I`d like to be a contrarian.
I like the "Back in Twenty Minutes" idea.
In fact, we could  print up a bunch of "Back in Twnety Minutes" and post them on all your competitors` doors.
See you guys see the dog half smelly, I smell lemonade.
I may be confusing my euphemisms.

A dog washing business? I need to run down the list of "reasons why I live where I do" again.
My wife and I saw an advertisement for a dog grooming business in our area... and they were open a total of three hours a week.

 

building on your idea, sway, how about a "back in a coupla days" sign? that would really deter people from approaching your competitors...


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Rich Sloan , Co-Founder, Chief Startupologist, StartupNation

Question for you Vonage sufferers...do you use Comcast with your Vonage!?

The reason I ask is because I had a friend back in Virginia who had Comcast and Vonage and had more issues than I can shake a stick at...at one point she was on the phone with a Comcast customer service rep who informed her that Comcast had lowered its bandwidth to deter Vonage customers from using Vonage so they would decide to switch to either Comcast...or a landline. Evidently, Vonage ties up too much bandwidth on Comcast networks or something like that and they were trying to clean that up and clean up the lost business.

This is a story from a friend...so take it with a grain of salt...not to mention...this happened back when Vonage was still new...supposedly! Although...I have to admit...I haven`t heard ANYTHING good come from people who use Vonage and Comcast together (although I personally dispise Comcast due to their lack of customer service...so I might be bias and possibly only can hear the bad stuff).

Just a thought!

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Leah Tucker

OK here is my other horror story. I have a Samsung Pocket PC phone with Verizon service. I upgraded the Windows software on my phone in October. Ever since I updated my phone and something did not load correctly and when ever I plugged my phone into the cradle to sync with my laptop it would disable my wireless connection to my home network. (I know pretty weird). To make along story I estimate I have spent about 4 hours on the phone with Verizon...4 Hours with Samsung (The Samsung level 3 tech support guy told me the new operating system turns the phone into a modem so it was designed to do what it is doing) and 3 with Microsoft. Well I got the phone to where it will not shut down my network...but it will still not sync to my computer. It seems that the USB driver was not there so when ever the phone was in the cradle it tried to connect using the wireless functionality in the phone. I am just amazed that it took all this time, sometimes getting transfered to 4 or 5 people who all want to verify who you are before you can talk to someone. If it was not so necessary for me to have my computer and phone synced up I would have gave up a long time ago. I know by reading this it does not seem like a  major problem...but I am not exaggerating about the time spent with these morons.


Rich...I wish we wereonly talking 20 minutes. :)

John


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