[asterisk-biz] I need your skiils, but I can't hire you

Mark Phillips g7ltt at g7ltt.com
Sat Jan 21 13:47:44 MST 2006 

I like the phone support idea but I think that Digium is on the right 
path. If you don't draw the line somewhere you end up either not fixing 
the fault which leads to unhappy customers and therefore a bad mouthing 
experience or worst still getting dragged down in a fault that frankly 
is not worth fixing for the price.

As for "branded" support; you'll have the same problem. How would the 
tech answering the phone know anything about the install he's fixing? It 
would take him quite a considerable time to get up to speed before he 
could reasonably start working on the fault.

If you agree on a standard set of configs that you'll support and offer 
a 2 teired support system, you could fix the easy things like messed up 
passwords or mis-spelled statements and then bump the non conforming 
ones back to the customer (not the user).

You could then offer "consultant" support exclusively for those that can 
demonstrate they are purveyors of Asterisk systems. You shouldn't have 
to do so much hand holding here as you'd require a minimum level of 
expertise. You'd be acting as more of a mentor rather than a support team.

A final avenue could be training. Offering various levels of Asterisk 
training could be a way of ensuring that you have capable customers and 
confident end users as well as being a low level money earner.

Mark, G7LTT/KC2ENI
Randolph, NJ
http://www.g7ltt.com


Steve Totaro wrote:
> Mark,
> 
> Thanks for the "excellent idea" statement.
> 
> I agree, the only way that this part of the site will work well is when
> the site grows and people actually develop feedback and ratings so
> customers can know who is really established and qualified.  
> 
> The phone support idea is still a ways off.  For that, the techs will be
> tested for ability prior to added to a queue.  They will also be rated
> by the customer and dropped from the system if not qualified as well as
> a refund of time/$ to the customer.
> 
> I would love it if you had some suggestions on how to promote the site
> without spamming the lists, which will also give the site a bad name.  
> 
> Going even further, Asterisk Helpdesk is a one man show at this point.
> I just took a job as a Senior Telecom Engineer and need to design and
> implement a 300 seat call center with a full T3 circuit.  My time is
> basically consumed by this for the foreseeable near future.  I could use
> some help with Asterisk Helpdesk.  I too see it as an excellent idea and
> see a big future for it, whether it be a paid service or even free
> (selling advertising).  
> 
> I think the phone support piece could be huge with the right "gurus"
> available to answer phone calls.  Digium is great but they will provide
> limited support and often their answer is "Digium does not support that
> configuration".  I think users and even small startup asterisk
> consultantcies would use the service, especially if we do a branded
> helpdesk.  That is, answer the phone based on CID and ANI to the company
> that the customer belongs to.  We could give small startups the ability
> to focus on sales and installations and not worry about support, while
> making them seem larger and more capable to the end customemr.  This way
> they can even markup the telephone support calls and make a couple
> bucks.
> 
> Feel like helping?  I like to make money but my real concern is to build
> an Asterisk resource that is very helpful to the community.  
> 
> Thanks
> Steve
> 
> 
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Mark Phillips [mailto:g7ltt at g7ltt.com]
>>Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2006 9:14 AM
>>To: Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion
>>Subject: Re: [asterisk-biz] I need your skiils, but I can't hire you
>>
>>Steve,
>>
>>I suggest you look harder for qualified techs. Of the five or so jobs
>>I've seen come into my mailbox from your system generally only one of
>>the replies comes from someone one might consider qualified. The rest
>>are from young opportunists tring to make a fast buck.
>>
>>This will get your excellent idea a bad name. It has already disuaded
> 
> me
> 
>>from posting my services in response to advertisments.
>>
>>Someone once told me that if the words "reliable", "cheap" and
> 
> "quality"
> 
>>were aranged in a triangle you would only be able to pick two of the
>>three. He's right!
>>
>>
>>
>>Mark, G7LTT/KC2ENI
>>Randolph, NJ
>>http://www.g7ltt.com
>>
>>
>>Steve Totaro wrote:
>>
>>>www.asteriskhelpdesk.com <http://www.asteriskhelpdesk.com/>  is
> 
> planning
> 
>>>on offering such a service.  We are in the process of obtaining
>>>qualified techs that speak different languages and are available
> 
> around
> 
>>>the clock.  We are developing testing for the techs and a backend
> 
> system
> 
>>>for escalation, billing, and history.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>
>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  _____
>>>
>>>From: Rusty Dekema [mailto:rdekema at gmail.com]
>>>Sent: Friday, January 20, 2006 9:32 PM
>>>To: Commercial and Business-Oriented Asterisk Discussion
>>>Subject: Re: [asterisk-biz] I need your skiils, but I can't hire you
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Ahh, I gotcha. I thought you meant basically the opposite :). It
> 
> does
> 
>>>sound like a good idea.
>>>
>>>Somebody could start a firm that would have a contractual
> 
> relationship
> 
>>>(employer/employee, independent-contractor, whatever) with some
> 
> asterisk
> 
>>>gurus and hire its services out to companies like yours. Companies
> 
> like
> 
>>>yours could elect to keep configuration data regarding your system
> 
> on
> 
>>>file with the support firm to aid in troubleshooting. The main
> 
> stumbling
> 
>>>block that I see is reluctance on behalf of client companies to
> 
> trust a
> 
>>>newly-formed firm with the passwords to their phone systems.
>>>
>>>-Rusty
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>On 1/20/06, Michael Welter < mike at telecommatters.net
>>><mailto:mike at telecommatters.net> > wrote:
>>>
>>>No, I'm asking the list.  How can we collaborate in order to provide
>>>good service to our customers?  How do we organize (like Geek Squad)
> 
> to
> 
>>>provide 24x7 coverage for Asterisk systems?
>>>
>>>
>>>Rusty Dekema wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>This sounds good to me. Do you have any more information on what you
>>>>envision? What information would you like me to provide about my
>>>>Asterisk, networking, and computing skills and knowledge?
>>>>
>>>>Sincerely,
>>>>Russell Dekema
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>On 1/20/06, *Michael Welter* < mike at telecommatters.net
>>>
>>><mailto:mike at telecommatters.net>
>>>
>>>><mailto: mike at telecommatters.net <mailto:mike at telecommatters.net> >>
>>>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>   Anyone that isn't looking for a 401K and health insurance,
> 
> please
> 
>>>raise
>>>
>>>
>>>>   your hand.  Anyone that's willing to accept a check (and a 1099)
>>>
>>>for
>>>
>>>
>>>>   services rendered, please raise your hand.
>>>>
>>>>   I envision a large community of collaborators, each with his/her
>>>
>>>own
>>>
>>>
>>>>   skills. When I decide to spend a week in Can Cun with the Mrs.,
> 
> I
> 
>>>need
>>>
>>>
>>>>   to know that any problems my customers have are handled by
>>>
>>>competent
>>>
>>>
>>>>   professionals.
>>>>
>>>>   This is an opportunity for someone.  Please bring us together
> 
> with
> 
>>>the
>>>
>>>
>>>>   goal of  servicing the customer.
>>>>
>>>>   --
>>>>   Michael Welter
>>>>   Telecom Matters Corp.
>>>>   Denver, Colorado US
>>>>   +1.303.414.4980
>>>>   mike at TelecomMatters.net <mailto:mike at TelecomMatters.net>
> 
> <mailto:
> 
>>>mike at TelecomMatters.net <mailto:mike at TelecomMatters.net>  >
>>>
>>>>   www.TelecomMatters.net <http://www.TelecomMatters.net>  <
>>>
>>>http://www.TelecomMatters.net>
>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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> 
>>>
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>>>
>>>--
>>>Michael Welter
>>>Telecom Matters Corp.
>>>Denver, Colorado US
>>>+1.303.414.4980
>>>mike at TelecomMatters.net <mailto:mike at TelecomMatters.net>
>>>www.TelecomMatters.net <http://www.TelecomMatters.net>
>>>_______________________________________________
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