[asterisk-biz] 800 DID's

[Steve Totaro]

Matt wrote:
> Perhaps the e-mail should have been sent privately, but maybe not.   I 
> don't know much about Molten other then from what I see, I would have 
> large reservations about doing business with them.   Again, it was 
> never my intent to hurt Brian... rather to try to find out what kind 
> of company they are.    When I see what I see at Brian's company, 
> immediately red flags go up in my head.    I've been on the net since 
> about 1990.   If I remember correctly, even at it's start, eBay was a 
> pretty professional looking company.
>
> It doesn't matter how big or small you are, you should always try to 
> present a professional look.    Sure, you may get some clients if you 
> aren't "professional", but they will often be dead-beats, and smaller 
> clients.    If you want the bigger clients you have to present 
> yourself as a well established business who is going to be there when 
> the customer needs you (and then you also better be there or your 
> customers will run away!).
>
> There's nothing that irks me more (and I'm not saying Brian does 
> this... this is just an irk of alot of these VoIP providers) then a 
> company that claims 24/7 support (via e-mail or otherwise) and you 
> call the support number only to get voicemail and never get a call 
> back, or you send to their 24/7 e-mail and it's answered 24 hours later.
>
> I guess I'm just very leary of companies that seem to be run by one 
> person.  As you said, some companies may have been started by one 
> person and now are very prosperous.  However, if you are looking to 
> provide VoIP services, you need to make sure that you will have 
> support when you need it.    You can't just go with any ma&pa company 
> that comes about.   VoIP is phone service, and people expect it to 
> work.   With the exception of one company I deal with, all the rest 
> have call centers with multiple technicians.   And this other company 
> I deal with has multiple employees who can help, even if tech support 
> is only one person.    Heck, even our company has a 24/7 call-center 
> (no.. it's not out sourced) to handle tech support for our wholesale 
> VoIP customers.
>
> My point is, if you want to play with the big dogs, you need a decent 
> website, 24/7 support for your customers (this IS phone service after 
> all), and a decent sounding phone system.   If it sounds compressed 
> and warbly, or unprofessional, that may very well scare clients 
> away....yeah you'll get the smaller fish...but anyone looking to do 
> anything "real" is going to go elsewhere.
>
> Anyone can setup Asterisk and say "yup it works", but do they really 
> understand it?
>
> Anyway... I've said enough..... those are my main concerns.    

Are you a competitor of Molten?  Offer similar services?

I would never buy from someone or some entity that bashes it's 
competitors.  I think that is very unprofessional (worse than an 
evolving website or funny IVRs).  If your service is better or 
different, then by all means point that out. 

I have sent several sales people packing the second they started to bash 
a competitor.  "This meeting is over, thanks for your time, please see 
your way out and do not contact me further."  I never tell them why, 
just show them the door.

Thanks,
Steve Totaro