[asterisk-biz] Why so many international customers ask for free samples

[Steve Totaro]

Really the best way to feel them out is how they speak, that may be an
issue since you may not pick up on some of voice characteristics or
the way people speak that just want something for free.  Face to face,
non-verbal is by far the best but that is probably out of the question
in 99.9% of your customers.

Website, DNS information can tell you a bit of information about the
company.  It is possible, at least here in the States to pull a
business' credit report, although it will cost you, and many startups
may not have anything there but could be flush with cash (doubtful
with today's economy).

I think charging a month with a refund policy is fair.  I think that
is how Junction does it.  I certainly would not want a "Demo" account
on a "Demo" server that has the best connectivity, so a day or two is
certainly not long enough.

Limit them to one or two trunks with specific destinations, maybe even
add a GUI where they can select the destinations.  You could even play
something along the lines as "This is test VoIP trunk provided by X or
N company) and limit the calls to ten or fifteen minutes with a
gracious disconnect message, reiterating that it is in-fact a test
VoIP trunk provided by X company.

I am not sure about how laws work across boarders or in China, but
maybe you can legally record or at least monitor the call to see if it
is truly a "test" which would be fairly obvious by the conversation.
If it is being used for business, then I don't define it as a "test"
trunk.  If people are talking about quality and "Can You Hear Me Now",
then that is more of a test as far as I am concerned.

At the end of the time period, they have the option to continue
billing/service or get terminated.  Plain and simple.

-- 
Thanks,
Steve Totaro
+18887771888 (Toll Free)
+12409381212 (Cell)
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On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 10:13 PM, Andy Spring <andyspr at gmail.com> wrote:
> Do you think the way of "Charger first, Return later after placing bulk
> order"  is possible?
> But I think, if they are true and serious customer, they will agree this
> policy, if you are customer,
> do you agree this way.
>
> Thanks
>
> Regards
> andy
>
> 2008/10/27 C F <shmaltz at gmail.com>
>>
>> I would charge for samples but refund it if the purchase any minutes.
>> For example, if you give one 10 minutes to try out, charge whatever
>> you charge, and if they become a customer and end up purchasing $25.00
>> plus you give them the 10 minutes back.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 8:30 PM, Andy Spring <andyspr at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > Hello everyone friends,
>> >
>> > As a chinese supplier, we often meet this kind of status, so many
>> > foreign
>> > cusotmers ask for free samples from us,
>> > but the sample is also high value not only several dollars, even if it
>> > worth
>> > several dollars, if so many customers ask
>> > for free samples, we also can not afford them.
>> >
>> > By this status, should we send the free samples to our customers? if
>> > you,
>> > how will you do? if not send them free samples
>> > maybe we will lose customers. In fact, the cost of sample is hihger then
>> > unit goods for bulk order.
>> > We have also some policy about the sample, like charger higher price for
>> > sample(s) and when our customers (especially new customers)
>> > place bulk order, we will return the sample cost to them, but even by
>> > this
>> > way, they still do not want to pay for the sample price,
>> > what could we do, do you have any better advice.
>> >
>> > Thank you very much, my friends here everyone!
>> >
>> > Best regards
>> >
>> > --
>> > andy
>> > andyspr at gmail.com
>> >
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>
>
> --
> andy
> andyspr at gmail.com
>
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-- 
Thanks,
Steve Totaro
+18887771888 (Toll Free)
+12409381212 (Cell)
+12024369784 (Skype)