----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 2:11
PM
Subject: Re: [smartBridges] Could not
regain association
Are you really expecting people to spend more
for a commodity, just because they have more to spend? I would
not.
Instead of charging for the availability of
bandwidth, charge for what they USE.
I'm going to charge $30 a month for a
home. Be it 1 machine or 5, I don't care, because I'll only give them
1 gig of transfer for that, and charge them $5 a gig for each
additional. OR, they can subscribe at $60 a month, and get 7
gigs of transfer and $3 a gig additional.
If you're determined to keep them limited by
the machine, use PPPOE, with no route to the internet on the network.
Insist on installing on your own, and monitor what MAC logs
in. Still, this reminds me of the Steve Stroh posting
about Speakeasy helping the end user share internet connections by offering
billing and hotspot management service. Do you want to
whip your customers into following YOUR model, or is it that you intend to
make your customer an integral part of your business? Over the
years, in the industry I came from, we followed "the customer is always
right" when it came to providing service and tailoring our services to the
customer's wants.
The question is this, do you wish to have an
adversarial relationship to the customer? The telcos are good at
that, and so is the cable co. Don't make thier mistakes.
NEOFAST.NET
North
East
Oregon
FAST
Net
mark(at)neofast.net
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, July 06, 2003 9:15
AM
Subject: RE: [smartBridges] Could not
regain association
Chris...You and I are in the same boat. I, too, charge for
small networks over single computers. $39.95 for one computer and
$69.95 for 2-6 computers (residential prices) with 1 Gig and 2 Gig
transfers per months, respectively.
To tell you the absolute truth....I am freaking disgusted by my
clients "cheapness". <-- its a word. Our homes range from
$400k to $550k...so these people have money.
When I put an add on their doorstep, they call me up in almost
tears (of joy)....saying..."FINALLY...FINALLY....HIGH-SPEED INTERNET WHERE
WE LIVE...I WILL PAY ANYTHING." My service is unthrottled 1.5
Meg up and down. So...my prices are WAY lower than what I could be
charging. But...it is all part of my business plan. I want to
be around for the long haul. Not just rape them for a few
months...then DSL or cable modem access moves in and they all switch
over.
So...back to my "cheap customers"...anyway....once it comes down to
the actual selection of the service plan (39.95 or 69.95), they all turn
into freaking cheapos. URGGGHHHH...I hate it. They will say
stuff like, "Well, Yes... I have 5 computers in my home...but can I just
pay $39.95 if I just use one at a time?" Or...my favorite straight
up lie, "I only need the $39.95 account because we will only use this one
computer for Internet." You know DAMN WELL that they are going to
spoof that MAC into their router and be smiling like they made one over on
me.
I am seriously thinking of installing VPN clients on each "PAID"
computer that will only allow THAT computer Internet access. But
even then...I bet there is some easy way around it. For example,
using Windows XP "Share Internet Connection" option.
Anyone have a way to stop this?!??!?!
Sully
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