----- 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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