Understanding Fios

Best way is to ask a telco tech, some won't give it out, but ask three and one will tell you.

works here in Texas, from my mobile.

I do that for attics and crawlspaces - when I remember... which, unfortunately, isn't as often as I actually go into them...

If I have my cell phone with me and it rings ..... I really REALLY get annoyed.

But actually ..... try this number from where you are. It works here for me on land line.

In fact .... everybody try it. It could be useful to know if it works everywhere or when you don't have cell service when you're in a basment or someplace.

Well it actually works from PA. Interesting............ It is a MCI # and it works on a VERIZON.

It also works on a Caller ID blocked number since it is a 800 number and MCI is paying for the call. That in itself may make it change in the future if too many are using it.

Again learning something new everyday.

Thanks, it may be useful someday if I can remember it when I might need it.

Les

That's my problem too. That's part of the reason I leave my Cell in the van. I'm usually out there getting a tool or such at least every couple of hours and if my Cell is beeping I'll check it out. When you get a "Free" Cell for signing a contract it's one thing. But when you lose of break it and you've got to pay for a new one, ..... four times ...... you pretty much figure out what you've got to do to avoid that.

Pavlov was right. Hey Doc, every time I raise my arm it hurts ... what should I do? Doc: Don't raise your arm.

RHC: Yeah, I share your worry about losing a cell phone. I just moved up to a Galaxy Nexus worth about $600. If I lose it, it's like losing a laptop !!! So I bought a hard core "holster" with it and now I feel like I have my .45 1911 strapped to my belt. But it's truly amazing what sorts of things it will do. It's like having your whole office with you when you're on the road...literally. But it's also one of those things you have to decide whether it's worth the increase in monthly billing, and also whether or not you want to be that accessible to people. It does keep my son and I in instant communication via SMS messaging though and overall, using Google calendar (accessible from both our smart phones) we now know exactly what each is doing and what appointments we have scheduled.

I decided years ago to be completely and totally accessible to my clients at virtually all hours unless I am asleep. It has it's ups and downs for sure, but overall, I think more "ups" than "downs". Most customers today are totally used to being able to get instant answers to just about anything via quick access to the internet and search engines such as Google. This has conditioned them to hope for the same sort of response from their suppliers of many different things, but rarely do they get it. So when their security company responds almost instantly to their emails or calls, they are somewhat surprised and definately impressed. One more thing that helps for referrals. It's also at the opposite and positive end of the service scale with the Borg companies. (When travelling in the US, I now call forward my smart phone to my Canadian Majicjack number which is then call forwarded to my US Tracphone pay as you go. So clients can get hold of my even when I'm Stateside by dialing a local number. Sweet..!!! )

The biggest downside is that customers now don't bother to look in their user manual for even the simplest instructions, expecting we will have the answers immediately available for them. In most cases we do, but it's a major pain in the ass sometimes with some customers who can't tell you even the make of panel they have...!!!!!???? But these lazy customers generally turn out to be the same ones that are a PIA anyway over most other things.....

RTFM...."read the f "ing manual" is a saying my son and I have....,:)) I just wish most customers would do it....

Your CS also has an ANI to call.

I have run into customers who have read the manual, did understand it but didn't think they did because it seemed too simple.

I do like that light-bulb-popping-on look when they realize that it really IS that simple...

Holy Crap .....

My criteria for a cell phone is ..... Is it LOUD when it rings and will it break when I lay on it.

I can't do that. When I first got a Cell phone so many years ago, I gave the number to everybody. Gradually I found myself conducting business that could well be put off to "office days" and I was not completing work on schedule because I was spending too much time on the phone. That's certainly the reason I so limit my cell phone useage now.

Something funny happended regarding this a while ago. When cell phones came out with two way direct communications, everybody was using them to talk to their installers and office. One of the owners of another company was really estatic about the convenience of it and was trying really hard to convince me go go out and get a two way phone excitedly telling me all the benifits and features. That is until I asked him ..... Who would I talk to? (I, being a sole proprietor) He stopped for a moment ..... thought about it and we all broke up laughing.

I'm available but my experience is that people just take advantage of it. Not intentionally but they begin to call you for the least little thing and I just can't afford to be explaining to a caller, which key on the keypad sets the chime mode when I've promised the present client that I'd be finished with their installation today.

I've been as far away as the Caribbean on a 60 foot private charter yacht and hiking the Canadian Rockies, talking a customer through a problem. These are trouble calls that my central station has contacted me about. I leave a message on my answering machine to contact CS with emergency situations while I'm away. I'll usually make it a point of telling them where I am just so they know what kind of service I'm willing to give them. Occasionally I've received a note in with the monthly check, thanking me for calling them while I'm on vacation. Also I check my messages every day while I'm away ...... just in case I sense something in a message that I should contact a customer about.

We all do that little extra that the Borg would never do and the obvious reason we're successful at what we do. I know lots of installers who just put their accounts on line and never EVER want to know what their clients troubles are. Some have been around for a long time .... too. I guess, after they lose those clients that expect more .... they're left with those who don't. .... That's just something I couldn't do.

I use 99 percent Napco panels. I got them to send me extra user manuals through the years. Whenever I get one of "those questions" that could be answered by looking at the manual, I'll ask them if they still have the booklet and they'll usually say they don't know where it is. I promptly say I'll be happy to send them another so the next time they wont have to wait "so long" for me to get back to them to answer their questions. I think most of them get the hint.

I find some are just afraid they're going to do something to the system that they won't be able to get out of. Most people just arm and disarm for years until that one time when something differnt happens and they've forgotten everything else about the system. It's a pretty reasonable situation.