Suggestions to improve customer service

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Suggestions to improve customer service

Postby bmedicky » 09/15/2012

I am a recent Fongo home phone customer, using a pre-programmed Grandstream HT701 ATA purchased directly from you. The service is working well for me, but I'd like to respectfully suggest that the assistance provided to customers of this particular service could be a bit better.

By this, I don't mean the actual availability of customer service. I've contacted them twice, first to order the product and second to start the number porting process. In both cases, my hold times were minimal and the customer service reps were quite helpful. What I mean is the focus of the available help features (both online and via phone) needs to include customers who are paying for the pre-configured ATA and home phone service, and not just those who are coming aboard with their own hardware.

My impression of Fongo is that the majority of users are people who are fully prepared to roll up their sleeves and figure out how to do things themselves. They learn about the service by tinkering, and by doing so they end up answering most questions themselves. I think that people like me, who have paid for the pre-configured hardware, may be falling through the cracks a bit in receiving the information they need.

In my case, I started the Fongo service with a temporary phone number so I could test the service out before porting my existing number and making a firm commitment. The porting process went fine and was completed quickly... but on the day it was done, no one told me I would need to re-program my ATA and replace my temporary phone number (which was already programmed in when I received the device) with the number I had just ported over. It would have been quite easy to mention this in the email which informed me the porting process was complete. As well, some online info in the FAQs would have alerted me to this ahead of time and I would have been ready to do this myself when the time came. As it was, I only realized something needed to be done when I discovered my phone was dead, and finally figured out the solution by poking around in these forums and reading a document that showed the advanced configuration info for the Grandstream ATA. In just seconds, my phone started working again, but it took me about 90 minutes of tinkering with my ATA and router to get to that point.

I don't mean to sound excessively negative... I'm enjoying the service, and I'm saving $15/month over the Vonage service I used to use. Fongo's service is more basic, but the frills it has are, realistically, ones that most people could be expected to use, so I'm happy to pay for features I'm actually using (and not pay for cool things I don't really need). I hope these little growing pains with your new service can be corrected with some updates to the online FAQs and in the emails sent to customers.

Best,
BM
bmedicky
Just Passing Thru
 
Posts: 3
Joined: 09/15/2012
SIP Device Name: Grandstream HT-701
Firmware Version: 1.0.0.18
ISP Name: Rogers

Re: Suggestions to improve customer service

Postby FONGO_mike » 09/17/2012

Hi bmedicky,

I just verified through the FAQ's and saw that oyu are indeed right, in the area where it discusses porting, it is not posted that you may need to update the number in your ATA device. I will pass this information along to the correct people to try and have this updated as soon as possible.
L3 Escalation Support Specialist
Fibernetics
Please contact me for your FPL DSL issues. For phone issues, please open a support ticket by going here.
Never give out personal information or access to your computer to somebody you don't know, Fongo staff will never ask for your username or password.
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FONGO_mike
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Posts: 1095
Joined: 12/22/2011
Location: Fibernetics Head Office
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ISP Name: www.worldline.ca
Computer OS: Windows 7/ Windows XP/Windows Vista
Router: TG784. 780, 585, 546.
Smartphone Model: Bold 9900

Re: Suggestions to improve customer service

Postby Jake » 09/17/2012

Good post, I think you sum things up nicely.

I had similar problems with lacking information when I got my DSL through them. I had no idea where I was going to collect my emails from, or what server details I needed.

Hopefully this thread will make it to the right people and a bit will be added to the phone reps notes advising people who ring in about porting numbers that they will have to make a modification. Or even as you say, an email sent out with links to where they can get the relevant information.

It's a simple fix, but only if you know the answer, or even the question.
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Re: Suggestions to improve customer service

Postby bmedicky » 09/17/2012

Thanks, FONGO_mike, for your prompt reply. I appreciate you passing along my remarks.

I think a few small and easy improvements as discussed in my first post will pay big dividends in making the service more user-friendly for the less technically inclined customer. Now that you're marketing the Fongo home phone service with the pre-configured ATA, you'll be getting more people on board hoping for an essentially "plug and play" experience, They'll feel more welcome if they get the information they need.
bmedicky
Just Passing Thru
 
Posts: 3
Joined: 09/15/2012
SIP Device Name: Grandstream HT-701
Firmware Version: 1.0.0.18
ISP Name: Rogers

Re: Suggestions to improve customer service

Postby FONGO_mike » 09/17/2012

Jake wrote:Good post, I think you sum things up nicely.

I had similar problems with lacking information when I got my DSL through them. I had no idea where I was going to collect my emails from, or what server details I needed.

Hopefully this thread will make it to the right people and a bit will be added to the phone reps notes advising people who ring in about porting numbers that they will have to make a modification. Or even as you say, an email sent out with links to where they can get the relevant information.

It's a simple fix, but only if you know the answer, or even the question.


the introduction of the new FAQ system is still pretty new, and has already grown since it was first introduced. Although we may not always reply via the forums, we do keep our eyes pealed and take note of a lot more then everyone is aware of. (People like Steve and myself also PM or request PM's as well even though this is not an official support forum).

I would like to think that we have come a long way, and that although things have improved, we are still working on hard on improving the overall experience.

you would not believe the projects being worked on, ideas being floated around and what is being constructed in order to make these changes. :)
L3 Escalation Support Specialist
Fibernetics
Please contact me for your FPL DSL issues. For phone issues, please open a support ticket by going here.
Never give out personal information or access to your computer to somebody you don't know, Fongo staff will never ask for your username or password.
User avatar
FONGO_mike
Site Moderator
 
Posts: 1095
Joined: 12/22/2011
Location: Fibernetics Head Office
SIP Device Name: Grandstream 286/TG701
ISP Name: www.worldline.ca
Computer OS: Windows 7/ Windows XP/Windows Vista
Router: TG784. 780, 585, 546.
Smartphone Model: Bold 9900


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