I was on holiday so some postings on other sites got missed or overlooked.
This one from Tom Evslin is worth a read. While it’s nothing that I haven’t expressed, or shared with others privately, I do think he’s right when it comes to Vonage specifically, and with customer service in general.
Basically, for companies to provide lower cost service, customer service is one area where cuts are made. I think you will start seeing an upsurge in “enhanced” service offerings in technology, that is similar to MDvip, a doctors service that fills in the gaps caused by an increase in managed care across the USA, and a reduction in profits to physicians. I pay extra and get unduplicated service from my physicians. I would do the same with cellular, broadband and VoIP if it eliminated problems in four hours or less, and I got to deal with someone who knew more than I did about the problem and the potential solution.
The issue with Vonage is deeper. They use a decision support system for their support team. The issue is that the person reading the replies is less likely to really understand the problem, and only able to troubleshoot by Q&A.
Microsoft and Linksys both offer great support. Funny, you pay for it in higher prices, and yet it’s there and one call usually solves the issue.