Probably should have put this in the complaint department but it would get better visibility here by anybody comtemplating switching their business to cable company telephone.
Long time customer calls today about switching to cable company telephone (in this case Optimum Voice). He has 20 lines and I know that all those idiots provide is 4 lines on a modem that has RJ-11 jacks for connection. So I'm figuring 5 modems, customer says Cablevision said they will have to provide 8 because of different accounts. Keep in mind that his telecom closet is about 4'x6' and contains the Partner system and crossconnect as well as his server in a rack with switches and patch panels. So my question was "will you be putting an addition on the building?" With all those modems, their backup power, the RG-6 cable wiring and splitters and my wiring and 66 block he is going to need at least another 4 feet of backboard space from floor to ceiling. Customer had no idea.
Is there any reason they can't provide something about the size of a T1 channel bank that handles a couple of dozen lines, has an Amphenol output and one cable input? I'll answer my own question by saying that they get their cable modems from Cisco.
So customer gets Cablevision on the phone and conferences me in. I don't think they have ever had somebody that knows the telecom business give them a piece of their mind.
Basically I let him know that from their equipment to their installers, they have no idea what "business class" phone service is. All the Cablevision rep can say is that they have done jobs like this before to which I replied Oh, I know! Just one example- last week your guys did another customer of mine. They threw everything on the floor and couldn't figure out how to cut over the seven lines so they left with the customer without phone service. They had to call me on an emergency basis to get them connected.
So now my customer is having second thoughts and the cable guy is out of excuses. Customer will be saving about $500 per month and I figure that I'll be the hero here if I can figure out a way to get this done. I tell customer that I'll go there tomorrow to see what can be moved and removed. I also said that I'll be there while the "installers" are there next week "to offer my suggestions". :bang:
All I can say is if you are thinking about cable company phone service for your business be prepared for a mess and to provision the lines and set up hunting yourself through their website. These guys make Verizon look like rocket scientists.
You get what you pay for.
-Hal
