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Technology Stocks : AUTOHOME, Inc -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: KW Wingman who wrote (24024)	7/26/2000 11:42:00 PM
From: ahhaha	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

Before the self install kit is issued, the customer should complete a checklist and planning form. This checklist and planning form could be quickly evaluated before allowing the customer to self install. How can such a form be constructed? How does a customer know what's pertinent at their premises? You assume that what needs to be addressed is already known. If any problems are seen in the evaluation for example; You beg your own assertion. It's "assuming the problems are identified by the customer, then someone (undefined) will make a decision about whether a roll is needed." There is no "someone" and there can't be, because no one can magically diagnose a problem from remote, especially not a start-up. You're saying that an @home tech over the phone could instruct someone to start the service. That's absurd. if more than one computer are to be installed, if the location is not properly prewired (cabled), if the cable test shows an existing or potential problem, then roll the truck ASAP. You've just eliminated self install as a way to relieve problems. Congratulations. However, you left out several other conditions that are often tripping points and the whole bag makes your contention ridiculous. The customer should be charged for installation beyond what is reasonable. You don't know business by making a statement like this. No wonder you've cheered ATHM management. Please tell me what is reasonable? That's perfectly vague. It's hand waiving in order to impress someone that you can sound big. That bs may work to impress some fool, but you can't float that here. The "as is" cable installation can be tested by the customer with a simple to use, returnable tester as part of the planning before allowing the self install @home installation. This gets worse and worse and reminds me of the Vietnam Memorial. Your thought is the gateway to accelerating expense, but you can't see that. As part of the planning, a simple layout can be made and the required cable lengths would be indicated by the customer. You obviously have zero field experience. That wouldn't even work on paper. I assume someone (undefined) will be cutting and putting connectors on these lengths. Who is that undefined someone and where will this be done? Not at @home tech support. Maybe at a special distribution center, a large warehouse in a local area where @Home provides this service. The only problem is that this tactic is 10 times as expensive as all the truck rolls it would fail to replace. Cables would be made for the approved self installs at the kit packaging facility. I needed to read ahead, but I anticipated where you were going. This would ensure that good quality, properly terminated cables are being used, and would reduce the probability of future problems. I can't believe you are so naive to sweep it under the rug in such a cavalier way. What you describe creates half the problems I've solved in the field. After installation, the self install customer would be required (as part of the install software) to connect with a web site to run certain on line tests which would verify a good installation. Again you beg the question. You assume what is needed is already in place. Let's say you take your current computer setup and log-on somewhere for tests to be run. The only thing a site can provide is a determination of the characteristics of your configuration, because the best a site server can do is read the state of your machine and send it back to you. The assessment can say, "this isn't optimal", but you don't want it to say, "you should go into your reg and makes these DWORD changes". Maybe you want a remote server to be able to fully access your files. I don't. I have software devices set up to preclude that, but the worst thing is to have most people modifying their regs or configs. In any event what has any of that aspect have to do with the major problem which is the antiquated CATV network not designed to handle this kind of traffic? Failure of these tests will lead to a truck roll. What you suggest is a bureaucratic mess of superfluous and counter productive paper work. The roll still has to occur, but you have managed to add extra cost to the addition of a sub. Whatever the cost of the kit is, it would not be much more than the material costs associated with a truck roll, so the cost of the kit should not be of concern. More cost heaped on the prospect doesn't sound like it isn't of concern. Including labor, the kit cost would be much less than the cost of truck roll installation. Again, you assume that the kit is completely successful and I have given you much evidence that in few cases is that true. I'll bet that the kit will defeat even someone adept at networks. Mark my words. This kit cost is nothing, give the kit away for free, get them to sign a contract, in a few months the customer pays for the kits with sub fees. More glib sweep it under the rug. ATHM can handle another $50 million in useless expense. It will be recaptured someday. What is your source for that or did you just pull that BS out of your hat? That's none of your damn business. You're lucky that I tell you anything. The people of Portland are not much different than those in any other American city of that size other than the fact that they are probably more liberal thinking than most. I guess you assume that there is no anger towards TCI or Att in Portland. It is a couple of the socialist leaning, pissed off losers on the city council of Portland that would like to attack any failure by ATHM in Portland. This sounds like the Att attitude that almost blew up in Att's face. In the final analysis Att got off easy and sneaked away kowtowing to OA, but Att's performance and people management was reprehensible. Att and ATHM will be punished due to this. So you as CEO should have your troops roll the truck in Portland I'd double the number of crews and go out my way to recover the bad taste left by the hubris of an out-of-control Armstrong on his Mad Hatter grab for a bigger ego. He's eating crow now. if you are going to lose sleep over what a couple of minor bureaucrats think. I say don't worry about those clowns, do your best to provide "no problem", self install kits. You have no business in business because you haven't the slightest idea of what it takes to be successful. We hear a lot from people like you and from corporations about how dedicated someone must be to serve the needs of their clients, how they must listen to their customers, but it's all a damnable lie. It's hype, shuck and jive, and it won't work. You have to generate results and your above doesn't generate anything but costs and hostility.