During the ZigWireless days we only accepted credit cards through our billing software. If people wanted to pay with cash they had to pay a minimum of 6 months in advance. We let the software turn them off, and we were the nice guys for doing a bunch of work to let the software turn them on if they made arrangements. By doing so our percentage of non-paying folks was around 1-2% a month. Not bad for 1700 subs.
Justin Wilson [email protected] --- http://www.mtin.net Owner/CEO xISP Solutions- Consulting – Data Centers - Bandwidth http://www.midwest-ix.com COO/Chairman Internet Exchange - Peering - Distributed Fabric > On Nov 11, 2015, at 2:06 PM, Ken Hohhof <[email protected]> wrote: > > Big companies advise if you can’t pay your bill, call to make payment > arrangements. Why don’t people do this? Most companies if you have a > plausible story about a one-time financial crisis will accept late payment or > work with you to reduce your bill. > > I would advise customers: > > a) if you can’t get current, pay what you can, it will probably buy you some > time > > b) if you can’t pay anything, call to make some kind of an arrangement > > c) once your service is suspended, just paying something will not get you > turned back on unless you have a very good story, at that point you must pay > the entire past due amount and any late fees to get turned back on > > d) once your account is terminated and the equipment retrieved, you are > paying an install fee to restore service, or you may be on a “do not > reconnect” list and you will have to find another ISP to get service > > Once these people do pay to get turned back on, they usually put it on a > credit card, which means they always had the ability to pay their bill, they > just wanted an interest-free loan, or they wanted to pay the biggest assholes > first and the biggest chumps last. > > I remember a sign at a car repair shop: > > We made a deal with the bank. > They don’t repair cars, and we don’t make loans. > > > From: Mark Radabaugh <mailto:[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 12:30 PM > To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Steer customers to ACH (vs CC)? > > Just the usual crap: > > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> [8:14 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204466000075>] > Heads up: [redacted] wife called in tonight VERY upset about her service > being closed. She was going to make a payment and I informed her that the > service was closed and we had picked up the equipment. She then complained > for about 8 minutes to me about how horrible we are and that I couldn't do > anything for her, so she would call in the morning. > > Be prepared to receive an earful because I don't think she is finished. > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> > tima <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> [8:16 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204615000076>] > Was he a non pay? > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> [8:17 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204636000077>] > yup > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin>[8:17 PM] > She was furious that we would pick up the equipment after such a short time. > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> > tima <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> [8:20 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204835000079>] > Her last payment was 9-18 > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> [8:21 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204878000080>] > Oh and that we would turn off her service over $60 > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin>[8:21 PM] > "That isn't a business that I want to deal with" > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> > tima <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> [8:21 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204907000082>] > We said we would be out 10/30 to pickup and we waited till 11/10 haha > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> [8:22 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204928000083>] > Yeah, she "never got that message" > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin>[8:22 PM] > And was pissed about that also > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> > tima <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/tima> [8:22 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204948000085>] > The businesses she wants to deal with are likely few and far between due to > all those bankruptcies due to no revenue being collected... > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin> [8:23 PM > <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/archives/csr/p1447204987000086>] > Oh no, she insured me that I would be out of a job after Amplex goes out of > business for disconnecting services like that > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin>[8:26 PM] > "It wasn't even 2 months behind. Every other company is fine if I'm 2 or even > 3 months behind!" > > rcarlin <https://amplexinternet.slack.com/team/rcarlin>[8:27 PM] > "You didn't even tell us about any of this!" We did leave a VM for you and > sent emails about the past due amounts. "Oh, so someone is a month past due > and you harass them with calls and emails?! That is ridiculous!” > > > > >> On Nov 11, 2015, at 1:22 PM, Lewis Bergman <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >> >> We averaged one ACH bounce a year. I don't remember the percentage but I >> know we were getting $40k or so auto pay. It just wasn't a big enough deal >> not to use. I only had one repeat dishonest piece of crap that would watch >> for new installers and give another false name to get service under and he >> wasn't an ACH. >> >> On Wed, Nov 11, 2015, 11:27 AM Mark Radabaugh <[email protected] >> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>> A few customers discovered that game. After they pull that once or twice >>> we flag the account and refuse any further ACH payments. It’s a minor >>> nuisance at this point. >>> >>> Mark >>> >>> >>>> On Nov 11, 2015, at 11:52 AM, Adam Moffett <[email protected] >>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>> >>> >>>> The people who are cheating you as you describe below already have bad >>>> credit and sending them to collections or not won't make any difference. >>>> >>>> Where you'll get paid is when you're dealing with young people who made >>>> errors in judgement and now are trying to buy a car or a house and realize >>>> they can't until they pay off old debts. >>>> >>>> I can't think of any "slanderous hate speech" incidents related to >>>> collections, except maybe one. >>>> >>>> >>>> On 11/11/2015 11:41 AM, Jeremy wrote: >>> >>>>> I originally loved ACH, for the cost savings. Now I have realized that >>>>> it is the only way that a customer can defraud us with our current >>>>> billing method. They login and run an ACH on a delinquent account, get >>>>> it turned back on automagically, and then it bounces, we add a fee, they >>>>> repeat the process, we turn it off, add another fee, rinse, lather, >>>>> repeat. Finally we give up and go get the equipment and now we're out >>>>> like $250. Being a prepaid service we usually shut them off after 20 >>>>> days and so that would be the most that anyone could possibly hit us for >>>>> (20 days of service). With checks they can bounce the install and then >>>>> play the re-activation game for two months before we get frustrated and >>>>> pull out. >>>>> >>>>> We have yet to start sending customers to collections. For those of you >>>>> that are, how does it work out? Are the reclamation of these minor >>>>> amounts worth the slanderous hate speech that is sure to come from that >>>>> customer for life after you hit their credit? We have been eating the >>>>> cost, cutting ties, and moving on. >>>>> >>>>> As far as how we push them toward ACH, I simply explain how bad bill pay >>>>> sucks. It is like sending cash in the mail and it goes through a third >>>>> party. If they are late mailing it then service gets shut off, and late >>>>> fees get added. I also tell them that credit cards cost us more to >>>>> process than checks. I basically just tell them that we prefer ACH, but >>>>> we will take anything. I regularly question whether ACH is a good idea >>>>> or not. We have more problem customers on ACH than any other payment >>>>> method. >>>>> >>>>> On Wed, Nov 11, 2015 at 8:41 AM, Ken Hohhof <[email protected] >>>>> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>> Our bank wants a $25/mo minimum fee for us to process ACH payments, so >>>>>> we don’t accept ACH. The per transaction fee is not bad, but the >>>>>> minimum is a problem. >>>>>> >>>>>> From: Justin Wilson - MTIN <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2015 9:29 AM >>>>>> To: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>> Subject: Re: [AFMUG] Steer customers to ACH (vs CC)? >>>>>> >>>>>> Give them a discount. Much of it depends on the bank. We had folks who >>>>>> absolutely hated ACH because their bank would charge an overdraft if the >>>>>> ACH failed. They like the CC, even if it was a debit card, because if >>>>>> the money wasn’t there it just declines it. No $30 fee or whatever. >>>>>> But, it depends on the bank. This is what wasn’t attractive to us was >>>>>> banks treated it different. Credit card either runs or it doesn’t. ACH >>>>>> typically is not as smooth for a variety of reasons. >>>>>> >>>>>> Justin Wilson >>>>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >>>>>> >>>>>> --- >>>>>> http://www.mtin.net >>>>>> <http://t.sidekickopen27.com/e1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7lC8dDMPbW2n0x6l2B9nMJW7t5XZs3N1JKKW1p8b7-63BmqTW64k9XR56dWxNf8vBN2802?si=5679648505069568%CF%80=E0BF5AA5-EFD6-40A2-B53F-749AC8A25C0A&t=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emtin%2Enet> >>>>>> Owner/CEO >>>>>> xISP Solutions- Consulting – Data Centers - Bandwidth >>>>>> >>>>>> http://www.midwest-ix.com <http://www.midwest-ix.com/> COO/Chairman >>>>>> Internet Exchange - Peering - Distributed Fabric >>>>>> >>>>>>> On Nov 11, 2015, at 10:21 AM, Christopher Gray >>>>>>> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>> For the people who accept both ACH and CC payments, do you do anything >>>>>>> to promote the use of ACH (to reduce your costs)? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Thanks - Chris >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>> > >
