In a message dated 95-09-15 14:00:35 EDT, [log in to unmask] (Peter Laws)
writes:
 
>The other day, CompuServe's mail gate went kablooie.  I phoned them to
>tell them about it.  It's fixed now.
>
>Well today, I get the attached.  Actually several.  So I try phoning AOL's
>800 #.  What a joke!
 
(snip about AOL's customer-be-damned attitude)
 
>I feel fortunate that I am not a member.
 
>Just got through.  The CSR said he'd "report it".  Oh well.
 
I, an AOL cusomer (forget that "member" hype) of one year, gave up long ago
on expecting customer service from Customer Service.  I continue partly out
of momentum, and partly out of being overbooked with more important things to
do than researching ISPs.
 
The strategy which made AOL today's biggest first-timers' ISP, blowing the
doors of stodgy old CI$, is going to make them plateau in subscribers.  Then
CI$, and some new services like Microsoft's network, are going to beat the
industry segment's profit margins back to the minimum acceptable to stay in
the business.
 
AOL is milking the newbie market, and < 5 hr/month market, which are a
nurseries for medium-skilled folks (like me).  I wonder what the half-life of
one of AOL's >= 10 hr/month users is?  Real short, I'd guess.
 
Don't expect AOL to invest in anything, including mailer-related hardware and
software, which doesn't serve their marketing strategy.  And their
newbie/occasional-home-user will accept late or lost mail.  ("Gee, Mildred.
 I guess Uncle Frank isn't going to answer our email invitation to the B-B-Q
on Saturday.  Isn't this Internet stuff great -- going to be big someday.
 Oh, get me another Bud while you're up, wouldja?")
 
So, an venture funded company seeks to fatten its investors (and executives)
today.  What's new?  The difference here is that their Net mail service is,
by its nature, dependent on the efforts of a lot of other non-AOL
organizations, who do not share in AOL's profits.  From AOL's point of view,
that goodwill is what an economist would call a free good.  Like dumping your
waste in the river out back of the factory, it doesn't add to the cost of
your product.
 
But, what do I know?
 
--Jeff