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The original was posted on /r/ziplyfiber by /u/Wellcraft19 on 2024-09-11 21:30:42+00:00.

This is mainly for Ziply management. Not a complaint, not a rant, more of a story leading to a recommendation.

I try to help people around here with various technical issues. Last week I visited an older gentleman and helped him getting laptop, TV, and some other equipment up and running. Notice he had Comcast service, but only internet. He complained about the pricing, and that it started to be time for the ‘annual call’ to bitch about pricing.

I asked him if he had considered Ziply? He hadn’t, hadn’t heard of it, so I explained to him what it was, workings based on my experience, and based on his needs that a 100/100 service would be more than OK. This was Tuesday last week (9/3). We also looked at how fiber was likely to come to his residence (overhead, even though neighbor has an underground fiber), possible placement of ONT, location of sewer line (should a buried fiber be the end result), etc.

He called the day after, Wednesday, and told me he had ordered service, 100/100, $10 for the first three and then $25 (?) for the following 9 months before going to regular price. He was very happy as he (senior citizen) currently was paying Comcast over $70 for just basic internet.

Service was to be installed on 9/6 in the PM. On Friday he got a message that it was now the 17th. Then later in the day that it was rescheduled to the 18th. He is now anticipating another rescheduling and could potentially just say ‘Skip it, I’ll stay with Comcast. Too much hassle’.

Something similar happened to a friend in Bothell. She ordered Ziply service in the fall, but install dates changed a number of times, and she wasn’t up for the extra wrk in trying to follow the date changes. She called Comcast and ‘bundled’ the different properties where she had service and got a great rate she’s happy with.

So what’s the message? We are all eager to deliver [quickly], but often it is better to set the right expectations by maybe saying 'thank you for your order, installation will be 3 weeks out’, rather than 'thank you for your order, we’ll install on Friday*'*, and then have that date slip for many valid reason (customer might not care - nor understand).

Again, it is down to expectations and communications. I’ll remain a hardcore Ziply supporter, I will promote the service, not only because it works as well, but also because we need a local/serious alternative to Comcast. Without companies like Ziply, providing services at prices that can be competitive, we might eventually only have the likes of Comcast around. By promoting Ziply during interactions in the community, by adding to the number of active subscribers, maybe bit by bit, we can together chip away at the Comcast monopoly.

That said, Ziply also needs to be extra clear, extra vigilant, in their communication. not risking ‘tire’ a customer out. We are many techies in this Reddit that will walk through fire to get fiber service, but reality is also that most regular consumers really do not care. They do not know the difference between fiber and coax, They just want reliable connection at a price they can motivate paying.

Thanks for listening :-)