You might also try explaining it in a way that is more specific, then maybe they will understand. You might explain that the phone company needs to installsuch and such equipment before you can connect and provide services. Then it will be more narrowed down in their minds. They will be able to more concretely define what needs to be done, and that only the phone company can install that equipment. Then they can blame the phone company for not installing the equipment. Explaining it that way will become more tangible to them. On Fri, 1 Dec 2000, Ben Lutgens wrote: > On Fri, Dec 01, 2000 at 05:44:00PM -0600, Bob Tanner wrote: > >How do you explain to people the difference between a Telco and an ISP? > > > > Explain to them that the only way they can connect from thier house to you > (The Internet Service Provider) is by way of the wires that are monopolized by > qwest. > > >The people are totally newbies and very, very non-techincal. > > > >The situation I am in is a client lost their DSL service from USWest. After days > >of calling and hours on the phone with Qwest I was told that they are beyond the > >19,000 foot mark. > > > >Qwest says they should have never gotten DSL in the first place. Qwest will not, > >no matter what put DSL down that circuit. Qwest has not explaination on how they > >got DSL in the first place. > > > >Anyways, this client is very upset. They keep calling us and asking us to "fix > >the problem". > > > >I have tried (very patiently) to explain Real Time is an ISP, we provide > >Internet access. Qwest is a telco, they provide the physical connectivity. > > > >It just doesn't sink in. > > > >I have tried this analogy. Real Time is an automotive dealer, we sell cars. > >Qwest is like MNDOT, they build roads. > > > >You (the client) have bought a speedy but very safe car (linux). It comes with > >an airbag (ipchains) for safety, etc.. You got the car, but there is no roads to > >drive on. > > > >It didn't sink in. > > > >So, how can you explain to the client that when the physical link is down, no > >matter how bad you want to fix it from them, Qwest must be involved and they > >must do the fix? > > > > > > > >-- > >Bob Tanner <tanner at real-time.com> | Phone : (612)943-8700 > >http://www.mn-linux.org | Fax : (612)943-8500 > >Key fingerprint = 6C E9 51 4F D5 3E 4C 66 62 A9 10 E5 35 85 39 D9 > > > >_______________________________________________ > >tclug-list mailing list > >tclug-list at lists.real-time.com > >https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > >