He has extensive, first-hand knowledge of what a nightmare establishing service with a DSL provider can sometimes be. Many of them set expectations in people's minds that aren't realistic, promising unrealistic delivery schedules. Through his experience, Lewis says to prepare to wait some time from your initial phone call until you're actually up and running. Indeed, in any one transaction you often are dealing with a provider that doesn't own the network it is selling. You might have backbone providers like RCN Corp. and Brainstorm Networks Inc., national DSL providers like Covad Communications Co. and Northpoint Communications Inc., and local DSL marketers and resellers such as Flashcom, all needing to coordinate their efforts.
Error rates proliferate exponentially.
The opportunity for errors is enormous. The installation process itself is much more complicated than people are led to believe. And when things go wrong, they go horribly wrong. With multiple companies involved, it's tough to pinpoint blame and responsibility when something goes awry. There is more of a focus among each of the players on absolving themselves of blame and less on customer satisfaction.