Easy dial in and no busy signals. If your provider is working on a shoestring, they may not have enough modems for you to connect to. Busy signals are not what a person wants to hear when they try to access their provider. Up to date equipment and programs. If your provider has the newest and best equipment and programs, you will be able to access the internet and utilize its features better.
People are always important to a well run organization.
If you have questions, it sure is nice to be able to discuss the problem with a knowledgeable representative. Also, these people can create ways to make your life easier by creating and maintaining other programs to provide you with more services such as newsgroups, mailing list programs, help files, FAQ, etc. The best service at the lowest price is the name of the game. There are basically 2 different ways to access the Internet. The major online services like America Online, Compuserve and Prodigy, etc., are all individual networks.