Using the area code on the customer's registration form, America Online downloads a local phone number and an alternate. The other services have similar, though not as streamlined, registration procedures. Some require more information from the customer, and in one case the software did not work without a call to the company help line. The computer industry is buried in guide books and manuals commonly referred to as documentation. In contrast, America Online sends one additional piece of paper with a few usage hints.
Most information is imparted through the user interface.
The other services I've tried send more documentation, some as much as a monthly magazine. Although the paper contains some instructions, it is primarily designed to market additional services to the customer. Billing One challenge all the services have met is an efficient approach to customer billing. In general, online services issue small bills that would require a substantial paper enterprise to process. Instead, they bill the customers' credit cards directly.