Vonage: Switch for Savings, Stay for Service

Let me tell you a quick, true story about my phone company. I had previously dealt with them via email and their website.  But now I had a problem that needed a live person.  Frankly, after years of un-service from the likes of Verizon and AT&T, I dreaded the call.

I dialed the number for service -- expecting to be shunted to a call-center in Bangladesh -- and was greeted by a recording that asked me to wait a minute then put me on hold.  Bad start, right?  Wrong!  Great start!  Less than 10 seconds later, another recording said "I see you're having trouble porting your old phone number.  Let me transfer you to someone who can help."

Without further ado -- and without endless requests to identify myself, give my mother's maiden name, social security number, and the number I was calling from -- Rick in New Jersey said "Hello," accessed my records, and discussed the problem, incidentally not of their making.  Rick explained the problem and took responsibility for it, telling me what he'd do and what steps to take if his solution didn't work.

Rick's efforts solved the problem.  I never called back to thank him, so Rick, if you're out there, a big thanks for your help.

Oh, and the name of the phone company that uses intelligent systems and intelligent service representatives?  VONAGE!

I switched to Vonage three or four months ago, porting two numbers and acquiring a third for fax service.  The "installation" couldn't have been simpler, with custom Vonage adapters integrating easily with my existing computer network straight out of the box.  

I love the "extra" features included in the service -- stuff like caller ID and call forwarding I call "extras" because I used to pay extra to have them.  With Vonage, they're included, more extensive, and easily managed online through their website.

And the sound quality, which I can adjust from normal to higher to highest, according to how much bandwidth I can spare, beats my old POTS (plain old telephone service) hands down at all settings!

Oh yeah, and did I mention all the money I'm saving?  At Vonage you'll switch for the savings and stay for the service!

Quality Inn, Boca Raton, FL: Dirty, Buggy, Smokey, Bad Wi-Fi, TV

Dirty. It's possible that our room at the Quality Inn in Boca Raton, FL was dirty because the housekeeper misunderstood our instructions. We asked that the room be prepared without air fresheners or perfumed cleaners. Instead, it probably wasn't cleaned at all, since the bathroom floor was sticky with urine and the sink handle and spout were caked with shaving cream. Rather than deal with more "misunderstandings," we cleaned it ourselves.

Buggy. We also exterminated the tiny ants (or termites) that infested the sink the next day and the chest of drawers across the room, the day after. That seemed safer than counting on dirty housekeepers to bid the bugs be gone.

Cramped. Ours was supposedly a "deluxe" room with a king bed and a queen, instead of two queens. Compared to rooms at about the same rate in Best Western and Hampton Inn hotels, it felt a little cramped, but that was OK. The microwave worked, as did the refrigerator, although it hadn't been defrosted in ages.

Smokey. What wasn't OK was the pervasive odor of tobacco smoke. It was ostensibly a non-smoking room, but it obviously had been used by a smoker. The stale odor of smoke attacked us every time we entered to the room. The staff smoked, too, which is probably why they also allowed guests to smoke in the corridors and close to the building.

Iffy Wi-Fi. The inn had two unsecured wi-fi networks, both with weak signals in our location, but they worked -- most of the time. Sometimes they just shut down. Sometimes they logged us off and couldn't be reacquired without rebooting our laptop. Sometimes they worked all day. Their wi-fi was administered by an off site provider whom we were supposed to contact about problems. Sure...

No TV, No Gym. And the TV didn't work. But we were too busy cleaning, exterminating and tinkering with the wi-fi to watch TV anyway. There was no exercise room.

Positives. The plumbing worked, the staff was OK, the beds were clean and firm, and the a/c and heating unit was fine. The inn looks trim from the outside, and the rooms had been recently painted. We didn't try the pool, which looked clean, or the continental breakfast. The price was moderate, but the larger, newer, upscale Boca Raton Plaza Hotel & Suites next door cost no more.

Best Western University Inn, Boca Raton, Fl -- Don't Go There

Boca Raton, FL. January 24, 2009. Normally, we stay at Best Western or Hilton's Hampton Inn hotels.  The level of amenities suits us, as does the price. And we like the points and discounts in their travel clubs.  We always book well in advance since we need to arrange our work schedules early, too.

Just before we travel, we always call to confirm our reservation and make sure our no-smoking room will have the features we need (microwave, refrigerator, hi-speed Internet) and be prepared without perfumed sprays and chemicals.  An allergic outbreak can ruin a vacation.

Our early booking, pre-travel confirmation procedure has ensured many flawless vacations from Maine to California and lots of points in between.  But it failed miserably at the Best Western University Inn in Boca Raton, Florida.  Maybe because the property is undergoing a renovation which will be completed in early February; maybe because Mark, the Manager had a fight with his wife.

When we called a week before traveling to review the features and preparation, the desk clerk confirmed our reservation at $135/night, but said it was not possible to prepare the room non-allergenically.  

We asked to speak with the Manager.  Mark came on the line and softened "not possible" to something like we can try, but won't guarantee success.  He said "We use Best Western supplied cleaning materials.  They may not work for you."  And besides, "We're undergoing renovation and the dust might bother you."  We said we'd cope with the dust (they're finishing some exterior work) if he'd make sure the room was prepared without perfumed chemicals.

We had a grudging "deal," although we really wondered why we had to coach a manager to treat us like guests.

Then we got to price.  We'd booked at $135/night and noticed that Best Western on their own website was offering and had the same rooms available at $112/night.  We didn't ask him to match the new low price, just to "do better."  

Mark, the Manager, went ballistic.  No, no and no was his response.  "Cancel," he said, "and take your chances booking on the web."  We suggested that was inconvenient and pointless.  He agreed and told us to book instead "across the street at the Quality Inn."  He said he was refusing to serve us.

Maybe the renovation dust had gotten under Mark's skin.  Maybe the pressure from the home office to hold the line on prices made him surly.  Maybe Mark's just a rotten manager.

Whatever Mark's problem, we think you should think twice about patronizing the Best Western University Inn in Boca Raton, Florida.  Even at reduced-again website prices of $81 for weekday nights and $90 for Saturday and Sunday.  There's no price low enough to compensate for abuse from Mark and his surly staff.

Steaksmith at El Gancho Restaurant in Santa Fe

How good is Steaksmith? It's so good that on a recent two-week visit to Santa Fe, my wife and I squeezed in 10 terrific dinners at the Steaksmith at El Gancho Restaurant in Santa Fe, NM.

Why?

Because I like a variety of dishes, from steaks, to seafood, to pasta, to veggies, and I like them fresh, elegantly prepared, and cooked just as long as necessary, but not longer. Rare needs to be pink-red; vegetables crisp; pasta al dente. Steaksmith never missed! Oh, and the drinks were hearty, and the table wines actually satisfying.

But the harder one to please in my family is my wife. Although she's even more of a foodhound than me, life cast her a dirty turn when she developed interstitial cystitis, generally described as a bladder condition, which severely limits her choice of food. No spices, no citrus, no tomatoes, no alcohol, no sauces, etc. Finding a restaurant with fresh, individually prepared, tasty servings for a limited palate is a major challenge!

At Steaksmith, manager Tupper Schoen, and on his day off, partner Tom Vimont, made it seem, well, like a piece of cake. He and the courteous and attentive wait staff, most of whom have been with Steaksmith for years, made sure my wife's food was separately prepared in the kitchen and served up just as she likes/needs it, and attractively, too. As her official taster, I can vouch for the fact that Steaksmith can make the plainest foods look and taste delicious!

Steaksmith is 10 or 15 minutes out of town, where they were initially located and flourished as an elegant, downtown steak and seafood restaurant. The move, about 20 years ago, to El Gancho, proved a wise business decision. The atmosphere is still inviting and cozy, the food still superb, but the prices, compared to restaurants in the heart of Santa Fe, are downright inexpensive.

The only thing wrong with Steaksmith is that we couldn't take it home with us.

Check out the menu and amenities on their website: http://www.santafesteaksmith.com/

And be sure to make a reservation. The locals love this place.

Cutting the Library Budget Makes the Community Bleed

If you haven't been to your library recently, you probably don't know it's not just about books.

Sure, libraries still have books, magazines, and periodicals as in the "old days," but they also have large collections of music on CD, books on CD (maybe still some on tape), and movies on DVD. Most also serve downloads of audio books and eBooks from their websites. And all it takes is a library card to borrow any of these items!

Libraries have more than kept up with the changing times. Librarians today still direct folks to printed material for research, but more often to Internet resources. And they don't just use computers, they also teach folks to use them for searching, email, word processing, etc.

And did I mention that most libraries, besides providing free wireless access for those who bring their laptops, also provide dozens of well-maintained, modern, Internet-connected computers for people to use free?

Now that was just about resources. Then there's programs. Libraries have always sponsored speeches, poetry readings, book groups, concerts, movie screenings and other events. But they also run employment workshops, provide homework help, have fun activities for children, teach English as a second language classes, etc.

But don't take my word for it. Visit the website of your local library to see what's there.  Here's the website of mine, the White Plains Library: http://www.wppl.lib.ny.us/

Oh, and if you're planning to visit the library in person, maybe you'd better call ahead. With budget cuts taking effect nationwide, you may not find them open or providing the service you want when you need it.

Strong libraries build strong communities. Cutting the library budget drains the community's lifeblood. In difficult times, we can do without water in the fountain, but not without library services.