Resort In Vail

A recent article (dated 7/11/2006) in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution noted that BellSouth plans to cease its status as “carrier-of-last-resort”. The company complains about how horrible it is to be the last choice for customers, and has began to warn builders that, if they choose to start with another company, they had better let their home buyers know that BellSouth won’t be available should the consumer want to make the switch.

Let me make sure I understand this: BellSouth is letting people who won’t care who provides the service in three years know that they are going to refuse to serve someone who actually wants them. Or, even clearer, BellSouth is telling consumers to shove it, we don’t have to help you.

I am interested in this for several reasons. First, my husband has worked in the telecommunications business for years before forming his own low voltage wiring company, Redd Infinity. So, although we are no longer in that field, we still maintain interest. Even better, however, I am a defunct BellSouth customer who, after sitting on hold with them for three hours, called Comcast on my cell phone and switched my Internet to the cable company, rather than dealing with BellSouth’s shoddy customer service (this came after several problems over the course of a year).

Most interesting of all, however, is my perspective as a small business owner. I concede that there are some customers we just don’t want. Chief among those are the price surfers - those who are most concerned with price (research notes that less than 10% of customers list this as most important - the rest search for quality and service). Basically, you can never make someone who cares only about the bottom line happy, and if you have tried several times - and I highly encourage you try to win them over with your superior service and products - then you may as well give up. As soon as someone underbids or undercuts you, they will be gone.

But BellSouth isn’t waiting to be undercut. Instead, they are taking potential customers who have no role in the decision-making process and saying, “Sorry, folks, we won’t be offering you service.” I have to tell you, if I move into a new neighborhood and the folks one block over have service, but BellSouth tells me they will not now or ever offer service because the builder didn’t use them - not only will I smile and say, “Great, thanks for keeping my wallet out of your grubby paws,” I will go on to tell everyone I know that BellSouth is exacting its revenge on the consumer. I will be persuasive. And so much the worse if I have been a long-time customer in good standing.

I understand that BellSouth is here to make a profit. We all are. But by pointing randomly at people and saying, “Sorry, we will never serve you, due to decisions you didn’t even make (other than choosing to buy a house in the ‘wrong’ neighborhood,” well, they make me wonder what their plans for the future are. If I were a builder, I’d start building to spite them.

In the meantime, all that worry I had about monopolies with the merger of BellSouth & AT&T, well, I guess they are unfound. Never mind that these small companies will have to take the leavings of whatever business they can scrounge up. Now is the time for small telecommunication companies to run to the builders with the article or letter in one hand and a plan in the other. “Let’s kick BellSouth where it hurts,” I’d say. As a telecommunications business owner, I’d be glad to know that BellSouth can’t swoop in and steal away all of my customers like they’ve done thus far. And as a builder, I’d flaunt the fact that BellSouth refuses to do business with my neighborhoods. Maybe put up a huge sign: “BellSouth doesn’t want us, and we don’t want them!”

Seriously, this provides an edge for the small phone companies. Those who move now, especially in Georgia and Florida, where the law will be taking effect, stand a chance of surviving the forthcoming monopoly wannabe. My cheers go out to the little guy - I think you can make it!

Nola Redd authors a small business blog for her Atlanta based wiring company, Redd Infinity. She is also an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Writers.

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I recalled memories of two months ago. At the event “Night of a Thousand Dinners” I gave a brief speech on various issues ranging from landmines to world affairs. I can’t forget those moments when the German Praktikum (Internship) students were spellbound listening to my speech. I was amazed by their eagerness to know about contemporary world issues affecting Germany and around the world.

Having delivered my speech and moving away from the table, the way the students were greeting me by tapping slowly on the table is ever memorable. The simultaneous tapping on the table was creating a new kind of melodious music. I accepted their greeting with a smile. I was really amazed by their greetings and the way they did it. After being there for few more moments, while I was leaving the dinning table, Marita was coming towards me. She greeted me in a soft manner and shook my hand saying: “thanks for your speech”.

When I saw Marita, still those memories came to mind and I was able to re-live them. Her kind remark was an added encouragement to me and was coming to mind. I remembered those moments of my speech and the excellent coordination of Marita to make the event a success.

I met Marita at the Aquarius Resort lobby to brief her on the final arrangements relating to the “Night of a Thousand Dinners” and the purpose of having it. I explained to her in detail about the event and how she will have to explain to the students before my speech. I told her that I would be there in a short while and went to my room.

When I was walking down the narrow passage towards the restaurant, I observed there were around twenty-five students at the lengthy oval-shaped dinning table. Marita was seated at one corner of the table facing the Ocean. When I reached the table, she came out and asked me whether I wished to be in her place or to be in the upper platform of the restaurant to deliver my speech. I said I would prefer her place as I would be able to see all the students from there and being close to them whereas the upper platform would have distanced me.

She agreed and sat in one of the chairs, which was vacant. She was kind enough to help me develop a rapport with the internship students within a short while.

As most of the students came from Germany recently, I was not close to them that much. The student-team with whom I went on our tsunami-relief mission to the northern region had already left the Island.

I had met Marita only once before while we were having breakfast at the restaurant and thereafter once at the discotheque. I didn’t have enough chance to become friendly with her. But her caring nature towards me by listening to my ideas and then translating them into reality instantly amazed me as to how she and the German people are so accommodative.

Rajkumar Kanagasingam is author of a fascinating book on German memories in Asia and you can explore more about the book and the author at AGSEP

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As if the problems of tenancies were not enough that loan providers too have started treating tenants in a step motherly fashion. Such is the indifference of loan providers that it appears as though loan opportunities are all shut for the tenants. Since they do not have a home of their own, tenants are often eyed with suspicion. What if the tenant runs away after borrowing? Legal procedure sure offers a relief but it is often too protracted.

However, not all loan providers view tenants in a similar fashion. It is these lenders who offer loans to tenant. Tenants are the people who do not have a home of their own. People who have been living till date in their parents’ home too count as tenants, unless parents are ready to allow the usage of their home as collateral. A loan to serve the tenants is known as tenant loan in the UK.

UK tenant loan is basically an unsecured loan where the borrower does not have to offer any collateral to the loan provider. Take any secured loan and the clause of collateral will always come along. Whether it is the home of the borrower or any other asset which serves as a collateral, there is always the fear of the collateral being taken away permanently by the loan provider. How else do you think the loan provider will recover his loan? UK tenant loan is free of any such fears as there is no collateral.

One more advantage of tenant loan, which extends to unsecured loans in general, is that they are relatively faster in getting approved. With no collateral to value, the loan providers can save significant time during approval. Compare this with a secured loan against home and we find that the valuation of home takes as much time as the other processes taken together. Thus, if you are taking a tenant loan in the UK, you can hope to receive loan proceeds much faster than your counterpart who has taken a secured loan.

Compared to the earlier times, the number of lenders with loans for tenants in the UK has increased. The lenders have realised that by taking a moderate risk they can increase their customer base.

UK tenant loans are awarded for sums ranging up to ₤25000. Tenants thus may not qualify for a large amount as in a secured loan. This constitutes one of the tactics to reduce the risk involved in the process of offering tenant loans. Tenant loans can not be used for tasks which have a larger cash requirement. Making small improvements in home and debt consolidation are the purposes which can best be undertaken through a tenant loan.

Additionally, the interest rate on the UK tenant loan will be very high. As most of us know that rate of interest is heavily dependant on the amount of risk involved in a particular loan deal. We discussed in the very beginning of the low credibility of tenants. This implies that the tenants expose loan providers to greater risk. Thus, tenants have to pay a higher rate of interest. The borrowers can escape interest rate fluctuations by using the several options that come on interest. Rate locks, capped rate, discounted rate etc form some of the interest options to lessen the bitterness of high interest rates.

Having a bad credit history will not be accepted with ease in UK tenant loans. Credit history is the only instrument through which borrowers can trust borrowers. When credit history is tarnished, they will find it very difficult to make the lending decision. Credit deformities may have been ignored had there been sufficient collateral. Does this mean that tenants with bad credit history have to return empty-handed? They would have to return thus had it not been for a few loan providers who are ready to lend with this much risk.

Tenants must be good researchers for finding good deals in UK tenant loans. There is no shortage of loan providers who try to take benefit of the problem of the tenants. They will often increase unreasonably the rate of interest or will include too many of the hidden charges. Borrowers who are able to surpass these lenders are the ones who find the best deals in UK tenant loans.

Steve Clark can tell you how to look better, live better and breathe better by giving you tips to improve your finances.He writes on loans. His ideas can help you rejuvenate your money.To Find Personal loan UK Homeowner personal loan secured personal loans, Tenant loans visit http://www.ezpersonalloansuk.co.uk.

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