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| Articles |
| New
Guide Reveals Questions You Need to
Ask Long Distance Service Providers
before you sign up. |
Although MCI customers
have been told to expect continued service
as World Com restructures, national
headlines are causing people to re-evaluate
their long distance plans and find a
company they feel more secure with.
All businesses that rely heavily on
the phone should be concerned, but for
catalogers especially, a few days without
service can have devastating results.
One of the major costs in cataloging
is the monthly phone bill. A small difference
in rate can make a big difference on
the phone bill. But rate isn’t
all there is to look for. There are
hundreds of long distance programs,
and without knowing what to ask, it’s
easy to end up with a plan that isn’t
right for you.
“What
looks like the cheapest plan may not
really be the cheapest plan when you
see the whole picture”, says Rachel
Rappaport, Director of Cucumber Communications.
“You have to know what to ask,
and understand how to evaluate long
distance plans. Once you know what factors
to look for, you can compare apples
to apples and quickly find the better
plan”.
Helping catalogers understand what’s
involved in long distance and enabling
them to compare and evaluate various
plans is what Cucumber Communications
had in mind when they created a new
guide called “finding the right
long distance service for your catalog
company”.
If it’s been a while since your
company looked for a long distance provider,
don’t be surprised to find rates
(both within the USA and international
calls) unbelievably low. Long distance
can be a breeding ground for corporate
waste, and ignorance is not bliss when
it comes to your phone bill. But here’s
a tip: don’t jump on the first
company you find with rates lower than
AT&T’s. Most small companies
today have lower rates than the “big
three”, and you may find even
lower rates with just a little more
research. Without factoring other aspects,
such as monthly fees and minimum usage
requirements an expensive company can
look suspiciously cheap.
You’ve seen “teaser”
rates on credit cards. Some phone companies
will do the same thing: a low rate for
new customers only, perhaps for the
first six months. Make sure the rate
you get is not promotional. Ask the
companies you’re researching,
How long is this rate good for? What
is the permanent rate?
Find out about specific rates too, because
every company’s plans will be
different. Some will give you a higher
rate during daytime hours; some will
keep to their low rate 24/7. Rates will
vary for different countries, so if
you get orders from or have vendors
outside the untied states, think about
which countries you call frequently,
and find out what the charge is for
those international calls. The cost
for long distance calls within your
state are mandated (to a degree), by
the state, so find out what yours are
with each company, and compare.
Not all companies bill you by the minute.
Some bill in 6-second increments, which
means that if the duration of a call
is two minutes and 12 seconds, you will
be billed for two minutes and 12 seconds,
not three minutes. Some companies bill
in 6 second increments from the beginning
of the call, some after the first thirty
seconds. This difference in billing
will mean a higher-or lower-phone bill.
Some advertised rates look too good
to be true, and you know there may be
a catch. That catch is often an access
code, which means when you want to dial
a long distance call, you can’t
just call, you’ll have to dial
a 5 to 10 digit access code before dialing
the number. Putting that access code
into the speed dial feature on your
phone system and informing all employees
about I is an option, buy is it worth
the inconvenience? Ask potential providers
if the rate they quote requires dialing
an access code, and consider whether
the savings are worth the hassle. Maybe
you can find a company with a lower
rate that does not require an access
code.
Many cheap long distance providers utilize
an Internet line to connect your call.
The result? Unclear lines, which means
mixed up orders, confused staff, and
irate customers. So ask: Do you use
a land line or Internet connection?
The biggest concern to catalogers changing
their long distance carriers may be
800 numbers. A catalog success depends
on having a toll free numbers, and your
current phone company may not be ready
to release it. You should never be without
service, but changing can take more
than two weeks.
How is the service? This is hard to
rate, but if you have the time, get
some references from the company you’re
shopping. It pays.
|
| Interview
with the Media |
Below is an excerpt
of the interview with R. Rappaport,
a Communications Analyst and the Director
of Cucumber Communications, and the
Media.
YN:
Will the bankruptcy of World Com
effect Cucumber Communications?
RR: Our customers should
not be affected, but people are loosing
faith in big companies. Years ago, people
knew that the bigger the company was,
the more likely they were to stay in
business. Not anymore. Instead of moving
to AT&T or Sprint, I think customers
will flock to the smaller companies.
YN:
Will people really lose their phone
service now that MCI’s parent
company is in trouble?
RR: It’s hard
to say. No one expected it to happen
with Econophone, and I remember the
night before they closed down. We thought
someone would buy their lines. We certainly
didn’t expect them to close up
shop without giving their customers
any advance notice. The next morning,
it was all over, and people were left
without long distance service. Hopefully,
business will continue as usual for
MCI customers. There may be customer
service issues because they’ll
be short staffed after having fired
20% of their work force, but the issue
is really one of confidence, of trusting
a company, and no one wants a company
they don’t trust. Some MCI customers
have already called us with inquiries
about our services.
YN:
What steps have you taken to prepare
for the new business you’re anticipating?
RR: Well,
we’ve opened a new 24-hour call
center so that people can sign up anytime.
We’ve also added a business department
to better serve our corporate clients.
Our top priority for the past 6 months
has been improving our customer service
department. The customer service representatives
here are well qualified, receive ongoing
extensive training, and are empowered
with all the information they need to
answer every question and handle all
circumstances.
YN:
So you’re pretty confident
that large numbers of people will be
signing over.
RR:
Absolutely.
YN: But isn't the
service at larger companies better?
Don’t people get more for the
higher rates they pay with, say, AT&T?
RR: Not at all.
That is the great myth of long distance,
and I’ll explain.
No company, big or small, has their
own lines all over the country. AT&T
may use Sprint’s lines, and vice
versa. Big companies use the lines owned
by small companies and small companies
use lines owned by big companies. If
you place a call to California, you
could be using lines owned by three
different carriers. By using a big company,
you are not necessarily getting different
lines than if you use a small one.
YN: Wow! Most
people don’t realize that. But
does Cucumber rely heavily on MCI lines?
RR: No. Over
80% of our lines are owned by Sprint.
YN: You’d
think that everyone would switch to
lower rate companies, but the majority
of people still use the “big three”.
Will WorldComs bankruptcy change that?
RR: It just
might. Consumer’s confidence has
been shaken, and people are learning
how the industry works. Once they are
sufficiently educated, consumers will
be able to make informed decisions.
When you pay for a name, you get just
that: a name.
YN: Isn't it amazing
that a small company is still doing
well, but a big one goes bankrupt?
RR: Listen, everything
is in Hashem’s hands. But one
very important thing to remember is
that we don’t have the corporate
expenses of a big company. People call
about our
Marketing, to find out which firm we
use to design our direct mail and ads.
That’s how good it is. But you
know, it is actually designed by volunteers.
Everyone at Cucumber cares about the
work they do and wants to satisfy our
customers, because customer satisfaction
means more kids in Jewish schools.
YN: Well,
we think it’s great that someone
can support Oorah on a regular basis
without taking a penny out of their
pockets. What should people do if they
want to sign up?
RR: Call us at (877)
CUCUMBER, 24 hours a day. Someone is
making a profit on your phone bill.
Shouldn’t it be the children of
Oorah?
|
Cucumber
Promotes Assistance Fund For World Com
Employees,
Follows, Offer to Hire Thousands of
Laid-Off People |
Lakewood, New Jersey
– September 19, 2002 – Businesses
and consumers can donate 10% of their
long distance bills to assist laid-off
World Com employees at www.exWorldCom5100.com
with a new program from Cucumber Communications.
The fund provides money for basic necessities
such as food, utility bills, rent and
mortgage expenses.
“There
are 17,000 men and women that were laid-off
from World Com because of gross misconduct
at the highest levels of the company.
These people have bills to pay, homes
and families. ExWorldCom5100-dot-com
is a way for businesses and households
to ease the burden”, said Eli
Mintz, CEO of Cucumber Communications.
Cucumber sells long distance for 4.5
cents-per-minute, while many businesses
still pay 10 cents and consumers pay
6 or more cents-a-minute and are hamstrung
by evenings-only or weekends-only discounts.
By signing up for long distance at www.exWorldCom.com,
businesses and households secure a $0.045
cents-per-minute rate at any time of
the day and have 10% of their monthly
charges donated to the assistance fund.
“This fund was the brainchild
of a group of energetic Cucumber employees
who wanted to lend a hand,” said
Kate Lee, treasurer of the assistance
fund and herself a former World Com
employee.
On August 1, Cucumber offered telecommuting
jobs with training and the option to
work full or part time to all laid-off
World Com employees as a means of subsidizing
their unemployment income temporarily.
Cucumber Communications, Inc., headquartered
in Lakewood, New Jersey, was established
to raise funds for Oorah, a not-for-profit
educational organization by providing
high quality, low-cost competitive long
distance services, 800 numbers and DSL
lines. Cucumber has full-time, part-time
and telecommuting employees in 18 states,
including Mississippi, the home state
of World Com For more information telephone
Laura M. Enock at 877-442-8466 or visit
www.800cucumber.com.
|
| Press
Releases |
| Cucumber
Communications: The fundraising project
that became a small business |
LAKEWOOD, NJ. When Eli
Mintz began looking for an innovative
way to raise funds for his not-for-profit
organization that put children from
underprivileged homes into quality schools,
he knew he had to think out-of-the-box.
Debts were high, funds were low, and
the work “Oorah”, his organization
was producing was important. He believed
in it. Others did, too, but the money
that could be raised through dinners
and other charity events had a limit.
Mr. Mintz was assuming financial responsibility
for the education of tens of children,
and the cash flow just wasn’t
there.
Not one to give up, Mintz knew there
had to be a way. And so he invented
a completely new concept: Mr. Mintz
started a company for the sole purpose
of raising funds for a worthy cause.
No profits.
No building shares.
No dreams of taking it public.
In fact, much of his company is staffed
by unpaid volunteers.
The company is called Cucumber Communications,
and it provides both business and residential
phone service at rock bottom rates.
Using carriers such as AT&T and
Sprint, Cucumber brings the same clear
phone lines to the end user at a better
price than is available from these carriers
directly. With no monthly charges, no
minimum fees, and direct dial 24 hours
a day, current rates are just 4.5 cents
state to state, 5.9 cents to the UK,
and 5.5 cents to Canada. They even customize
plans for businesses, giving them the
lowest rates to the countries they call
regularly.
“Too many
people still pay 10 cents a minute and
think they’ve got a good deal”,
explained Rachel Rappaport, Vice President
of Operations for Cucumber. “They
don’t realize that they can get
the same service for a lot less. Paying
more doesn’t mean you’re
getting more, but not everyone knows
how that can apply to their phone bill”.
By contracting with major long-distance
carriers and offering to bring in a
large customer base as a non-profit
organization, Cucumber Communications
has cut the rates without compromising
on the quality of the connection. And
then there’s the good-will aspect.
“Since every penny that
comes in goes directly to sponsor a
child’s education, people are
supporting a worthy cause every time
they pay their business or residential
phone bill”, Brian, a volunteer
of Cucumber explains. “And since
the rates are low, they also save money
on their phone bill. People are realizing
that you can’t lose, and many
of our contributors/customers like the
idea of helping these children without
taking a penny out of their pockets.
I mean, this is a bill they have to
pay anyway”.
True enough. Every business needs at
least a few phone lines, maybe 800 numbers,
and possibly T-1 lines. With the proliferation
of the Internet and fax machines, most
people have more than one line at home.
Long distance calling doesn’t
carry the expense it once did, and Americans
are calling friends and family across
the country on a regular basis. A phone
bill is one of those inevitable costs
of 21st century living. Cucumber Communications
makes it a pleasure to pay.
Proof of how low their rates are came
from an unexpected source: a representative
at AT&T. John Flannagan was shopping
for a long distance plan, and called
AT&T to get their rates. Figuring
he could get something lower, Mr. Flannagan
asked “Can’t you do any
better than that?”
“No”,
the representative answered, “But
call Cucumber Communications. Their
rates are lower”.
Still, the competition is tough. Telecommunications
is a cutthroat business, and it takes
more than good will and low rates to
keep people happy. What about the big
“S”? Can a charity organization
produce the service level businesses
need to function optimally?
They can. “It’s our non-business
environment that makes us want to go
the extra mile for our customers”,
says Liz Schon, Director of Business-to-Business
Relations. “Because we all believe
in the end use of these funds, it’s
almost like we’re on a mission
to keep people happy. Retaining our
customers means that more children will
get a solid education.”
Still a small company, Cucumber Communications
is nevertheless making waves in the
industry. Their marketing looks like
the product of a highly professional
marketing firm. It isn’t. Everything
is done in-house by friends of “Oorah”.
After they’ve left their jobs
and come home to their families, a team
of dedicated volunteers gather for a
late night brainstorming session. The
results are spectacular. Total Tell,
a company that was many times the size
of Cucumber Communications, would bring
Cucumber marketing materials to their
meetings to analyze, learn from, and
emulate.
Although all revenues are still being
used to support the original cause,
Cucumber Communications is now a company
in it’s own right. More employees
were hired to meet the growing demand
for customer service, and a full marketing
department was recently added.
Can success at the level of determined
entrepreneurs come from people who have
other goals in mind? Cucumber Communications
says, “Yes!”
|
| World
Com former employees assistance fund
accepts donations from those who don't
want to part with their hard-earned
cash. |
When John Doe lost his
job at World Com, his household income
went was cut in half. His retirement
savings at World Com dropped in value
from over $100,000 to a mere $3,200.
In one day, his family’s world
fell apart.
John is not alone. Through no fault
of their own, thousands of breadwinners
are no longer able to meet their basic
expenses. A group of concerned employees
led by Kate Lee, a former senior manager
at World Com, established the ex-WorldCom
Assistance fund to lend a hand.
Relying on the donations of generous
people, Ms. Lee is fully aware of the
fact that it will not solve the whole
problem. However, as anyone who has
been in a tight financial situation
knows, every bit really does make a
difference.
Not everyone, however, has the extra
funds to make a donation. World Com
employees have therefore set up a program
through which anyone can make a significant
difference to people like John, without
spending a dime.
Click onto the web site www.exworldcom5100.com.
Click on 800 cucumber, and sign up for
long distance service with Cucumber
Communications. As long as you remain
with the company, fully 10% of your
bill will be donated to the fund, helping
people like John feed his family.
At 4.5 cents a minute Contiguous State-to-State,
consumers will save money, too. Businesses
that have signed up for long distance
service have saved thousands of dollars
a month. Some have cut their phone bills
in half.
Most Americans still pay 10 cents or
more a minute for long distance services.
But paying more doesn’t mean your
getting more. Concerned Americans can
lower their phone bills while helping
former World Com employees at the same
time.
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