In a public library one finds literature by reviewing the indexing system known popularly as the Dewey Decimal System, where this literature, with numbers on its jacket, is placed on shelves according to numbers that coincide with the Dewey system.

Thus, if one enters the library building and seeks a book on non-fiction writing and another on the business of writing, the searcher can seek the directory of the Dewey System and then find the applicable numbers.

The shelves in the library are enumerated according to the Dewey system. One finds each book by seeking out the Dewey number.

Since most libraries carry many books with the same category numbers, as the title changes slightly, such as learning to fly or learning to fly twin engine airplanes, and each of these slightly changed titles will cause extension to the Dewey numbers; 671 could be the first book and 671.5 could be the second.

When the first computer search engines were created, they were financed by side of the page advertising. Being so financed, the search engine database handlers were able to accept alphabetically, all submissions submitted by anyone with connection to the internet.

I am emphasizing alphabetically for a critical reason. This author, like millions before and after him, visited connection services 1995-1999 on the internet used to list his web sites with search engines. There were four of these services and for no cost, one listed the data being placed into the different search engine databases and within one or two days, one"s private web site was made publicly available when the web site owner went to specific search engines [pre Google] and sought his own web site's listing.

Thus, all web sites around the world were discovered by both topic/category and via the alphabet. Thus, for a few years, the internet search engines logically [and critically] mimicked library categorizing systems.

Since all web sites -both individual private sites and huge corporate sites-were listed with search engines using the same “hook up” system, everyone was on a level playing field. During a search for your favorite restaurant, or auto repair facility, as long as those two businesses [or other listing directories had carried them] used the same connection service connecting them to search engines, one could find one's web site quickly and easily based on an alphabetical search of that category. NOT anymore!

Google's founders felt they could modify the approach to search engines' revenue generators by not only seeking side-of-the-page advertisers, but by also charging for data [web site] sub-missions.

Thus, if a lowly start-up IT firm wished to be listed in the Google system and have customers find them via Google but did not have a “placement” budget, Google would not carry their new business data. So be it.

This, however, leads to “unintended” consequences. Reiterating, when search engines were pre-, created, pre-Google, all submitters could post their firms or web sites at no cost-thus creating an unbiased, fully encompassing directory and search engine. This gave legitimacy to all searches.

Let's find out what would happen, conversely, if one used the “paid to list” approach in a library:

In this example, sticking to the true Dewey System, these book authors do not have the budget to pay the library for listing their books. The library got the books on donation. YOU visit two categories: writing books and selling your books. YOU do not find either book. YOU know the library obtained them. YOU give up and begin to leave the library with your nephew.

Your young nephew likes books on animals and is pondering the books under the category “zoo.” As you pick up the nephew and he points out his choice of books for his next visit, you notice next to this book, two books that seem out of place; one on Writing books and another on Selling your writing. You wonder why they are placed next to a book on zoos. Of course the answer is, there are no more books in the non-fiction categories so the non-listing fee books are dumped at the end. Each day you visit the library, you notice all the books in the library that fall under specific categories are where they should be but you also notice more and more books just sitting at the end of the letter Z and category Zoos. These book authors cannot afford to have the Dewey System number printed on their jackets, thus, they are casually dumped at the end of the non-fiction lists. If poor cities across the nation read this article this could happen and categorizing books could change libraries forever.

In How to Win the Race Between Search Engines and Search Engine Optimizers, Cyberspacific of Australia feels the war is math-based. I claim the war is fairness.

The search engine's purpose is to provide useful, high quality and relevant information for any search term. There is a real war between the search engines' methods and algorithms and search engine optimizers. The result must be the user's satisfaction.

I recommend that a new search engine be created and it revert to either foundation financing to permit database creation or side-of-page ads and inform all listers that beside their listing will be the statement “non-paid listing.”

It is presumed that any company paying a competitor for a listing would not permit a copycat type statement “non-paid listing.” Thus, search engines using this listing stipulation could return to an equal playing field and allow all posters to post.

History of the Problem

Phone service was created in the early part of the 20 th century in the US. Quickly, people learned they could call neighbors, businesses, and if they were budgeted carefully, [at over $4 a minute] they could call relatives in different states via long distance. In 1995, after the world had become used to the amazing internet, researchers learned they could “piggy back” long distance calls on top of their regular internet service lines. What makes this both amazing and logical is that most users of the net do not realize that when they are researching things outside of their city, they are in fact, making legal long distance calls but without the liability of being charged for one-since a fantastic component [a server] connects computers around the world. [A server is a specialized computer with software that connects computers. It can be modified by using different software to act like a regular PC-as this paper's author has done with one of his computers.]

Problem

A major weakness of VOIP is that it is using one phone line for two purposes; interconnecting to different computers via their software and using phone software. When one uses a device designed for a different purpose, one gets a hodge-podge result; like using rubber bands to connect things where scotch tape should be used, or tape when screws should be, etc.

When calling customer service now, this author almost never gets a clear reception. He has been conditioned to ask “are you in India or the Philippines? And nine times out of ten, the person admits that they are. When this occurs, the sound going back and forth echos and bounces and makes “normal” communication almost impossible.

The physical laws of science and physics intrude; the more “stuff” that lies between the sender and receiver, the poorer the reception on a phone call.

Effective, clear communication is the fabric of excellent customer service and VOIP, unfortunately, becomes a major weakness leading to poor customer service. It is true, however, that if one uses specific phone services, filters and software, VOIP can sound almost identical to regular phone service. And it is true that anyone can convert their computers to become VOIP receivers too. The results can not be good, clear communications UNLESS the special, specific matrix of service, filters and software in installed and in almost all cases, it is not.

Significance of the Problem

It is a fact that when a customer [a business or a home owner] finds conducting business over the phone difficult, the customer quickly seeks an alternative produce/service provider.

Prior to 1995, merchants had clear phone communication but had often surly staffers. Often bosses treated the lowest pay scale staff poorly and that attitude on the part of management leaked over to the way the employee treated others.

The way weak managers tried to solve this problem was by “sending the problem overseas.”

It is a fact that customer service staffing costs money since all business processes cost money.

When the “bean counters” get so involved that they inform their bosses that customer service costs are increasing "x" percent, the boss too often feels the best remedy is to send the problem to the least expensive customer service staff-and that means off-shore and that means using VOIP.

When one checks out customer service complaints on the internet, one of the most frequent is hearing complains about India, the Philippines and elsewhere, answering the phone.

There is no reasonable way that, try as they might, a foreigner has any clue as to what we, in the US, are asking for. While the teachers of English and “American ways” do their best, it is illogical to expect that the customer service offered in Asia can equal what Americans have received [when good] over a period of 200 years within American business and thus, have come to expect.

American corporations are losing business to other nations for many reasons with the first one being business myopia; the inability to see what the American customer wants and to promptly provide it. Instead, the American business CEO too often is only interested in earning the highest bonuses he can during the short run even though smart business profit growth is strictly a long run proposition!

Until American companies bring back to America, its “shipped overseas” jobs originally done JUST to cut costs, American customers will slow down--if not stop entirely--being happy with American businesses.

This author found that the internet service provider, Earthling, no longer permits customers to contact anyone at corporate headquarters. Also, all their CS staff is off-shore and in 12 calls this author has made, not one of the CS agents understood one request-or-when they did, they said, “we are not authorized to answer or help in that field, you must send in an email-even though their web site stated the opposite; “that can not be answered by email, you must contact a phone customer service agent. They lost ½ of my business and later this year, will lose the other ½.

Methodology

The author, a business consultant and college business teacher, has done primary research, and reviewed secondary literature regarding customer service and has taught customer service skills in college.

Suggested Solutions

This is a no brainer. American companies tried and tested the hypothesis “cut costs any way you can, and forget about any long range con sequences.”

American businesses are losing market share because of this myopic behavior.

Interestingly, the “young pups” of American industry and graduates of America colleges, are realizing that they could perhaps either buy a dinosaur firm and bring it back to life or....for negligible costs in many circumstances, start up a new firm that uses American products, American service and American positive PR.