Ian Brodrick

Super reliability and the human touch make all the difference.

When it comes to using the internet, Ian Brodrick is an old hand.

“My first internet connection was actually ARPANET”, he says. “I had two modems – one upstream and one downstream – that were 1.2 kilobits per second. That’s bits not megabits! By the time I joined Demon, I was getting 14.4Kbps!”

As an experienced – even professional - internet user, Ian knew exactly what he wanted from his provider, and by 2003 was disappointed with many of the commercial packages available.

“I needed a professional quality service. My job involved a lot of IT, and Zen was recommended in all of the professional computer press – and they had a very nice advert, which I approved of!”

“Since then, Zen has never given me an excuse to leave”, he adds.

And in a household that depends heavily on a highly reliable service, that point is crucial.

Ian’s previous experience with other major suppliers had left him less than impressed with the levels of service and support available, and after some highly frustrating wrangles with a major supplier, he was happy to find a provider that cared.

“Joining Zen was easy,” says Ian. “They told me what was going to happen, and I was connected exactly as I expected. I’ve had pretty much every Zen package since, and never had a problem.”

With an archaeologist and a commercial lawyer for a US based tech business in the household, international communication and extreme reliability are key.

“Our line is used for some pretty important stuff, and we often have two video calls taking place at the same time. My partner works for a global multinational business. She’s online to the USA, India and the Far East all the time. Her need for utterly reliable internet is complete – she can’t work if there’s a problem. And my needs are also considerable. I have colleagues in Europe, Canada and the US. I work on Europe-wide archaeology projects and on cultural projects between here and the Middle East. Our internet connection is so important for staying in touch reliably across the globe.”

In Zen, Ian has found the ultra-reliable provider he needs, but that isn’t the only plus point.

“I’ve found that whenever I call tech support, they’re technically competent and they’ve always got time for you”, he says. “Even as Zen has grown, that’s been maintained. I thought that might have been a casualty, but it hasn’t. I always get an intelligent response, if I’m promised a call back I always get it, and the Zen people are all very savvy and helpful.”

But what would happen if Ian’s Zen connection did go down?

“It would be very difficult” is the straightforward answer.

“I have a very poor mobile signal here, so I’d probably find myself in the local café using their internet connection. I use the internet for 9-10 hours every day. In fact, my whole life revolves around it. There’s nothing I don’t do online, it’s absolutely vital.”

Thankfully, Ian is highly impressed by the reliability of his connection, as well as the expertise and friendly manner of Zen staff whenever he does need to make contact.

“I can forget the internet connection. It’s not something I have to worry about. The Zen line has been more reliable than anything else I’ve experienced. And I love the northern call centre too. Your people are nice guys to talk to. And they’re not just trained, they’re actually into what they do, and that’s really important.”