Google seeks friends to influence Provo landlords

14 November 2013 by Steve Blum
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By the book.

Google is laying a time honored sales technique on Provo landlords: the presumptive close. As in Kansas City, it’s requiring owners to front the installation charge for all the units in a building before it’ll start wiring it up. The big difference in Provo is that it’s only charging $30 per household, instead of $300. That was part of the deal made with Provo when it took ownership of the city’s fiber optic system earlier this year.

I would assume that there’s a direct marketing effort aimed at landlords in the works. But in its first public push, Google is asking Provo renters and condo owners to generate sales leads

[The sign up] process is slightly different for those of you who live in apartment buildings or condos (what we call “Multi-Dwelling Units,” or MDUs). Since we need to bring Fiber to the entire building, the process takes a little longer. We are starting the conversations with landlords and property owners across the city. If you live in a building with 9 or more units, get in touch with your landlord and (1) tell them that you want Google Fiber, and (2) ask them to fill out this form. A member of our local Provo Fiber team will contact your landlord to discuss next steps on how to bring gigabit speed to your unit.

There’s a link that leads to an online interest form that asks landlords how many properties and units they have in Provo, and whether it’s apartments, condos or student housing. It doesn’t explain costs or offer to discuss terms. It simply concludes with the question:

What billing methods would you be able to conduct for the construction fee? EFT, Credit Card, Check?

Dale Carnegie would approve.