3rd Strike -or- How I Learned to Hate Skype

Question

I believe I've made a huge mistake with my serious efforts to embrace Skype as a viable option to conduct personal business, let alone relying on Skype to keep me in touch with my loved ones. I type "3rd Strike" in my subject-line, but it's more like 4 now...and I won't have the discretionary time to evaluate other solutions to my communications needs; this will have to wait until the weekend.
If you wish to review my troubles, please refer to my other posts. To summarize: the Windows 8.1 App is a useless pre-beta mess, I can't change my paid-for 2-year contract Skype Number's caller ID (and it comes up as a sanitized Skype user-name), the "Skype Credits" I bought for USELESS ONE-WAY SMSing are a write-off, and this afternoon is the giant turd which clogs the Skype waterpipe: I have ANOTHER potential client who informed me that he'd been trying to reach me all weelend on my Skype number, but would only receive a busy-signal. I was fortunate enough to have met him in person when he'd informed me. Of course, I asked him to verify he had the right number. He produced the slip of paper I myself had written this number down on, and sure enough it was correct. He then produced his cell-phone, dialed my number, and sure enough: BUSY SIGNAL. It turns out that he dialed a "1" at the beginning of the number. WHY?!?
This introduction to Skype has been an extraordinarily frustrating and potentially business-damaging experience. My increasing irritation has only been compounded by Microsoft's seeming laxidasical attitude towards adressing customers' pointed and serious concerns about their Skype product. It is being heavily marketed as this convenient, "hip" communications solution that turns out to be totally un-cooked. I don't have too much experience with the "old" Skype, but I have used it off and on for years...it worked. Now that I was lulled into diving in with the come-ons that came with my business-class Microsoft Surface Pro laptop, I feel like I've been hoodwinked. Not only is Skype NOT anywhere near ready for personal business, it appears based on YEARS of customer complaints here on the "Skype Community" message board that these serious problems have not been addressed in the slightest. In fact, I'll wager with the introduction of the "Modern Windows" Skype app, serious and damaging backsteps have been affected on the product. 
I CAN'T TRUST SKYPE!!!
MICROSOFT: DICIPLINE YOUR NEWLY ADOPTED CHILD!!!

Answer 1

I believe I've made a huge mistake with my serious efforts to embrace Skype as a viable option to conduct personal business, let alone relying on Skype to keep me in touch with my loved ones. I type "3rd Strike" in my subject-line, but it's more like 4 now...and I won't have the discretionary time to evaluate other solutions to my communications needs; this will have to wait until the weekend.
If you wish to review my troubles, please refer to my other posts. To summarize: the Windows 8.1 App is a useless pre-beta mess, I can't change my paid-for 2-year contract Skype Number's caller ID (and it comes up as a sanitized Skype user-name), the "Skype Credits" I bought for USELESS ONE-WAY SMSing are a write-off, and this afternoon is the giant turd which clogs the Skype waterpipe: I have ANOTHER potential client who informed me that he'd been trying to reach me all weelend on my Skype number, but would only receive a busy-signal. I was fortunate enough to have met him in person when he'd informed me. Of course, I asked him to verify he had the right number. He produced the slip of paper I myself had written this number down on, and sure enough it was correct. He then produced his cell-phone, dialed my number, and sure enough: BUSY SIGNAL. It turns out that he dialed a "1" at the beginning of the number. WHY?!?
This introduction to Skype has been an extraordinarily frustrating and potentially business-damaging experience. My increasing irritation has only been compounded by Microsoft's seeming laxidasical attitude towards adressing customers' pointed and serious concerns about their Skype product. It is being heavily marketed as this convenient, "hip" communications solution that turns out to be totally un-cooked. I don't have too much experience with the "old" Skype, but I have used it off and on for years...it worked. Now that I was lulled into diving in with the come-ons that came with my business-class Microsoft Surface Pro laptop, I feel like I've been hoodwinked. Not only is Skype NOT anywhere near ready for personal business, it appears based on YEARS of customer complaints here on the "Skype Community" message board that these serious problems have not been addressed in the slightest. In fact, I'll wager with the introduction of the "Modern Windows" Skype app, serious and damaging backsteps have been affected on the product. 
I CAN'T TRUST SKYPE!!!
MICROSOFT: DICIPLINE YOUR NEWLY ADOPTED CHILD!!!