Screw The Payers, Give The Chancers Free Deals!

Originally Posted by TheNorm

So customer loyalty counts for nought?

Unconsciously, maybe, but in this world of marketing led, venture capital funded, corporate-ness, the key performance indicators don't usually measure 'loyalty', just new accounts gained & potential lost accounts, retained - the presentations at the meeting get really boring, otherwise...

Just imagine, instead of a strategy for growth, there was a strategy for excellence, and a consolidation of resources, with the focus on dealing with actual performance, rather than a spin doctored hearts & minds campaign, based on 'mine is bigger than yours

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by kronas

hmm... might try this tomorrow for the record, my parent has been a customer since 1996, not once has NTL offered us a discount, we have been with sky a few years less and last year (or was it the year before ?) they rang up and offered a discount on their sports packages or movies, went for sports, we have had sports since then after the offer ended, so infact sky make more money off us, and look set to do so with their broadband.

if it wasent for me (i made the decisons based on the cost and information provided) we would not have sky or ntl!

there is no such thing as customer loyalty for compaines its not about how long you are with them, its about whether they will loose your existing custom, some bother others dont, so why should we not squeeze any company out of some discounts ?

it seems alot of utility compaines dont offer existing customers discounts, yet are signing new ones up with some excellent deals.

The difference being people here are talking about getting a discount on what they already pay for. Your talking about a discount that was offered to get you to spend more money.

Originally Posted by TheNorm

So customer loyalty counts for nought?

well all I can say is stuff that. Im not loyal to any company who provides me a product. How loyal are they to me? they just want my money. you have really made me laugh there

[TheNorm]

Wouldn't it make better business sense to offer discounts to loyal customers to stop them leaving (as said in post #28)? This must be cheaper than getting new customers, surely.

[Neil]

Originally Posted by TheNorm

Wouldn't it make better business sense to offer discounts to loyal customers to stop them leaving (as said previously)? This must be cheaper than getting new customers, surely.

As long as you commit those customers to a new contact too, then yes-it is an excellent idea.

As I've said before, you don't get a mobile phone upgrade without comitting for afurther 12 or 18 months, why can't/don't ntl do the same?

Originally Posted by TheNorm

Wouldn't it make better business sense to offer discounts to loyal customers to stop them leaving (as said in post #28)? This must be cheaper than getting new customers, surely.

isnt that what there doing? ive been with ntl for years.I get 10 meg for less than 17.99 I get a good discount on the 24/7 call package so there keeping me by looking after me. New customers should get a good deal lets face it we are in a competitive world no one is going to pay more than they need too

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by Neil

As long as you commit those customers to a new contact too, then yes-it is an excellent idea.

Absolutely, If NTL offered me 1 free month at the end of a 12 month contract as a carrot to sign for another 12 months the chances are i'd take it up. Yes i'd consider my options once a year but i wouldnt consider my options everytime a new offering or price change came on the market from a competitor.

The trouble is the retentions unit at NTL are too reactive.

Originally Posted by Wicked_and_Crazy

Absolutely, If NTL offered me 1 free month at the end of a 12 month contract as a carrot to sign for another 12 months the chances are i'd take it up. Yes i'd consider my options once a year but i wouldnt consider my options everytime a new offering or price change came on the market from a competitor.

The trouble is the retentions unit at NTL are too reactive.

I bloody wouldnt.Im quite happy not having a contract I served my 12 months NTL have had a fortune out of me.Not the market is changing and at a rapid rate at that then I will want the best offer I can get.And while NTL will at least give me value for money then im happy

Im not gonna lie or paint a rosy picture of the type of guy I am.I will want what I can get out of NTL and intend to continue asking for better deals as the market changes

[Wicked_and_Crazy]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

I bloody wouldnt.Im quite happy not having a contract I served my 12 months NTL have had a fortune out of me.Not the market is changing and at a rapid rate at that then I will want the best offer I can get.And while NTL will at least give me value for money then im happy

Im not gonna lie or paint a rosy picture of the type of guy I am.I will want what I can get out of NTL and intend to continue asking for better deals as the market changes

so you wouldnt take a 12 month contract if the total was less than your paying right now? I can see pro's and con's, but at the end of the day you have to put a price on your own time for finding cheaper services and then getting NTL to match the price. Personally i feel that you get to a point where your own time costs more than the saving you make.

[breamhunter]

Would like to add I was at the end of my 12 month contract the otherday, Seen a few offers regarding ADSL so was going to cancel NTL and go with ADSL, upon ringing NTL they offered me 10mb at £17.49 a month for 12 month`s.

I haven`t signed another 12 month contract with them and it rolls on month by month, they have saved me from being a lost customer and they probably look at it as they would rather get £17.49 than nothing at all.

I also get a good deal on my TV and phone package, If i didn`t I wouldn`t have the phone because I use VOIP with sipgate and the TV would go because I use a Dreambox with Rotator and I pay for a Digital ALB package at £144 for 14 months and thats 23 channels of movies sports etc along with the free channels that are up there on diffrent satelites.

Ntl do have a fine line to walk, doing these discounts winds up the full paying subs but they also don`t want to lose customers, NTL haven`t anything "new" to offer to offset making discounts, if they had something to offer with a big "Wow" factor then they wouldn`t lose customers but as it is SKY is already offering PVR and a decent EPG.


*Would also like to add, it`s alright for SKY, Orange and Talk Talk to offer "Free" broadband but when like me you live in a small town then you will be charged for using BT`s kit to get to said providers..

[Neil]

But they have only got you for a minimum of one month, whereas if ntl had any sense they would have locked you into a 12 month contract so that you are on their books for 12 months.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Neil

But they have only got you for a minimum of one month, whereas if ntl had any sense they would have locked you into a 12 month contract so that you are on their books for 12 months.

... unless you leave the country or move to an uncabled area, then it's alright to get out early, yes Neil?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by orangebird

... unless you leave the country or move to an uncabled area, then it's alright to get out early, yes Neil?

Absolutely.

[DaggaDagga]

Originally Posted by orangebird

... unless you leave the country or move to an uncabled area, then it's alright to get out early, yes Neil?

Originally Posted by Neil

Absolutely.

Can someone bang this pair's heads together...

Why are some people blaming the customer? Surely the fault (if any) should be with NTL for allowing the deals to go ahead in the first place?

At the end of the day, all NTL have to say is "Thank you for your custom, Goodbye!"