loyalty discount

[#1]

I have been with PN for at least 4 years, first on Home Surf and now on BBYW2.  I am a light user (<2GB/month).  I did not get this offer.
It seems very random to me.  A lot of people like me stuck with PN after the webmail debacle and it seems unfair that only the "elite" will get this offer.
TBH This makes me more likely to leave than the aforementioned incedent. 

[#2]

Hi Mapletree and everyone else.
We sent this offer to a random subset in certain geographic areas of the country.  It's not length of service related and we do plan to offer this to more people, but it was initially just a trial.
I think a few people may be touch overly concerned regarding the people that this was sent out to.  It really wasn't designed to cause any anguish for anyone

[#3]

Either a marketing offer is just plain fluff - or if it offers some advantage. If it is seen as a valuable advantage then almost any method of selection is guaranteed to irritate.
Picking by geographical area / randomly would seem to be the worst possible way. Why did PlusNet not simply set up a poll screen (or a short survey) to gauge the level of interest? Cheaper, quicker and it would not commit PlusNet to actually rolling out the policy countrywide...

[#4]

Quote from: PJ

What is perhaps required is a solution like Norwich, although that will naturally discriminate against people in rural areas.

Ian W has been partly running this for a while now.  http://www.wirelesswalkley.net/

[#5]

Hi guys,
Just to clarify a couple of things here, the criteria for the original set of emails was based on a combination of age of customer (ie length of service with us) and geographical area.
We will be judging the success of this, and may well send many more emails over the coming weeks.

[#6]

I have to ask 
Why does it matter about the geographical area when choosing who should be awarded for their longevity?

[#7]

It was a trial Jeremy, they can't do trials for the entire customerbase - it wouldn't be a trial that way.
They chose metrics which helped them see the value of running a discount program like this in the future.

[#8]

Sorry to go on about this - but as far as I understand things:-
You are investigating the value of long-standing customers?
If PlusNet are suffering the migration of long-standing customers, then I could understand such a programme.
However, (AFAIK) PlusNet is not losing (on any scale) it's customer base to cheaper ISP's. Indeed, one of the reasons I left my previous ISP was that a discount was promised to all customers and after a few months of this I entered into "a last straw on the camels back situation".
Hence I moved - and I get better service at a lower cost.

[#9]

I've just caught up with this thread, but it appears to me that this is to determine the response to annual contracts with some incentive. Given the fact that all contracts (were) monthly and PlusNet were using it as a selling point, it just seems a bit of a backwards step to me.
Never have like contracts really, though I don't switch round very often (been here since 2002).
I'd much prefer something where some cancellation charge was payable if you wanted to leave within 12 months.
BT tried a similar stunt, got something through the post saying I could get money off my line rental. I looked for the catch and sure enough it was an 18 month contract, so that went straight in the bin.
While things seem to be a lot better around here now, and I hope they continue to do so .. I still remember the BB+ Ellacoya changes which screwed up browsing in February this year.
Aside from the fact I don't like contracts anyway, should history repeat itself again I don't want to feel tied down.

[#10]

This loyalty discount offer seems to fall into 2 categories.
The first being the offer to Metronet customers who have been promised a product refreshment for some time now, as some of the MN products are less competitive than they were, see here:-
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,957.0.html
The very dubious thinking behind the offer - "give them a discount but make them sign up for a year" is pointless, if you give a discount, most people won't bother to move anyway. But at least it's a move in the direction of a product refresh, and makes some sense in terms of keeping MN customers.
The fact that some PN users have been sent the offer is more puzzling, the PN products are more competitive and flexible and relatively easy to transfer from one to another, I can't really see what PN is hoping to gain from the offer.
I don't pretend to know enough about the economics of ISP's, but in simple marketing terms, I (like Alex) can't see what PN is hoping to achieve by moving away from one of its product strengths, the monthly contract.
I'd be interested to know what the percentage split between the MN and PN customers who were sent the offer.
Alastair

[#11]

Is the £5.00 off for bbyw customers only.? I am on a legacy product. have been with + about 4 years. You would think that peeps like me would be the customers that a retention idea would be aimed at. This is going to upset a lot of peeps like me. maybe + only want the new customers not the loyal ones.( Not so loyal now may move if not appreciated. )Over to +net.

[#12]

Quote from: mjtuohy

Is the £5.00 off for bbyw customers only.? I am on a legacy product. have been with + about 4 years. You would think that peeps like me would be the customers that a retention idea would be aimed at. This is going to upset a lot of peeps like me. maybe + only want the new customers not the loyal ones.( Not so loyal now may move if not appreciated. )Over to +net.

As James explained earlier...

Quote from: Jameseh

Hi Mapletree and everyone else. We sent this offer to a random subset in certain geographic areas of the country.  It's not length of service related and we do plan to offer this to more people, but it was initially just a trial. I think a few people may be touch overly concerned regarding the people that this was sent out to.  It really wasn't designed to cause any anguish for anyone

It was a trial exorcise to a geographical area and not aimed at all long standing customers.
I suspect if the trail is successful it will be extended to other areas and possibly other criteria . Just because you were not included in this trial does not mean you won't be if/when it is extended.
The discount applies to any product and you won't have to change products in order to get it.

[#13]

Quote from: Peter

The discount applies to any product and you won't have to change products in order to get it.

Would that be "any broadband product" only, or any subscription account across the board?  Only asking because I'd gained the impression originally somewhere that this was only broadband-related.
The loyalty-discount seems like quite a good idea - appreciate there's a cost to PN involved, but it should also provide them with relatively-stable minimal-income projections for the next 12 months, as far as the existing long-term customer base is concerned, at any rate.
Regards,
Penny.

[#14]

Hi Penny,
It was only sent to Broadband account holders.

[#15]

Quote from: Jameseh

Hi Penny, It was only sent to Broadband account holders.

Had a feeling it might have been.
Thanks anyway for the info, James.