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What should have been ...

godsell4
Rising Star
Posts: 3,366
Thanks: 15
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

What should have been ...

Below are selected messages from the long thread called 'Product Refresh'. This thread is not about the Product Refresh, the intent of this thread is to help, if PN care to listen to what to do about this damaging self inflicted mess to the product range and credibility with existing customers.
This one, gives a view on the new products.
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587838.html#msg587838
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588115.html#msg588115
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588113.html#msg588113
This one, tells us what the true monthly cost is for the MAJORITY of customers.
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587873.html#msg587873
These, tells us how to annoy existing BBYW customers.
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587888.html#msg587888
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587952.html#msg587952
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587982.html#msg587982
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg587980.html#msg587980
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588104.html#msg588104
These, attempt to justify why we need an 18 month contract for NEW and EXISTING customers!
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588067.html#msg588067
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588060.html#msg588060
These, remind PN of some history. Maybe the new BT people, clearly now directing guiding PN, are not aware of this.
http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,74056.msg588000.html#msg588000

Now, on to the suggested changes required to make this a quality PN product.
The links referenced above at some point include the following suggestions for really how to do all this fairly and clearly, which is a difficult task for sure, but can be done.

It is pretty clear the objective of the PN Unlimited and Value packages were created to compete with the LLU ISP's such as TalkTalk, Sky and O2. The down side of competing with those companies are that the profit margins are low, the customer acquisition costs are now not so easy to swallow, also if an existing customer moves house, the costs of new lines, migration, etc. are also not easy to swallow.
So the rules are really very simple, I come at this from years working in the consumer electronics business which is a retail business, so I do have much insight into many aspects of this.
On the subject of customer acquisitions, clearly PN want their products to appear near the top of the lists on 'price comparison websites', so the headline price needs to be low to compete with the LLU ISP's, this is fine and OK with me, it is a marketing tactic required out of necessity, the PN website could be clearer maybe, but I do not have too much to gripe about that. I would like to see that as part of the sign up process, that it is very clear in very large letters what the true monthly cost shall be. I have just found while going through a 'pretend new signup' that the text is very small where it tells you the £5.99 changes to £11.99 after 3 months on PN Value.
By all means if any customer, either at time of acquisition (new PSTN line or connection fees) or through a house move (new PSTN line or connection fees), does not pay those costs, do tie them into this for 12 months. For me I would be happy if you said, stay for X months and then owe nothing but within X months if you leave PN, we charge you the full amount. This is simple and easy to understand.
For existing BBYW customers, like me, who have been with PN for many years, how on earth do you expect me to agree to an 18 month contract? What have I cost you recently?
If these two new accounts, were introduced as BBYW Value and BBYW Unlimited alongside the BBYW1/2/3 accounts would have been good.
Not allowing existing BBYW customers to NOW change between BBYW accounts, which was inherent in the product marketing and design, is not good. To close these after not much more than 12 months, stinks of incoherent knee jerk based marketing strategies.
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3Mb FTTC
https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed