My telcos are cheating on me. Like amped-up coffee-shop uncles with pockets full of Power 1 Walnut, they’re lavishing gifts on fresh, new faces and hoping that the faithful spouse at home doesn’t notice. After all, as long as they remember our anniversary I shouldn’t mind, right?
It started with my mobile phone operator, M1. They sent me a letter last week to offer to cut my monthly subscription from $26 to $16. But only if I locked myself into the relationship for another 2 years.
That’s lovely, but what exactly are you telling me M1? If it was a loyalty bonus or a thank you gift for being a great customer, then why not just give me the discount with no strings attached? I’m exactly the kind of customer you should be rewarding. I’m faithful and monogamous, I pay my bills on time and I’ve been giving you kopi money for 6 years already.
What’s wrong with me M1? Is it the frumpy house-dress? Would you lavish more attention on me if I dressed in a Tiger Beer uniform and flirted more?
As we say (often) in Singapore… “nevermind already”. Just when I’d got over my mobile phone company lavishing attention on fresh, pretty faces when they should have been lavishing it on me, my broadband company did the same.
My cable provider, Starhub, began running ads on the weekend for free mobile broadband with their home plan. For no extra cost, they’ve throwing in a little portable laptop modem and unlimited mobile surfing.
“I love it when a company I use surprises and delights me with great products and services”, I thought to myself, excited at the idea of whipping out my laptop in the supermarket and checking my shopping list on Remember the Milk.
Foolish me. Blinded in my role as the faithful spouse I failed to notice their indiscretions until I got to the small-print.
“Offer applies only to new customers, or existing customers whose contract has expired”.
So once again as an existing customer, under contract and dutifully ponying up on time every month, I’ve been shafted (… or not shafted because my shaftor has gone off flirting with someone else, if you want to keep with the coffee-shop uncle analogy).
Does anyone else think there’s something wrong with this approach to marketing?
Pic: Nostalgia Phone Home by creativespark
8 Comments
May 6, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Sad to say I’m in the same situation as you. I’m so happy when Starhub launch thier new plans but they are only for new sign ups or those not under contract.
For people like us, there’s nothing. Maybe we should change provider every 2 years to enjoy the courtship of ours telecom.
May 7, 2008 at 12:55 am
Worst of the lot is Singtel which keeps introducing new plans for faster services leaving those on the older plans with expensive and yet slow service.
May 7, 2008 at 10:27 am
Yep, the goodies are always for the new customers. Makes you go “damn” after signing up for an fabulous package months before they unleash something even better.
May 7, 2008 at 6:50 pm
This has been going on for some time already, but with the mobile number portability coming in July, I think the mobile operators should be springing some goodies our (existing customers) way soon.
Like you, i’ve been a loyal M1 customer for 5 years (or longer), but what do i get in return?
Timely monthly bills.
Anyhow, they’ve started their new campaign by saying we deserve better (yes, that OOOT OOOOT! campaign), and so please give them our feedback so they can serve us better.
The site is http://www.youdeservebetter.sg.
Can win phone somemore!
May 8, 2008 at 2:16 am
Oh dear, you are lovely; don`t let anyone make you feel any different! Also, if you`re up to it, amazingly, calling up to complain and threatening to leave -without aggression or swearing- always gets you moar.
May 27, 2008 at 8:12 am
Oh my goodness. You should do what I see most locals do (including myself). Cancel once contract is up. Then you will get tons of calls trying to get you back.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
And you never know what you have until you lose it.
I love your analogy.
December 6, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Perhaps maybe they earn alot from Corporations and dun care about us.
Nowadays its not business comes to you, you go after them, some businesses dun really seem to value existing consumers and keep on try to attract new consumers?
Which is cheaper? Throwing Goodies to attract new or retaining long time loyal who have been continously maintaining the cash flow.
Sometimes, a little big surprises can does wonders..
December 9, 2008 at 1:50 pm
I really do think that’s what’s happening loyalconsumer. If they tapped the calculator a few times I’m sure they’d discover that established customers are good (and valuable) customers. But winning over new business seems to be the priority. And of course their competitors are also trying to win new business… which is us. So the competitors try to woo us and our current choice does nothing to keep us. Churn, churn, churn. =)