Posted by don (Calgary) on April 9, 2010, 7:36 pm
This winter just won't let go and since I can't ride it's time to bore
you with some off topic shit.
First my work truck is in the shop for service and they gave me a Ford
Escape hybrid as a loaner. I am guessing it is an 09 or a 10. It has
less than 6500 kms on it.
What a cool little SUV. It is a more effective hybrid than the 03 GM I
usually drive. This one will power the wheels on the electric motor.
My GM only runs on the battery when the truck is slowing or at a dead
stop. If I am light on the throttle, and keep it under 50 kmh, I can
run the Escape on the battery for a kilometer or so before the gas
engine kicks in.
I have to say it is very cool to run on battery power. With all the
stop and go driving I do it will be interesting to see what the
mileage numbers are.
Aside from being cool to drive without consuming gasoline, it is not a
bad little rig. The interior is a bit cheezy, with a too much plastic
on the dash and controls. The stereo leaves a bit to be desired and
the seats are less than comfortable, but the ride is smooth and quiet.
Not a bad little commuter.
I will enjoy driving this SUV for the next week or so.
Next up is an example of bad customer service and how nice it is to
have options.
Recently I have been unhappy with the service from my internet
provider. The reliability has been intermittent and the tech support
almost non existent. So I contacted their competitor and negotiated a
sweet introductory deal. 60% off for the first six months and a
cheaper monthly fee than what I am paying now.
Sounded great until they screwed up and missed the appointment this
evening. The best they could do was reschedule for later next week.
Considering I was making the change due to poor service, these guys
were not getting off to a good start.
So after a short chat with my current provider they were able to match
and beat the prices I was quoted and have given me a speed upgrade and
some new hardware to connect with. I'll give them another shot and see
if the new toys will be more consistent.
It pays to shop around.
Now I have to go chip the ice off the BBQ so I can cook dinner.
Posted by Chuck Rhode on April 10, 2010, 1:19 am
On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:36:42 +0000, don (Calgary) wrote:
> So after a short chat with my current provider they were able to match
> and beat the prices I was quoted and have given me a speed upgrade and
> some new hardware to connect with. I'll give them another shot and see
> if the new toys will be more consistent.
> It pays to shop around.
... so, if they didn't have you pegged as a price-sensitive customer
before, they do now, and they're willing (and able) to seduce the new
you with even lower prices while you admit their service quality
to-date sucks, and you see this as a good thing?
Companies offer teaser rates to win new price-sensitive customers. I
ignore such blandishments for the same reason my parents turned up
their noses at S&H Green Stamps -- somebody (if not you already, you
will be soon) is making up the difference now (and then some) by
paying too much. No, instead, customers in good standing should
expect that service providers will offer them them the discounts first
*without asking* as part of a good faith effort to *keep* their
business, and they should be requited in that expectation from time to
time though I don't recall ever having been myself. This is what's
wrong with America as a matter of fact.
... and, if your providers don't and are still making lovey dovey with
people who aren't customers, then you walk and keep walking and don't
look back, and, yes, BTDT. Let them have all the price-sensitive
customers they can eat. It's as though they've sprung a surprise rate
increase on you because, of course, that's just what they've done by
letting you pay more than the going rate.
If you pretend to be willing to walk in order to get the new rate and
then don't do it, you are thereby encouraging businesses to chisel and
cheat. It's unethical for you to do that. It's bad for price
transparency and for the other customers who are unaware they're being
chiseled and cheated, and that, friend, could be you in another life
on another planet or later on this one or even right here and right
now in some other relationship with yet another one of your service
providers.
--
.. Be Seeing You,
.. Chuck Rhode, Sheboygan, WI, USA
.. Weather: http://LacusVeris.com/WX
.. 34° — Wind S 6 mph
Posted by The Older Gentleman on April 10, 2010, 2:36 am
> Companies offer teaser rates to win new price-sensitive customers.
They do it here, on insurance. It's fun to ring them up and ask why
their renewal rate is 30% higher than the online quote their computer
has just given you.
--
BMW K1100LT Ducati 750SS Honda CB400F Triumph Street Triple
Suzuki TS250ER GN250 Damn, back to six bikes!
Try Googling before asking a damn silly question.
chateau dot murray at idnet dot com
Posted by tomorrow@erols.com on April 10, 2010, 8:29 am
> On Fri, 09 Apr 2010 23:36:42 +0000, don (Calgary) wrote:
> > So after a short chat with my current provider they were able to match
> > and beat the prices I was quoted and have given me a speed upgrade and
> > some new hardware to connect with. I'll give them another shot and see
> > if the new toys will be more consistent.
> > It pays to shop around.
> ... so, if they didn't have you pegged as a price-sensitive customer
> before, they do now, and they're willing (and able) to seduce the new
> you with even lower prices while you admit their service quality
> to-date sucks, and you see this as a good thing?
> Companies offer teaser rates to win new price-sensitive customers. I
> ignore such blandishments for the same reason my parents turned up
> their noses at S&H Green Stamps -- somebody (if not you already, you
> will be soon) is making up the difference now (and then some) by
> paying too much. No, instead, customers in good standing should
> expect that service providers will offer them them the discounts first
> *without asking* as part of a good faith effort to *keep* their
> business, and they should be requited in that expectation from time to
> time though I don't recall ever having been myself. This is what's
> wrong with America as a matter of fact.
> ... and, if your providers don't and are still making lovey dovey with
> people who aren't customers, then you walk and keep walking and don't
> look back, and, yes, BTDT. Let them have all the price-sensitive
> customers they can eat. It's as though they've sprung a surprise rate
> increase on you because, of course, that's just what they've done by
> letting you pay more than the going rate.
> If you pretend to be willing to walk in order to get the new rate and
> then don't do it, you are thereby encouraging businesses to chisel and
> cheat. It's unethical for you to do that. It's bad for price
> transparency and for the other customers who are unaware they're being
> chiseled and cheated, and that, friend, could be you in another life
> on another planet or later on this one or even right here and right
> now in some other relationship with yet another one of your service
> providers.
Let's review. Don wasn't happy with his internet service, so he
called a competitor to see if it would be worth his time and effort to
switch. It was, so he did. Then the competitor failed to meet its
stated obligation, so Don called his original service provider and
complained about the service he was getting. In an effort to salvage
the business relationship, the original provider offered price breaks
and service upgrades to Don, which were blandishment enough to cause
him to risk staying with the original provider to see if he could be
happy, thus giving them a second chance at retaining his business.
And in your analysis, somehow this is all bad; it's encouraging
companies to cheat and chisel their customers, it's actually UNETHICAL
of Don, and it's even "what's wrong with America?"
I disagree. I don't see that Don or either company did anything
wrong, other than the shortfalls in service demonstrated by both
companies that he dealt with. In point of fact, it sounds like a
normal free market transaction to me.
While I can appreciate that it would be easier for the consumer to
compare prices if all companies offered the exact same rate to all
customers at all times, published those rates, and never had specials
or limited offerings or marketing drives, that's not really something
we can expect in a non-command economy.
Posted by Chuck Rhode on April 10, 2010, 11:10 pm
On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:29:33 -0700, tomorrow@erols.com wrote:
> Let's review. Don wasn't happy with his internet service, so he called
> a competitor to see if it would be worth his time and effort to switch.
> It was, so he did. Then the competitor failed to meet its stated
> obligation, so Don called his original service provider and complained
> about the service he was getting. In an effort to salvage the business
> relationship, the original provider offered price breaks
2/3 discount!
> and service upgrades to Don,
4x speed!
> which were blandishment enough to cause him to risk
> staying with the original provider to see if he could be happy, thus
> giving them a second chance at retaining his business.
They had been ripping him off all along!
> And in your analysis, somehow this is all bad; it's encouraging
> companies to cheat and chisel their customers, it's actually UNETHICAL
> of Don, and it's even "what's wrong with America?"
Uh-huh!
> I disagree. I don't see that Don or either company did anything wrong,
> other than the shortfalls in service demonstrated by both companies that
> he dealt with. In point of fact, it sounds like a normal free market
> transaction to me.
Uh-huh!
> While I can appreciate that it would be easier for the consumer to
> compare prices if all companies offered the exact same rate to all
> customers at all times, published those rates, and never had specials or
> limited offerings or marketing drives, that's not really something we
> can expect in a non-command economy.
... and your point would be what?
... that there's room for the states to be involved in consumer
protection?
--
.. Be Seeing You,
.. Chuck Rhode, Sheboygan, WI, USA
.. Weather: http://LacusVeris.com/WX
.. 45° — Wind NW 3 mph
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> and beat the prices I was quoted and have given me a speed upgrade and
> some new hardware to connect with. I'll give them another shot and see
> if the new toys will be more consistent.
> It pays to shop around.