tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post492727826975623619..comments2023-04-25T21:21:33.070-04:00Comments on The Carefree Way: How does this work?Donnie Barneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15357027036761231453noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post-90565787233191122812009-07-28T19:55:09.183-04:002009-07-28T19:55:09.183-04:00Thanks Donnie! Don't worry, I didn't take ...Thanks Donnie! Don't worry, I didn't take it personally. You're absolutely right. We live in a price-dominated society and price is directly correlated with cost. Unfortunately, as a society we've been programmed to focus on price and not the total value. Turns out the customer service is one of the easiest places to cut. ATT certainly changed the game. Now every carrier wants an exclusivity deal in order to launch a phone. It's become just another area where customers are forced to compromise and it's one of the first things we talk about when preparing to launch a new device. I find myself torn because it's one of the few ways to gain an obvious competitive advantage, but it doesn't do the consumer any favors.Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09589784075670888855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post-201090766368738992009-07-27T21:08:34.787-04:002009-07-27T21:08:34.787-04:00Thanks, big-T. And Happy Birthday. :-) But don&...Thanks, big-T. And Happy Birthday. :-) But don't feel like I'm picking on just you...the cell industry was just the best recent example. There are so many industries like this and it just kills me to imagine how we've let customer service go so far south for so long in so many places. The wired telco arena has been bad for a few years now, cable, satellite TV, banking, air travel, etc. The list is just too long. But if the cellphone industry is near turning it around, well, that would be great. I do feel like the ATT exclusive on the iPhone has been bad for the industry to some degree, but I do also believe Apple has a right to produce the phone as JUST a GSM device if they wish. Given that, well, they still wouldn't have had any real competition in the marketplace since neither Sprint nor Verizon is GSM, and those are the only two companies in any position to actually compete with ATT, IMHO. *sigh*Donnie Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15357027036761231453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post-63509477740739170052009-07-27T20:21:52.301-04:002009-07-27T20:21:52.301-04:00Believe me Donnie, nobody realizes that the wirele...Believe me Donnie, nobody realizes that the wireless telecomm industry is more of a war of attrition than the carriers themselves. I wish there were some sage thing I could say in our defense, but when it comes right down to it, I don't have much of a defense to muster. There are so many factors contributing to "customer pain points" in our industry. Anything from government regulation, offshoring costs, stock price fixation, etc. <br /><br />However, I will say that if you look at the meteoric development of the industry, you have to cut us a little slack. We haven't had as much time to "perfect" things as many other industries and I assure you, it will get better as competition gets stiffer and it becomes more difficult to simply purchase competitive advantages. <br /><br />Also, if I may be permitted to plug my own company, we keep all of our customer service centers here in the U.S. (ahem, ATT). We routinely receive the top scores for network speed and reliability. And while we may not always have the hottest handsets all the time, all I can say is, stay tuned.Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09589784075670888855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post-1230753313504939892009-07-21T16:16:41.234-04:002009-07-21T16:16:41.234-04:00I agree with all those industries and these days I...I agree with all those industries and these days I'd even include banking to some degree. It's sad, really.Donnie Barneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15357027036761231453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7057063609170223116.post-78347381037540123522009-07-21T16:13:45.900-04:002009-07-21T16:13:45.900-04:00so this is not an uncommon issue in various indust...so this is not an uncommon issue in various industries. The cable company comes to mind. Possibly some of the worst customer service with dramatically escalating prices. The alternative, satellite, can be no better for some people than cable. Health insurance is another(at least dealing with it from a provider standpoint). It is probably the most frustrating thing I have ever dealt with. Unfortunately, in that industry customer service is never measured from provider standpoints.<br />All I can say is this:<br />Can you hear me now?Jane Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13121439127246474104noreply@blogger.com