The Fox Hole

Loyal Customers Always Get Left In The Dust

I bet it must have happened to you at least once.

You've been a long-time customer of Company X. You've been using their services for 10 years, 15 years etc. In all those years, at best all you've done is redeem some points for some small gifts.

Then, now you see Company X having a nice promotion for new signups. You call Company X up and enquire whether you can take advantage of the new promotion too, since you're not currently bound by any existing contracts. You even indicate you would not mind topping up some amount of cash, since you understand it's to encourage new customers to sign up.

Then Company X flatly tells you NO. No negotiations. No attempts to accommodate you.

Just a simple NO.

Indirectly, they are actually encouraging you to terminate your subscriptions with them.

Seriously.

There'll be people who are miffed that they get the cold shoulder treatment, and terminate all services in a fit of anger, swearing never to use Company X's services again. Then there'll be the other section that terminate and then re-apply again, hence becoming "new signups". Yes, Company X, you're giving yourself MORE WORK for LESS MONEY (promotional prices), having to terminate us, then re-process our applications again. Time and effort that could have been saved. Think about it.

Also, loyal customers like us usually don't get price adjustments to our packages. If you have never bothered to check the promotions, the price of $90 a month you've been paying for the past 10 yrs might only be $39.95 a month now for the same thing, if you were a new signup. Company X probably never even bothered to notify  nor offered you a lower monthly subscription price. From a business standpoint, of course it's stupid. Why cut your revenue? But from a customer and rapport-building point of view, it's a disaster waiting to happen. When customers wake up and leave in protest, you have no customers. No customers means no revenue. It's better to have less revenue than no revenue at all

In light of this, doesn't this seem like we customers are encouraged to terminate services as soon as contract ends, and signup again later, so that we can get the price adjustments as well as promotional items/prices?

Yes indeed, all you service providing companies out there! Take heed! That is what you're encouraging loyal customers to do! You're telling us we should terminate as soon as contract ends, since there's NO BENEFITS whatsoever to continue using your services past the stipulated contract time-frame.

Where's the customer-oriented service that the gahmen has been trying to preach?

nb: - this post is not directed at any company or service provider in particular. However, it is inspired by a recent promotional offer by a prominent service provider, and the author was told he could not enjoy the offer, period. No discussions.

Labels: business, Rant