[TelstraClear] Do ISP's have a responsibility to inform Customers of new Plans?

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [TelstraClear] Do ISP's have a responsibility to inform Customers of new Plans?

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134 posts

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#465292 4-May-2011 13:44

Nety:
Tabuti: Do Telstra still offer the Old Plan?

If not they should have swapped him to the newer plans...

They would be very quick to change your plan if the old one was cheaper and the new more expensive

IMHO no... I right now have a Fatso account which I am paying well under the current rate. It was a old plan they had. As long as I do not change it they will leave me on that rate and for that I am very thankful.
My experience which included a similar situation (to the fatso account) with Telstra a number of years back is that if they release a new plan they will not switch you to it unless you ask them too. In the case of the Telstra plan I was on it for a long time, it was not until years later when they released a plan that was a better deal that I switched.
I agree with the OP. The guy needs to take it as a learning experience and keep a closer watch on what he is being charge compared to the current rates.

But this isn't about switching you automatically its about informing you there are newer better plans available.

Who knows this guy might have asked Telstra to never send him any promotional material.

Nety

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#465303 4-May-2011 14:25

Tabuti:
But this isn't about switching you automatically its about informing you there are newer better plans available.

Who knows this guy might have asked Telstra to never send him any promotional material.

The poster that I was replying to implied that they should automatically switch you to the new plan if the old one is discontinued.

Tabuti: [snip]

If not they should have swapped him to the newer plans... [snip]

I am with Meridian for power and they do send out a letter each year to tell you if you are on the best plan or not which is great customer service but they are certainly the exception not the rule.

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mattbush

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#465313 4-May-2011 14:51

amanzi: It's is in the interest of all businesses to ensure that their customers are always getting the best possible deal. Customers shouldn't have to keep checking if they are on the right plan or not.

Why would businesses pro-actively give their customers the best deal? Because it builds long term goodwill and ensures that you have a customer for life.

Case in point - had TCL been more proactive about this, they would have a very happy customer who would be keen to spread the word about how awesome TCL are. Instead they are getting bad press and are losing a customer.

As a business you have to weigh it up: would you rather have the short-term gain of overcharging your customers, or have a long term customer happy to recommend you to others?

Totally agree with you.
This is typical of telco's customer service these days..indeed he may find others are worse. But usually most business customers should have an account manager and go out for new quotes/tenders at least every two years. In my experience, business seldom pay the published rates.

nate

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#465317 4-May-2011 14:54

Ragnor: 2CLight come across as morons, what company doesn't review costs at the least once per year (end of financial year/budget time)?

richms

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#465375 4-May-2011 18:47

IMO this guy should give up and close his business as he is not equipped to run it.

Richard rich.ms

Beccara

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#465407 4-May-2011 19:34

Have you guys never heard the quote "no press is bad press"

Telstra, Just like Telecom and Orcon and Slingshot are all "too big to fail" so to speak, they dont give a crap about a single customer, they care about all their clients but not a single person.

I mean if they did care you wouldn't have to wait on hold 20+min's most nights

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All comment's I make are my own personal opinion and do not in any way, shape or form reflect the views of current or former employers unless specifically stated

graemeh

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#465576 5-May-2011 08:29

amanzi: Case in point - had TCL been more proactive about this, they would have a very happy customer who would be keen to spread the word about how awesome TCL are. Instead they are getting bad press and are losing a customer.

I agree totally, all companies should be reviewing their customer spending and letting the customer know if there are better options.

If nothing else it is chance for a sales call and to try to get the customer to buy something else or sign on to a new contract. A good sales person loves an opportunity like this.

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NonprayingMantis

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#465580 5-May-2011 08:36

graemeh:
amanzi: Case in point - had TCL been more proactive about this, they would have a very happy customer who would be keen to spread the word about how awesome TCL are. Instead they are getting bad press and are losing a customer.

I agree totally, all companies should be reviewing their customer spending and letting the customer know if there are better options.

If nothing else it is chance for a sales call and to try to get the customer to buy something else or sign on to a new contract. A good sales person loves an opportunity like this.

Absolutely agree. I look forward to recieving a call from Cottonsoft advising me which multipack of toilet roll I should be buying. Maybe buying the 4-pack isn't the most efficient and I don't see why it should be up to me to decide that. If it turns out I have been buying the wrong packet for the last year then a refund seems fair. Companies need to take responsibility for other people's decisions!

amanzi

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#465596 5-May-2011 09:15

NonprayingMantis: Absolutely agree. I look forward to recieving a call from Cottonsoft advising me which multipack of toilet roll I should be buying. Maybe buying the 4-pack isn't the most efficient and I don't see why it should be up to me to decide that. If it turns out I have been buying the wrong packet for the last year then a refund seems fair. Companies need to take responsibility for other people's decisions!

If I was the CEO of Cottonsoft, that's exactly what I would be doing. I wouldn't want Cleenex coming in and undercutting me by a few cents per roll when I could have been offering a better deal to the customer all along. I don't know much about the toilet paper market, but I suspect it's pretty cut-throat with slim margins, so as the Cleenex CEO I'd be doing everything I can to retain all of my customers.

By the way, I'm not saying customers shouldn't take responsibility - as a business owner, I'm always reviewing my contracts with various suppliers - but any company that knowingly rips off their customers deserves to get bad press.

slowloris

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#465658 5-May-2011 11:04

It may be stupid of him to not check out the latest deals, but if I were him I would also attempt to get the difference refunded. If I got no joy from TC, I would vote with my wallet, I'm sure TC would make more than the 2K by making an effort keep him as a customer.

I think companies really need to think a bit more deeply when they make their pricing decisions. When Telecom first introduced ADSL they were charging something like $800 a month for 10GB because they monopolised the market. When competition arrived I vowed to never use Telecom again and I never will. They have lost me as a customer for life.

wreck90

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#465667 5-May-2011 11:39

slowloris: It may be stupid of him to not check out the latest deals, but if I were him I would also attempt to get the difference refunded. If I got no joy from TC, I would vote with my wallet, I'm sure TC would make more than the 2K by making an effort keep him as a customer.

I think companies really need to think a bit more deeply when they make their pricing decisions. When Telecom first introduced ADSL they were charging something like $800 a month for 10GB because they monopolised the market. When competition arrived I vowed to never use Telecom again and I never will. They have lost me as a customer for life.

Telecom are a different company nowadays.

Perhaps you should have promised never to return to Telecom while Theresa is at the helm.

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#465701 5-May-2011 13:05

slowloris: It may be stupid of him to not check out the latest deals, but if I were him I would also attempt to get the difference refunded. If I got no joy from TC, I would vote with my wallet, I'm sure TC would make more than the 2K by making an effort keep him as a customer.

Agreed. Give him a refund then put him on a high cost plan to recoup that cost. You're guaranteed the customer will never check it, seeing his track record.

freitasm

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#465710 5-May-2011 13:16

You guys are assuming too much. From what I've heard TelstraClear refunded the overpayment.

graemeh

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#465797 5-May-2011 15:28

NonprayingMantis: Absolutely agree. I look forward to recieving a call from Cottonsoft advising me which multipack of toilet roll I should be buying. Maybe buying the 4-pack isn't the most efficient and I don't see why it should be up to me to decide that. If it turns out I have been buying the wrong packet for the last year then a refund seems fair. Companies need to take responsibility for other people's decisions!

LOL. In a way they do! If you're buying your "paper products" at the supermarket then you will notice the supermarket tries really hard to give you all the pricing information you need to make an informed choice.

The wonderful supermarkets would never try to confuse you into buying anything other than the best priced product, they are nothing like those nasty Telcos.

Just watch out for the roll size in each pack. A certain paper company that I won't name makes an 18 pack of toilet paper which at first glance appears cheaper. Once you work out that the rolls in the bulk pack have less paper on them than the ones in the smaller packs you see it is often a false economy.

reven

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#465935 5-May-2011 19:50

flip side, when telecom (i think it was telecom) stopped unlimited and said everyone would have to switch to a different plan, they enforced this. so why not the other way around. if a old plan is so much more expensive and no longer available to new customers, shouldnt they at least email/call them up and explain to them about their new options?

$2470 to a teleco isnt that much, but happy customers is.
not saying they should just instantly refund, just saying it never should of happened.

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