Cingular to add $5 monthly surcharge

Dave wrote:
> Douglas C. Neidermeyer wrote:
>> Saw a headline crawler on one of the cable news channels that Cingular
>> was going to impose a $5 monthly surcharge to non-GSM phone customers
>> starting in September.
>>
>> Doug
>>
> It seems Cingular is using the stick instead of the carrot. They will
> generate a lot of bad will with this move. Better to offer a free GSM
> phone and no activation charge. Verizon did this with one of my cheap
> lines ($15/month) giving me a digital phone to replace an analog one and
> gave me 25 peak/250 off peak minutes for the same price. Previously my
> old plan I paid for each and every minute.

Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.

This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a month
credit until January 2008."

---

› See More: Cingular to add $5 monthly surcharge

SMS wrote:

> Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
> in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
> are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.
>
> This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
> marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
> paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a month
> credit until January 2008."

That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.

In article
<[email protected]>,
Joe Versaggi <[email protected]> wrote:

> SMS wrote:
>
> > Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
> > in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
> > are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.
> >
> > This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
> > marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
> > paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a month
> > credit until January 2008."
>
> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.

Fleet was far more customer friendly than Nations/B of A ever was/is.

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 11:15:35 -0700, SMS <[email protected]>
wrote in <[email protected]>:

>Dave wrote:

>> It seems Cingular is using the stick instead of the carrot. They will
>> generate a lot of bad will with this move. Better to offer a free GSM
>> phone and no activation charge. Verizon did this with one of my cheap
>> lines ($15/month) giving me a digital phone to replace an analog one and
>> gave me 25 peak/250 off peak minutes for the same price. Previously my
>> old plan I paid for each and every minute.
>
>Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
>in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
>are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.

The Atlanta carrier looks to have all of its customers on the same
billing platform, and move most of its customers away from the old
AT&T Wireless technology by early 2007. The company plans to
discontinue the old network by 2008. Cingular acquired AT&T Wireless
in October 2004.

While the improvement in network quality and increased focus in
customer care has been instrumental in reducing the turnover rate,
there will likely be a seasonal increase in cancellations in the
third quarter, Ritcher said during a Thursday conference call to
discuss the company's second-quarter results.

"That will create some pressure, but we're going to try to minimize
that pressure," he said. "At the end of the day, there will be some
that don't want to move over."

>This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
>marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
>paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a month
>credit until January 2008."

I'm sure Verizon appreciates your advice.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

Joe Versaggi wrote:

> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.

The other carriers would have to move fast to capitalize on it. Right
now, the Cingular story is big news all over the country, with most
newspapers and TV stations picking it up. In a couple of weeks, everyone
will forget about it.

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:23:50 -0700, SMS <[email protected]>
wrote in <[email protected]>:

>Joe Versaggi wrote:
>
>> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
>> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
>> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
>> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.
>
>The other carriers would have to move fast to capitalize on it. Right
>now, the Cingular story is big news all over the country, with most
>newspapers and TV stations picking it up. In a couple of weeks, everyone
>will forget about it.

They've already forgotten about it.

--
Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>

"Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article
> <[email protected]>,
> Joe Versaggi <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> SMS wrote:
>>
>> > Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
>> > in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
>> > are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.
>> >
>> > This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
>> > marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
>> > paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a
>> > month
>> > credit until January 2008."
>>
>> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
>> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
>> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
>> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.
>
> Fleet was far more customer friendly than Nations/B of A ever was/is.


Sure they were -- Like when they instituted the new rule that if you
wanted to close your credit card account, if the balance wasn't paid off at
the same time, your rate would immeditely rise to the highest your state
would allow until you paid it off. Almost every other credit card company
allows you to cancel your card and pay off any balance at the exisiting
interest rate.


Bob

In article <nS_zg.72703$fG3.18492@dukeread09>,
"rjdriver" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
> "Jack Zwick" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In article
> > <[email protected]>,
> > Joe Versaggi <[email protected]> wrote:
> >
> >> SMS wrote:
> >>
> >> > Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
> >> > in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
> >> > are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.
> >> >
> >> > This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
> >> > marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
> >> > paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a
> >> > month
> >> > credit until January 2008."
> >>
> >> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
> >> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
> >> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
> >> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.
> >
> > Fleet was far more customer friendly than Nations/B of A ever was/is.
>
>
> Sure they were -- Like when they instituted the new rule that if you
> wanted to close your credit card account, if the balance wasn't paid off at
> the same time, your rate would immeditely rise to the highest your state
> would allow until you paid it off. Almost every other credit card company
> allows you to cancel your card and pay off any balance at the exisiting
> interest rate.

When I went to a B of A office in Milford, CT (a former Fleet), they
were more customer friendly and helpful than ANY B of A in Texas ever
was, happily giving me cash back from a 3rd party personal check.

B of A charges to cash one of their own checks if you don't have an
account with them; hardly customer friendly.

Jack Zwick wrote:

> When I went to a B of A office in Milford, CT (a former Fleet), they
> were more customer friendly and helpful than ANY B of A in Texas ever
> was, happily giving me cash back from a 3rd party personal check.
>
> B of A charges to cash one of their own checks if you don't have an
> account with them; hardly customer friendly.

If you don't have an account, you're not a customer ! Like an ATM
SURcharge - they don't care.

Fleet personnel were STUPID and getting worse, particularly so in the
former Norstar and NatWest branches. FLeet also closed high-visibility,
downtown branches left and right. Smaller banks moved into their former
quarters, took their customers, likely their local businesss payrolls as
well, and otherwise ate their lunch. Small-time customers were
"unprofitable" according to their accounting. 13,000 Fleet employees in
Boston and elsewhere paid the consequences.

HSBC on the other hand, a huge global bank, functions much like a small
town bank, being in every nook and cranny in not so wealthy upstate NY,
per 150 years of Marine Midland tradition.

Similarly, Cingular thinks customers who pay $30 for 200 TDMA
minutes/month and never give them a problem can walk too. Fleet is gone,
HSBC is growing.

Stinkular won't be around in 5 - 10 years.

"John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 16:23:50 -0700, SMS <[email protected]>
> wrote in <[email protected]>:
>
>>Joe Versaggi wrote:
>>
>>> That strategy worked after some of the public-be-damned big banks, like
>>> Fleet swallowed other banks. Smaller banks in the area would put up
>>> banner: "Welcome Fleet Customers". Bank of America is now trying to
>>> de-Fleet their public image as fast as possible.
>>
>>The other carriers would have to move fast to capitalize on it. Right
>>now, the Cingular story is big news all over the country, with most
>>newspapers and TV stations picking it up. In a couple of weeks, everyone
>>will forget about it.
>
> They've already forgotten about it.
>
Then why did I see it mentioned on local television not more than an hour
ago?

Scott wrote:
> "John Navas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>> The other carriers would have to move fast to capitalize on it. Right
>>> now, the Cingular story is big news all over the country, with most
>>> newspapers and TV stations picking it up. In a couple of weeks, everyone
>>> will forget about it.
>> They've already forgotten about it.
>>
> Then why did I see it mentioned on local television not more than an hour
> ago?

Memory fade fast in Navasland.

> >This would be a good time for the other carriers to do some creative
> >marketing, i.e. "Come to Verizon, and instead of paying for a phone, or
> >paying $5 extra per month, we'll give you a free phone, and a $5 a month
> >credit until January 2008."
>
> I'm sure Verizon appreciates your advice.
>
> --
> Best regards, FAQ FOR CINGULAR WIRELESS:
> John Navas <http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cingular_Wireless_FAQ>
A friend was looking at Verizon's maps, since he was pressured by a
salesman for a new plan. It appears that they are pushing greatly
reduced roaming plans. Unless you are on the single rate plan, it
shows no coverage on their maps in analog roaming (Dobson is GSM) areas
in northern Minnesota. Soon people who travel to rural areas will
require multiple phones if they want low cost coverage.

[email protected] wrote:

> A friend was looking at Verizon's maps, since he was pressured by a
> salesman for a new plan. It appears that they are pushing greatly
> reduced roaming plans.

Yes, this is true. Sprint may be a better choice in terms of a carrier
that supports AMPS.

Verizon called me the other day trying to get me to go to a newer plan,
but I told them that I couldn't change because I'd lose a lot of my AMPS
coverage (as well as losing my 8:01 p.m. off-peak start time).

In alt.cellular.verizon [email protected] wrote:
> A friend was looking at Verizon's maps, since he was pressured by a
> salesman for a new plan. It appears that they are pushing greatly
> reduced roaming plans. Unless you are on the single rate plan, it
> shows no coverage on their maps in analog roaming (Dobson is GSM) areas
> in northern Minnesota. Soon people who travel to rural areas will
> require multiple phones if they want low cost coverage.
>

Sprint PCS will cover the analog roaming for free on current plans. That
includes the analog option ... which is ALL that is available in much of the
Superior National Forest and areas to the west.

--
Thomas T. Veldhouse
Key Fingerprint: 2DB9 813F F510 82C2 E1AE 34D0 D69D 1EDC D5EC AED1

SMS wrote:
>
[snip]

> Cingular even admitted that this is going to cause a temporary increase
> in churn. I guess they figure the few million remaining TDMA customers
> are not worth keeping, since they're probably low-ARPU customers.

'Probably' is a scary word when they are betting their business on it.

The $5.00 per month charge is going to scare off the cheapskates first.
The people who absolutely must have the best coverage possible are the
sorts of people who use their phone a lot and over varied terrain.

--
Paul Hovnanian mailto:[email protected]
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