customer

Cable T.V. and Customer Retention

Recently, I decided to test the waters for a less expensive television experience. I have been a loyal cable subscriber for thirty-five years, but friends have told me that other systems, especially satellite, are cheaper. I went online to DirectTV.com to check their packages. We have been spending about $112 a month. The equivalent package from DirectTV appeared to be about $81 a month. I was shocked at the size of the price difference. DirectTV was more than 25% less expensive than Comcast, my cable supplier.

Given the size of these price differences, I did some investigation in what is happening in the market. Today there are four potential television service suppliers: cable, telephone companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, satellite and internet companies, such as Netflix and Hulu. The cable companies command 60% of the market. Phone companies have less than 15% of the market. The satellite firms, including DirectTV and Dish, control most of the rest. The internet firms are still small, though they may become larger in the future. Over the years, the cable companies have held a high price umbrella over the satellite companies. Now the phone companies are getting under this umbrella as well. The cable companies lost two million subscribers last year. The phone companies picked up most of that loss, while the satellite firms picked up a bit. The combination of the phone and satellite companies took virtually all the growth there was in the market.


Customer retention is a big deal. Even in fast-growing markets, you would like to be able to retain your customers when competitors seek them out. The cable companies have sought to retain customers by emphasizing more services to higher spending customers. These customers tend to be less price-sensitive. It appears that the cable companies are going to have to alter their courses. They simply can not afford to let their competitors take away their market share. Eventually, the competition will be as big and as strong as they are. They will lose the market leverage that a leader enjoys. For examples see GM in autos, IBM in the PC market and U.S. Steel in the steel market.


The T.V. market is speaking in clear tones. The phone and satellite companies offer a better value proposition. The cable companies have to listen soon.




customer

Cable T.V. and Customer Retention

Recently, I decided to test the waters for a less expensive television experience. I have been a loyal cable subscriber for thirty-five years, but friends have told me that other systems, especially satellite, are cheaper. I went online to DirectTV.com to check their packages. We have been spending about $112 a month. The equivalent package from DirectTV appeared to be about $81 a month. I was shocked at the size of the price difference. DirectTV was more than 25% less expensive than Comcast, my cable supplier.




Given the size of these price differences, I did some investigation in what is happening in the market. Today there are four potential television service suppliers: cable, telephone companies, such as AT&T and Verizon, satellite and internet companies, such as Netflix and Hulu. The cable companies command 60% of the market. Phone companies have less than 15% of the market. The satellite firms, including DirectTV and Dish, control most of the rest. The internet firms are still small, though they may become larger in the future. Over the years, the cable companies have held a high price umbrella over the satellite companies. Now the phone companies are getting under this umbrella as well. The cable companies lost two million subscribers last year. The phone companies picked up most of that loss, while the satellite firms picked up a bit. The combination of the phone and satellite companies took virtually all the growth there was in the market.



Customer retention is a big deal. Even in fast-growing markets, you would like to be able to retain your customers when competitors seek them out. The cable companies have sought to retain customers by emphasizing more services to higher spending customers. These customers tend to be less price-sensitive. It appears that the cable companies are going to have to alter their courses. They simply can not afford to let their competitors take away their market share. Eventually, the competition will be as big and as strong as they are. They will lose the market leverage that a leader enjoys. For examples see GM in autos, IBM in the PC market and U.S. Steel in the steel market.



The T.V. market is speaking in clear tones. The phone and satellite companies offer a better value proposition. The cable companies have to listen soon.






customer

The Mobile Phone Industry and Customer Retention

The mobile phone industry’s growth has slowed.  It is now operating more like a stable, moderate to slow growth market.  This is particularly true in Europe.  To face the challenge of slower growth in the industry, European mobile operators are turning to customer retention, but they are careful of the customers they seek to retain. 

The Europeans have observed that less than 20% of an operator’s customers generate to 80% of the operator’s total revenue.  This pattern repeats itself in many industries.  When we have seen these patterns in other industries, we have also noted that less than 10% of the total customers generate an astounding 50% of total revenues.  These are the really important customers in an industry. 

A company must retain its key customers.  In the mobile phone industry, as in most industries, the largest 20% of the industry’s customers are likely to be what we would call Core customers for the industry’s larger competitors.  A Core customer allows supplier company to earn at least the cost of capital through a business cycle.  The retention of these core customers is of paramount importance to long term company success. It costs a great deal more to find a new customer than to retain and build the relationship with a customer you already have.  In the European mobile phone industry, carriers have found that it costs ten times more to acquire a customer than to retain one. 

The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer defection.  Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon.  If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it.  They tell their friends.  In turn, some of their friends defect as well.  So, the loss of a Core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other Core customers. 

The mobile phone operators in Europe are working on retention by focusing particularly on those Core customers most likely to defect.  These operators have analyzed the value of their customers and have assigned a rating to each customer.  When a customer calls a call center, the information about the customer, including his rating, is readily displayed on the service representative’s screen.  This customer specific information enables the service representative to respond with different value offers, depending on the importance of the customer.  Most of these offers reflect lower prices for a potential defector.

But the industry is responding to potential defections with more than simple price reductions.  Some companies are developing personal calling rates and plans tailored to individual Core customer habits.  One European company instituted this individual approach and cut its percentage of customers defecting each year in half, from 20% to 10%. 

The industry has found another important phenomenon associated with customer churn.  Recent research has told it that defection is a social phenomenon.  If defecting customers leave an operator, they usually are not quiet about it.  They tell their friends.  In turn, some of their friends defect as well.  So, the loss of a core customer to an operator will often bring with it the loss of several other core customers. 

Customer retention is an important, strategic management imperative, even in fast growing markets




customer

SoftBank is Nvidia's first Blackwell chips customer. Here's what they're going to be used for





customer

Canadian Suspect Arrested Over Snowflake Customer Breach and Extortion Attacks

Canadian law enforcement authorities have arrested an individual who is suspected to have conducted a series of hacks stemming from the breach of cloud data warehousing platform Snowflake earlier this year. The individual in question, Alexander "Connor" Moucka (aka Judische and Waifu), was apprehended on October 30, 2024, on the basis of a provisional arrest warrant, following a request by the





customer

SoftBank is Nvidia's first Blackwell chips customer. Here's what they're going to be used for.

The collaboration comes amid skyrocketing demand for Nvidia chips, as companies scramble to secure supplies.




customer

10 Ways to Build Customer Loyalty and Increase Retention

Selling your services and wares online can be challenging, as today’s digital shoppers are smart and demanding. You need a customer-focused approach right from the start. The customer is the most significant pillar of modern businesses, so you need to build a genuine relationship with them if you want your online store to survive. Read […]




customer

COMAC says Air China is the first customer for C929 widebody jet




customer

Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 66537: SAS Customer Intelligence Studio becomes non-responsive when you delete a calculated variable from the Edit Value dialog box

In SAS Customer Intelligence Studio, you might notice that the user interface becomes unresponsive, as shown below: imgalt="SAS Customer Intelligence Studio UI becomes unresponsive" src="{fusion_66537




customer

Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 66539: A new calculated variable that you create in the Edit Value dialog box is not available for selection in SAS Customer Intelligence Studio

In SAS Customer Intelligence Studio, you can choose to create a new calculated variable in the Edit Value dialog box when you populate a treatment custom detail. Following creation of the new calculated




customer

Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 66544: You cannot clear warnings for decision campaign nodes in SAS Customer Intelligence Studio

In SAS Customer Intelligence Studio, you might notice that you cannot clear warnings for decision campaign nodes by selecting either the Clear Warnings  option or the Clear All Warnin




customer

Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 66527: Updating counts in a Link node in SAS Customer Intelligence Studio produces the error "Link: MAIQService:executeFastPath:"

In SAS Customer Intelligence Studio, the following error is displayed when you update a new Link  node in a diagram:   imgalt="Link: MAIQService:executeFastPath:" src="{fusion_665




customer

Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 66511: A Russian translation shows the same value for two different variables in the Define Value dialog box for the Reply node in SAS Customer Intelligence Studio

In SAS Customer Intelligence Studio,  when you add  Reply- node variable values in the Define Value dialog box, you might notice that two identically labeled data-grid variables are




customer

Window Manufacturer Uses SolidWorks Software To Shield Customers from Hurricanes

Switch to SolidWorks 3D CAD and Simulation Software Delivers Productivity Increase over AutoCAD




customer

SolidWorks Customer BUB Racing Recaptures Motorcycle World Land Speed Record

367.382 mph in a Two-Wheeled Missile




customer

SolidWorks 2009 Delivers Dramatic Speed Increase Plus More Than 260 Customer-Driven Enhancements

Newest Version of Leading 3D CAD Software Eliminates Traditional Performance/Functionality Tradeoffs




customer

Mead boosts Web site traffic, helps customers streamline product development with 3D PartStream.NET-powered interactive 3D catalog

Customized valve and cylinder maker sees 420 percent increase in online transactions in the first three months




customer

Industrial Erector Set maker 80/20 boosts sales, customer productivity with SolidWorks 3D PartStream.NET-based interactive catalog

T-slotted frame manufacturer responds to market demand for downloadable 3D models




customer

Customer breakthroughs spotlighted at SOLIDWORKS World 2008

More than 4,600 of the world's engineering experts witness astonishing new products




customer

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal Shares How Customers Reacted When Wife Delivered Orders

In early October, Deepinder Goyal shared a post showing various moments from their day as delivery agents




customer

AG Jennings Warns Investors of Risks of Market Volatility, Reminds Regulated Firms of Customer Obligations

The Delaware Department of Justice Investor Protection Unit is closely monitoring the extreme price volatility of certain stocks and cautioned investors about the risks associated with investing in publicly traded companies that are experiencing volatility. “It can be risky investing in stocks with extreme changes in price over a short period of time. Investors should […]



  • Department of Justice
  • Department of Justice Press Releases
  • News

customer

Kent/Sussex 911 restored for AT&T customers

Kent/Sussex Counties, DE – 911 Services are fully restored for AT&T subscribers. If you have an emergency, you can now call or text 911. If you experience any problems, please call the following administrative lines: Kent County 911 (302) 734-6050 Dover PD (302) 736-7111 Sussex County 911 (302) 855-2970 Rehoboth Beach PD (302) 227-2577



  • Department of Safety and Homeland Security
  • News

customer

4 tips for evolving your customer experience measurement

In our fast changing, increasingly digital world, building a strong customer relationship is the lynchpin to building a great business. The stakes are even higher now as global disruptions occur with alarming regularity—be it political unrest, economic meltdowns or a pandemic. A new, global study called Experience 2030: The Future [...]

4 tips for evolving your customer experience measurement was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Introduction to marketing data management

No matter what your brand's level of marketing maturity is, SAS can help you move from data to insight to action with rich functionality for adaptive planning, journey activation and an embedded real-time decision engine – all fueled by powerful analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities. Let's begin with a [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Introduction to marketing data management was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Identity management, profiling and unified data model for hybrid marketing

Customer data platforms (CDPs), data management platforms (DMPs), people-based marketing, identity graphs, and more overlapping topics represent an important ingredient of any martech brainstorming session in 2020. As your brand spreads out across touchpoints — from web to mobile applications, as well as call centers, email and direct mail — [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Identity management, profiling and unified data model for hybrid marketing was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Behavioral event tracking, targeting & engagement analysis

There's no question that we're all increasingly, and often exclusively, interacting with brands digitally. Consumers are now online through countless mechanisms – from laptops and mobile apps to AI-enabled voice assistants and sensor-based wearables. Engagement is diversifying in fascinating new ways. And when organizations can't see their customers interacting in [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Behavioral event tracking, targeting & engagement analysis was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Enriching analysis with device usage data

Over the last 20+ years, global society has adopted digital devices at scale, and consumer interaction behaviors continually evolve and mature. As analysts, we're uniquely positioned to notice worldwide trends, country-specific nuances and localized market behaviors that can have significant impact on our brand's business goals. This global scope is [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Enriching analysis with device usage data was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Automated explanation and supervised segmentation

One of the wonderful aspects about my client-facing role at SAS is the breadth of audiences that I get to work with. No matter where you fall on this list: Data engineer. Business or marketing analyst. Citizen data scientist. Data scientist. Statistician. Executive. One topic is certain: We all love [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Automated explanation and supervised segmentation was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Make better decisions with analytically driven marketing

According to the SAS Experience 2030 global study, by the year 2030 67% of in-person customer engagements (think sales assistance and information queries) will be completed by smart machines rather than humans. And while it may seem a bit ironic, the most personalized customer experiences could involve no people at [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Make better decisions with analytically driven marketing was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Visual analytics, sankey diagrams and customer journeys

We live in the age of data. From global warming stats to customer behavior patterns, new technologies have made it easier to collect, store, access and analyze information. But our use of these technologies has also eroded our attention spans and fueled post-truth misunderstandings. To combat these trends, the question [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Visual analytics, sankey diagrams and customer journeys was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Data visualization, location analytics and geospatial insights

Everything happens somewhere, and much of our customer data includes location information. Websites include x, y coordinates in semi-structured click streams, and the mobile apps your prospects depend on frequently support device location to provide a personalized, targeted experience. As my SAS peer Robby Powell said: "Human brains are hardwired [...]

SAS Customer Intelligence 360: Data visualization, location analytics and geospatial insights was published on Customer Intelligence Blog.




customer

Abuja DisCo meters 88,000 customers, targets 120,000 by December

The Managing Director of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), Ernest Mupwaya said his company has installed 88,000 meters and would install 120,000 units by December 2017 to tackle complaints on estimated billing. upwaya said this at the opening of a two day workshop on energy theft for judges within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He […]

Abuja DisCo meters 88,000 customers, targets 120,000 by December




customer

Insurer Aetna's Envelopes Revealed Customers' HIV Status

Title: Insurer Aetna's Envelopes Revealed Customers' HIV Status
Category: Health News
Created: 8/28/2017 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/28/2017 12:00:00 AM




customer

Domino’s Pizza customers may have been exposed to typhoid fever bacteria

Health officials in Saskatchewan Canada are urging customers of Domino’s Pizza in Martensville to watch for symptoms of typhoid fever. The restaurant’s customers may have been exposed to Salmonella typhi, also known as typhoid fever. Anyone who consumed food or drink from the Domino’s store at 717 Centennial Drive South... Continue Reading





customer

300 percent price hikes push disgruntled VMware customers toward Broadcom rivals

Ars speaks with users and partners unhappy with Broadcom's changes.




customer

'I just want closure': Qoo10 vendors, customers accept they will likely not get money back

SINGAPORE - When an online retailer began selling his products on e-commerce platform Qoo10 in August 2023, he did not bat an eyelid when it took 30 to 45 days for the platform to disburse his first payout, compared with about three to seven days for other e-commerce sites he was using. But nearly a year later in July, payments owed to his business by Qoo10 had ballooned to about $1.6 million, as the platform’s payment delays exceeded two months and disbursements began trickling in, in smaller amounts. The Singaporean, who wanted to be known only as Mr T and did not wish to divulge what he sold, pulled the plug on his Qoo10 shop this year in the middle of July, and filed a civil claim with the courts. He obtained a default judgment in October for Qoo10 to pay him what he is owed, after the e-commerce site failed to serve a notice of intention to contest or not contest the claim. Mr T, who added that he had borrowed nearly $1 million from banks, friends and relatives to pay his suppliers, said: “I am not holding out hope that I will get much, or any, of my money back from Qoo10... By this point, I just want closure because it’s been so stressful.”







customer

S&T Bank Unveils Updated Brand To Strengthen Customer-Centric Mission - S&T Bank Re-Brand TV Spot: 60 Second

Where lives and goals come together in one place � S&T Bank.





customer

Grime To Shine Power Tour Lets Customers Demo Pressure Washer Cleaning Systems At Local Lowe's Stores, Sponsored By Briggs & Stratton - Briggs POWERflow+ Pressure Washer

Power washing is made even easier with POWERflow+ Technology by Briggs & Stratton. This pressure washer allows you to do deep cleaning, remove mold and mildew and reach second stories.




customer

The Customer Used “Call Corporate”: It Was Not Very Effective

Read The Customer Used “Call Corporate”: It Was Not Very Effective

Customer: "Well if you're not going to be doing [possibly illegal thing] for me then I suppose I will just need to call your Corporate office!"
Me: *Not skipping a beat.* "Well, actually I think you’d be better off contacting Jane Lastname at the regional office; here’s her card."

Read The Customer Used “Call Corporate”: It Was Not Very Effective




customer

Finance Ministry Highlights Digital Innovations in RRBs, Urges Expansion of Customer-Centric Services

Focus of the meeting was business performance, upgrading digital technology services, and fostering business growth in activities allied to agriculture and micro and small industry...




customer

Three Times Customers Told Bakers Exactly Where To Stick It

I know we've all been tempted sometimes, minions, but these people actually did it.

UP TOP!

ON THE TRAY!

IN THE FLAY!

Er, flag. She meant flag. But I guess this works.

And extra credit to the teacher who did NOT tell her baker where to stick it, but instead handed over a notepad with all her kids' names on it, so the baker could just copy them on to the cake.

Sadly, the baker stuck it anyway:

Right where the sun won't shine!

(You know, because they're inside.)

Thanks to Annie, Trinity L., Kaye P., & Molly H. for teaching us all a lesson on following directions.

Also teachers, if you're looking for a new notepad, I'm really liking these:

Everything Is Fine Notepads

*****

And from my other blog, Epbot:




customer

one apocalypse customer service

Today on Toothpaste For Dinner: one apocalypse customer service


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customer

'[He] was on 24/7 call, so unplugging the phone wasn't an option': Tech support guy gets revenge on an angry IT customer by programming the office phone to call him at 2, 3, and 4 AM every night

We learned from a young age that you should be nice to the other kids on the playground. Share the bouncy rubber ball, don't pull a girl's pigtails, and include everyone in your fun games! That's how it should be in the working world–the adult world–because if you make an enemy on the blacktop, you might just get destroyed in the next game of dodgeball. 

This IT customer learned never to mess with their tech support crew after being a total buffoon on the phone. He was known for screaming at the guys who were just trying to help him troubleshoot his modem, but finally, after being placed with the same phone support guy one too many times, he snapped and decided to get some revenge. 

Frankly, I think this guy's sleep schedule became a little more precious to him after he got completely pwned by the dude he was used to screaming at–I guess now it looks like the phone is the only thing screaming at 2 AM… 3 AM… and 4 AM. Do you think he'll be nicer to his next customer service rep after this? You be the judge.