Fed up with Sky bias towards new customers....

Blackburn

pen1 wrote: »

Sky don't just accept that existing subscribers pay the full price or don't subscribe/go elsewhere- they actively pursue the business of customers who resist their pricing, even if that means, for example, charging some consumers 50% less than others for 12 months, to win back or retain their business.

If you are willing to differentiate aggressively on the pricing you charge different customers for the same products/services, to further your business interests, then I think you have to expect that some customers will feel their custom is undervalued and others will show equal determination in negotiating the best for themselves.

That's valid enough, what annoys me is the people who literally just want to live of offers.

Kurtis_Blue

Blackburn wrote: »

Why agree to full price then, you don't go to tesco and query their pricing.

You don't even need to query Tescos prices, they proactively do it for you, relentlessly comparing their prices with competitors and changing their offer to suit, or give you money off when they are too expensive. https://www.tescopricepromise.com/HowItWorks

They offer numerous loyalty discounts in the shape off, cards, stamps, money off next shops, petrol vouchers etc...

I wouldn't compare Sky's poor customer service to Tescos, horse-meat or not.

If you want to pay whatever full price is demanded from you for services then that's your choice, not very bright though.

gravitytolls

Blackburn wrote: »

That's valid enough, what annoys me is the people who literally just want to live of offers.

Does it really? Doesn't annoy me, Sky charges a whole lotta dough for what is essentially lots of channels showing carp or repeats and sometimes repeats of carp! Not to mention the incredible quantity of ads which go on and on and on, far beyond ITV and the like.

P'raps if the costs were more reasonable folk wouldn't be chasing the offers so much?

pen1

Blackburn wrote: »

That's valid enough, what annoys me is the people who literally just want to live of offers.

I think customers have to be realistic about their value to a business- there's a point at which the customer isn't profitable for the business, afterall.

In context, however, my view is that Sky were happy to differentiate on price between customers for many years (and still are), and it helped them to build their subscriber base to the scale it now is. They started to refer to "offer-riding" around 6 years ago- what had changed was that sites like this increased awareness of Sky's willingness to drop the price to avoid cancellations etc., which encouraged customers to seek to take advantage of offers that Sky created.

So, there's no great point of principle, in my view, about equitable pricing- it's just not as easy to differentiate between customers without them realising it's going on!

Blackburn

I deal with it all day though so obviously affects me a lil more, nobodies forced to having sky though, it's a luxury.

pen1

If Sky had treated it like a luxury, though, and only sold it to those who were willing to pay a luxury price for it, they wouldn't have created the expectation that it was worth "taking a punt" at "getting it on the cheap", and probably wouldn't have over 10 million subscribers.

The reality is that Sky don't market their products/services as a luxury (their intent is to sell to a mass-market), and indeed, elements of what they now sell- telephone & broadband- are arguably essential to some.

Other businesses don't experience such consumer behaviour on the same level, because they don't market their luxury products and services, and discount them, so aggressively on price, so haven't created the expectation in the first instance.:)

sjf20

Been with Sky now ever since I can remember paying full price and I don't mind at all, I actually enjoy the channels and in a busy house they all actually get used.

Kurtis_Blue

Blackburn wrote: »

I deal with it all day though so obviously affects me a lil more, nobodies forced to having sky though, it's a luxury.

So you are getting paid to deal with customers but it effects you in some way? if people didn't phone in to acquire a more reasonable deal you may well be out of a job.

If you are going to be annoyed by anything be annoyed at the poor salary Sky pays its employees despite their HUGE profits.

macman

21Twinkle wrote: »

Am I alone in being totally fed up with Sky continually offering deals to new customers - totally ignoring those of us - who have paid out, literally thousands of pounds each over the years ?

I see, that, once again - Sky is sucking in a new batch of mugs - by offering half price deals for the next 6 months

What about your long term loyal customers - Sky ?

Indeed-and for as long as you continue to do so, they'll continue to 'ignore' you. Only when you demonstrate that your business with them will cease will they offer you a better deal. Why would they do otherwise?

Blackburn

Kurtis_Blue wrote: »

So you are getting paid to deal with customers but it effects you in some way? if people didn't phone in to acquire a more reasonable deal you may well be out of a job.

If you are going to be annoyed by anything be annoyed at the poor salary Sky pays its employees despite their HUGE profits.

No that's fair enough, it's the people who just sit and ring for deals all day that annoy me, literally 75% just call and expect everything to be handed to them with no manners.