Live Blogging A Broadband Supplier

We inherited Comcast as a supplier from a company called Adelphia.  I think either the father or son, one of the primary owners of Adelphia did some time for book cooking after selling out, but nonetheless, it’s been Comcast broadband (for land service) since.  The service speed and reliability itself are good, but their home & small biz customer strategy, quite frankly is not.

I have had my television(s) off for one full week now in order to gain the inner strength necessary to go through with a switch in tv service provider.  My issue, I have been cutting channels and features for years (it seems), yet the price just steadily continues to climb.  Seems these chaps need to learn how to listen to customers a bit better.  But let’s see if they let me quit first without a serious fight

It’s ringing- -

Me:  Hi, I’ve stopped watching television, and would like to cancel my tv service, but keep Comcast’s i-net service please…

CSR:  OK, let me verify your address and account… “you decided you need to read a bit more???”

Me:  “No, actually I wish I could read less, it seems that is all I do”  … “haven’t watched tv in a week, so I figured I’d now have more time to brush my teeth more thoroughly”

CSR:  OK sir, your new monthly amount will be $59.95, and you will be billed for this months usage of your service through today.

Me:  Thank you, and what will be the total for the monthly invoice with taxes?

CSR: Oh, there is no taxes on i’net service.  Your total will be just 59.95 per month plus 2.95 for the modem.

Me:  So you mean about $63 bucks total per month, until your brilliant execs figure out how to raise the price without my noticing?

CSR:  Ummmmm……

I thanked her for such courteous and efficient service, and wished her a fine day.  Funny, but she answered the phone by announcing what a wonderful day she was having and asking me how mine had been.  So all in all, a very good customer relationship building experience for both parties .

What the CSR’s brilliant execs may never know, is that I am already watching lots of television over the same broadband line which delivers my i-net traffic.  Well, they probably know people are doing it, but they are horrible at segmenting their customer base into markets, and meeting the specific needs of those markets.  I watched all the Wimbledon tennis I had time for in a window on my tv/monitor, and it cost about $12 bucks total that I can remember, delivered through an internet based service.

As I pay for more and more live tv type programming over the ‘net, the economics won’t look this lopsided.  But considering that in 15 years (through many Adelphia’s being acquired by Comcast’s) fast, reliable, cable based broadband has gone up about 10 to 20 bucks per month.  And it had settled around $50 for most of those years.

On the other hand, the total cost of cable television programming (for my case) hit about $120/mth before I gave up the movie channels.  Just basic cable tv (and the Tennis Channel:-), was costing an extra $80/mth until today, when having survived a week without it, I quit cable tv.  I’ll still be watching much of the same programming, just not sure from where or what it will cost yet.  I’ve heard there is quality free HD programming for free.  And the US Open plus College Kickoff Games are just around the corner, so looks like I’ll have more to report on my quest into tv via internet.

My rating for Comcast’s customer service today was excellent.  My rating for their long term attention to my individual needs as a virtual office customer, not much better than abysmal.

Who You Targeting Willis?

“Super sale – 30% OFF .COM domains”

Market Strategy is one thing I bet you have no time for.  Most small business owners I talk to don’t even know what it is.  Market strategy is extremely important for market leadership, but also for pure competitiveness.   So, in future articles, we will be talking much more about what specifically Mkt. Strategy can do for any business…. how it can drive a product/service to market leadership, and how a niche market leadership position can create the competitive advantage and profitability improvement that you are targeting for your business.

The example herein shows potentially 2 market niches, or target markets for the domain registrar and hosting services companny, GoDaddy.com.  It illustrates 2 media being used to reach these markets, eMM (eMail Mktg.) and the more expensive traditional media, Television Ads.  We feel it is very important to understand if your media and target market plans are part of a cohesive and complimentary market strategy, or could they perhaps be working against each other, or agaist themselves in creating leadership in any particular or critical target market in your overall strategy.

I need more domain names for my business and was waiting for a sale larger than 10% off, which happens at GoDaddy seldomly.  At least, this is the first time they have advertised a greater than 25% off domain names sale since I can remember seeing cross my eDesk, so it is time for me to take action.

It came into my email like every other staple of business communication I get.  Danica Patrick is a great spokesperson for delivery of email mktg messages to my company, because she is a very hard working entrepreneur, who has risen to the top of the world in Indy Car racing, a sport completely dominated by men!  That is what I like about Danica, not the fact that she is obviously quite attractive.

So this eMM ad was right on the spot for targeting my company, and it will result in “plus” or incremental business from my company to GoDaddy. However, eMM is a marketing media, and my company is just one target market.  eMM is dirt cheap and very effective if used strategically.  On the other hand, television ads are a very expensive form of advertising.  GoDaddy has targeted the mass market on tv during the super bowl spending millions on a single ad, and they continue to use tv ads, so this form of media must be effective for GoDaddy’s primary target market.

Who is that primary target market?  That, I can only guess on.  In my guesstimation, it is unsophisticated or first time web property owners. But in thinking of the last GoDaddy tv ad which I can remember (the tv has been off for 7 days now on purpose ), I think Parson’s (GoDaddy CEO and Founder) is actually targeting middle level male managers in larger companies.  He uses half dressed women like round announcers at a pro wrestling production, and 2 male managers in tiny office cubicles talking amongst themselves.  I forget what the ad was trying to say, because I am not in whatever market he is targeting here, and the ad is mere humor to me.

The lesson: I think it is a mistake for GoDaddy to use sex appeal in their tv ads.  But only if they are not just targeting middle level male managers who work in cubicles. I know Bob Parsons from the early days of tech marketing to the masses.  He had a great personal finance app, which competed with Intuit’s Quicken product.  I used it for a while, but the product and company soon got demolished by Intuit’s product.

Your small business may never use or even need tv ads.  But you will use eMail Marketing if you want to remain competitive.  When you do, know who you are targeting.  Know who you may be risking as potential customers if your message has an effect of “turning off” part of that audience.  If Parson’s tv ads are targeted to first time web site owners (not just men in cubicles), he may be turning off women like Danica Patrick and you, by using half dressed bimbo type characters to tell clueless men what they should be doing.

Here is an example of Social Media Mktg. done customer style.  Since I have been dealing with technology suppliers in every which way for 25 years, this anger doesn’t surprise me and I am about to adopt my first Apple product since the Apple II, released back some time in the 80′s.

I don’t own an iPhone personally, but I am smitten with the soon to be released iTablet (although I have no idea what Apple will call it) which is just my temp name for the iPhone’s, or iPod Touch’s perhaps, bigger sibling to come.  But there are some very important lessons to be learned about PDA’s here.  I have used them all it seems, except the magical iPhone.

The main reason I didn’t opt for an iPhone is that my eyes are too old to read cell phone/pda sized text.  But also because the pda is a communication tool, cell phone, text, email and all.  I had no need to switch to AT&T service just to get a shiny new iPhone to download crap onto.  So who knows what this guys beef with the iPhone policies are.  But the production of his customer media piece is pirty darn effective in my eyes.  The music is my favorite part, but the whole production is solid.  Here’s the video (in middle of article)…

Social Media Customer Feedback on Apple’s Policies w/iPhone http://su.pr/19TyHL Gun/Lighter Fluid not recommended, but make a good point posted 6 hours ago.

I want to repeat what I said in the microblog that using a gun and lighter fluid to make a point is not a good thing (imho).  But we will be taking a look at the reasons iPhone customers might feel like shooting their beloved iPhones in upcoming articles, as I personally await the iPhone/iPod’s larger, yet younger peer to come