DirecTV's Network Neutrality Collision Course > Caps and pay-by-byte is just around the corner

reply to Karl Bode

Re: Caps and pay-by-byte is just around the corner

You clearly don't know anything about gas stations or airlines.

In the case of airlines ( I have a lot of friends in revenue mgmt at a major US airline ) and the way it always goes down is one carrier raises the price and then prays to God that the others will follow so it can `stick`. It almost never does. One or two might match and then one will go back and others will chase them in fear. You'll hear exec's talking about how `we are a premium product` but it's all B.S. Travel ( and gas and internet access ) is a commodity product.

And in gas stations... you'll frequently find different prices for gas on different sides of the street because the pricing is all done by zones.

reply to fiberguy

Re: Caps and pay-by-byte is just around the corner

reply to fiberguy
Funny, gas stations around here usually raise it all at the same time, city wide. I rarely see a price difference from one side of town to the other... Talk about oligopoly... Hopefully there are enough ISPs around to not let this happen.

I'm all for profit. I owned a business and worked really hard only to have it wiped out by a hurricane a couple of years ago. I don't not want you to make a profit.
I like to make money as much as the next person, but I also like to treat the consumer fairly. There can be a happy medium.

reply to Enlightener
Clearly huh? You say I clearly don't know anything about it and then you confirmed what I said. Nice.

reply to jjeffeory
You're right about treating the consumer fairly - however, as you know that's objectionable.

For example, I'd say that $29.00 broadband connections are MORE than fair yet many here don't feel that way. They think it should be less and less and less. $29 is fair considering dial up at $25 (not including the second phone line fees) was just behind us. not to mention, you couldn't share it and the connection was pretty worthless. Now, for about $30 average, you get a good rate of speed that multiple computers can use.

Many people believe it's over priced, even at $40 which is STILL far less that what dial up cost a few short years back.

Some people look at price alone when they wonder if they are being treated fairly. They'll look at, say, your price for something.. find it cheaper elsewhere on price alone, and then look at you like you're ripping them off. They don't take into consideration many factors such as what the product is and what you get for that money.

People, by large, are not fair, or to be honest, well educated, in their perceptions and don't take the time to enhance their knowledge. Often time, the consumer's anger is misplaced or unfounded. (Not a popular opinion around a group of such 'informed' consumers here ) And yea.. I honestly feel that the average consumer is an idiot.

All I can do, and have ever done all my life, is do the best job I can for my customer (be it one of my own, or a customer of my employers) and know that I did the best I possibly could. In myself, I know I did the right thing. In the end, if the consumer doesn't like it, they can go elsewhere. What I've found, many times over, is these well informed, and sometimes unhappy consumers, bail for the most idiotic reason, spend more money in the long run, and eventually come back because they realize they were wrong in the first place.

This country has fuck-up fatigue. It is quickly losing grip with reality in the name of "I need to feel important and good about everything"...

I have a very blunt and direct attitude towards life and things around me and that's my choice. Some people want to spend their time chasing every penny in quantity.. I, however, chase quality. In the long run, I get a better class of customer and I get a better return on my investment and time. I never cow-tow to a customer who calls in and feels butt hurt over something and then wants a free year of everything. I will do EVERYTHING to make a customer whole and right, but I do NOT and NEVER will EVER give a consumer any "Credits" for when they feel they were wronged. Shit happens all the time and I believe you make it right for them.

There are many things that make up "consumer fairness"... I just go about it a different way than the average consumer would like me to. To be honest... if my customer base was made up of BBR people, I'd go broke. I honestly would never cater to this crowd. (Just being honest here) I frequently cut ties with people who are unreasonable and out of line regularly. In this particular business line I have, the product is solid and it is priced well. I have no room for the constant complainer who's expectations are higher than they should be.

I believe there are MANY ways to provider value and fairness to the consumer and I attack that on many fronts. I just don't give in to unreasonable demands.. I'm very aware of the consumer who plays business to their advantage with baseless threats (see - "how do I play the cable company for a better price? .. should I threaten to leave?") and the consumer who complains to no end in order to get the company to give something for free. We live in a world of "you hurt me, now give me something free"... I refuse.

In the end - I'm here, I've weathered many storms, I've been growing strong, and I have a customer base of extremely satisfied customers.

So, I believe that I've found MY happy medium.

And by the way.. I've noticed in WI the same thing on prices at the pump. They all raise fairly quickly and all do it about the same time. When I first started working, it was for Chevron corporation. I'm pretty well verse on how they raise their prices... and I will also say that how prices raise today are not the same way just a few short years ago. It's more volatile today then before.
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"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..."

reply to sporkme
I can see what you are saying however there are two things here.

1) My particular product line is what pretty much built the internet today. My "three whole connections" (Pretty standard redundant connection these days there bud.. ) I pay for the amount of data I transport. My customers are putting their websites on the internet.. they're not running a television network over it.

2) DirecTV is not a "web provider".. they are a TV distributor that wants to move from the direct to home model (ie: satellite beamed) to selling their content over another provider's line.

In my opinion, that's where the difference is.

I'm all for the internet evolving, however, I'm also in belief that the mass majority of home users want to use residential type use.. they don't want to run their televisions over the internet. I don't think the internet is anywhere near ready to handle everything that's being thrown at it - but in time it will.

I personally don't care to see my use deteriorate because some shmow wants to save a nickel (so they think) by getting something over the internet.

Some people think that because it's E-based that it will be cheaper - that's far from true in the long run. Eventually, and very quickly, the cost will go from BnM businesses to the internet. This move on the part of people like DirecTV will only make the internet more expensive for the masses, or, simply limit what people will be able to do with it void of paying expensive overages.

I'd rather let the internet evolve at a pace it can handle rather than going to the phone bill model of a base rate and then per minute charges for long distance. I like having one flat bill for reasonable use. There is this small group of so-called internet pioneer warriors that think they are going to gain a victory for the masses when all they are doing is messing things up for the majority.

Those people should be proud of themselves.. and then tarred and feathered.
--
"Complaining is the least path of resistance for the self-serving, the lazy, and I’m told it’s a woman’s prerogative..."