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Google Fiber Sending Flowers to Would Be Customers
Google Fiber has resorted to sending flowers to customers in upgraded areas in the hopes of luring them away from their current broadband provider. If a $70, symmetrical gigabit connection with no installation fees or caps wasn't enough temptation, a Reddit user by the name of chocomilkpudding says he was recently given flowers by the search giant in the hopes of luring him to Google Fiber. Of course the user notes he'd switch, but he's under a long-term contract agreement with his current provider.
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Most recommended from 54 comments



whocares256
''Hardware Junkie''
Premium Member
join:2002-03-10

13 recommendations

whocares256

Premium Member

I should send flowers to my ISP.

I should send flowers to my ISP.

I have a small independent ISP that give me 50Mb VDSL and " NO CAP!!! ".

They deserve a big " Thank You! "

Ganthet
join:2009-08-05
Kansas City, MO

6 recommendations

Ganthet

Member

I feel so cheap!

I switched to them and they didn't send me flowers first. In fact I was quite persistent asking them when I could switch. Maybe I came off too needy and that's why I didn't get flowers.
microphone
Premium Member
join:2009-04-29
Parkville, MD

3 recommendations

microphone

Premium Member

Finally!

Some flowers was all I was asking for from my ISP!
elefante72
join:2010-12-03
East Amherst, NY

3 recommendations

elefante72

Member

They will have to do the Sprint/TMO thing

And buy out the contracts. And of course lock them in new google contracts. This has worked extremely well for TMO and to a lesser degree Sprint. People would rather sever an arm than pay a termination fee.

In many cases it is better to pay a termination fee both from a service or financial perspective, but a VAST majority of people become irrational on a balloon payment even if it is in their best interest to do so.
A perfect example. Verizon was charging my brother $60 a month for a flip phone (yes), when I could have taken said cell phone and moved it to pageplus where he would pay $12 a month (this is 2 years ago). The monthly delta on that is $48 real dollars. Now he had 8 months left on his contract, and that would have been $120 dollars term (verizon had wacky term scheme back then). So you could see that in a littl less than 3 months the termination fee would have "flipped" and he would have been positive. But no he couldn't get over the termination fee and rode the contract for another 8 months (costing him over $250) even though I clearly put the business case in front of him.

In the case of cable, long-term contracts are crazy. You 100% lease or own the equipment and most of the time the line is already there. It's not like a subsidized phone or anything, it's simply customer capture!
Slyster
join:2015-01-08
Sugar Grove, VA

3 recommendations

Slyster

Member

Here is an idea..

Offer to pay customers termination fee of their current provider if they are under contract.. BOOM.
grabacon9
join:2013-08-21
Newark, OH

2 recommendations

grabacon9

Member

Good way to get clients

At least that will attract them, spend more money than usual to get them. Great!

SteveLV702
Premium Member
join:2004-04-22
Las Vegas, NV

2 recommendations

SteveLV702

Premium Member

Las Vegas

Bring to Las Vegas, Nevada and ill switch in a heart beat.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

2 recommendations

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

I'd pay the break fee

I'd pay the break fee and be done with them once and for all.

And never mind sending me flowers. I'd be glad to have Google in my neighborhood or at least FiOS.

Service provider contracts should be banned.
Moffetts
join:2005-05-09
San Mateo, CA

2 recommendations

Moffetts

Member

Pfft

What, no candy?

buzz_4_20
join:2003-09-20
Dover, NH

2 recommendations

buzz_4_20

Member

Just Show up

With your gigabit for $70 a month, and I'll drop Time Warner so fast...