Posted on 02/19/2008 6:02:11 AM PST by JZelle
You'd think that in a slowing economy, companies would be trying to hold on to every potential customer. Not DirecTV. The satellite operator is weeding out customers, and it has no problem with fewer people signing up.
In a conference call with analysts this week, CEO Chase Carey said the company has a new focus on "quality subscribers" (read: ones with money). It finds these subscribers by analyzing their income, age, home ownership, education and other metrics, Carey said in an earnings call with analysts. (Transcript here). DirecTV puts those customers into different categories to figure out who's valuable and who's not, and it's going after the valuable ones.
"We developed in the last couple of years a much more sophisticated customer segmentation set of tools that are unique to us," he said.
Does that seem the tiniest bit creepy to you? I know companies do this kind of demographic research all the time, but I'm always surprised to hear about how thorough they are.
Another mark of a "quality" subscriber is that he (or she) won't quit, and in that respect DirecTV is doing something right: Monthly churn has hit an eight-year low of 1.42% -- a desirable number for any subscription service.
The flip side of this focus, of course, is that DirecTV is steering clear of subscribers it has deemed less than desirable. It's mainly doing this with two policies: requiring that customers have a credit card and that they commit for 18 months (up from 12 months).
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.moneycentral.msn.com ...
Now, if they can just promise me the signal won’t disappear every time a cloud or flock of birds goes over...................
I’ll stick with Comcast - The cable company that cares enough to continue giving me crappy service.
Dish Network’s menus are about 100 times more readable and easy to navigate than DirecTV’s.
I prefer Comcast because I don't have to purchase HD-DVR equipment from them. I can rent it if I choose. Although I have not been thrilled with some aspects of Comcast's service, the $500 in upfront costs I'd have to pony up with either satellite provider to purchase 2 HD-DVRs completely turns me off to the prospect of switching.
Start the countdown now until Jackson/Sharpton or one of their minions calls this policy racist. Maybe Congress can hold hearings - its not like they’re busy with anything important...
And we were worried about big brother watching us being the Government. Silly us.
I’m switching from DirectTV at the end of the month and I have been with them for over 10 years. Their service has really gotten crappy for the price...$98.00/mo. and there’s nothing on but old reruns... and you can never reach technical support.
What we need is for Congress to pass a law stating that satellite TV is a God-given right, and to force the providers to make it available at below-cost
Then, when the providers go bankrupt, we need a government bailout to ‘save the industry’ and ‘the ability of viewers to get the information that it is their right to have’
It ain’t a great game but it is the best game in town. I’ve got both Comcast TV and internet and will likely get cable phone service when it arrives in my area.
One thing I would like from Comcast is the ability to pick and pay for the channels I want. I don’t need 4 home shopping channels nor do I need the golf or outdoor channels. I could stand to dump the learning channel too since they’ve become the home remodeling channel.
I have had DTV for 3 years in North TX, which gets some bad weather farly often. During that time, I had 1 serious interruption for 20 minutes and a handful of momentary or minutes long disruptions during some SEVERE T-storms.
All in all, about comparable with my cable back in CA. And I have not had one problem with my NFL Sunday Ticket or MLB Extra Innings packages, which are not even offered by Comcast.
In a true free market economy, businesses as well as consumers are allowed to choose those with whom they are willing to do business. Businesses sink or swim based on the corporate decisions they take and the consumers’ reactions to those decisions.
Oh, but wait: That’s right! The U.S. doesn’t HAVE a free market economy any more. We have the National Socialist style economy we have been begging for lo’ these many years. SO BRING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THIS “PROBLEM” RIGHT AWAY.
I dropped DTV 15 months ago because my local cable company requires me to carry basic cable if I want Internet. I save about $50 a month.
That’s funny, I had Dish Network installed at my home with 2 DVRs and it didn’t cost me a cent.
Then again, I don’t believe the commercials Comcast keeps running to try and keep customers ;)
By far, that is the thing I miss the most after switching from Dish to Directv. I can also only have 2 favorite channel lists with Directv.
However, with Directv, I can still get distant networks (NBC, FOX, etc). DishNetwork cut them off thanks to Congress, and then stopped fighting for it.
I know that the low-def DVRs can be had at little cost. But each time I try to order on the website and price out the HD-DVRs I always get a ridiculous number like $500 or so. None of the discount coupons we receive cover the HD equipment either.
The picture and signal are excellent, I installed the equipment in 1995 I believe when the network stations were still saying they weren’t sure the signal would work! Has been trouble free.
Back then you could call in and get good tech support.
Directv & Cable IMO needs to offer individual channel choices.
***Their service has really gotten crappy for the price...$98.00/mo. and there’s nothing on but old reruns... and you can never reach technical support.***
We keep Directv for Boomerang and Discovery Kids.
Otherwise we would be on rabbit ears. Living in Detroit, we are close enough to Windsor to get all the Canadian stations. Their TVO plays kids shows from 6am to 6pm. With that and movies on the internet, we don’t need much else.
Not as creepy as the RFID chip in your wallet telling a store your "customer" rating when you walk through the doors.
I live in Mass, so maybe it’s different here, but I love my Dish Network, I’ve only had issues a few times, and that was only during a severe electrical storm, during the snow storms I never lost my picture.
I got rid of Comcast for cable because I got sick of the way they stick things in your bill, my favorite was getting their Platinum Digital TV package, and then finding out I also had to pay for full analog cable along with the digital.
At least with Dish Network the charges are up front, and as of right now, I’m saving $50 a month and have more channels than Comcast.
And I’ve literally had to call customer service once since I’ve gotten it, and they answer fast!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.