[kictanet] Price wars -cheap is expensive

[Vitalis Olunga]

Market segmentation is an importnat element of services provision going fward. 
Hoever paying more may not ncessarily means improved customer care services. 





________________________________
From: robert yawe <robertyawe at yahoo.co.uk>
To: volunga at yahoo.com
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions <kictanet at lists.kictanet.or.ke>
Sent: Wed, October 20, 2010 9:21:59 AM
Subject: [kictanet] Price wars -cheap is expensive


Hi,

I have never participated in discussion on the calling tariffs mainly because 
when I bought my first mobile phone after using a pager for a long time my 
calling rate was 50/- so even at 8/- there had been a drop in my rate of 
calling.

All that the price war has done is murky the waters, the cost of paying for the 
call has just been redistributed between the flasher and the flashee.  My friend 
made a joke the other day that his askari told him he can flash him when he is 
on the way home.  He took the askari on the offer and flashed him the following 
night when he was about to get home, the askari then called him back to ask 
exactly where he was.

This seems like a way forward but the current level of support I am getting from 
my carrier makes we wish for the good old days of 8/- per minute.  The customer 
service number that only rung 3 times at most sometimes goes unanswered, calls 
that stayed connected throughout the conversation however long and at whatever 
speed (sitting in the passenger seat) not any more.  

Even when the call to customer service goes through I have recently detected a 
coldness and on occasion feel rushed in the responses.  With the number of 
support calls they need to handle now it is understandable.

There is a good reason why Daimler has not dropped the price of the S class 
Mercedes to compete with the Marutu or Audi so I have an issue with Safaricom, 
please segment your market I would rather pay 8/- per minute if it means that I 
will receive better customer support.

The effects of this lower rates is even affecting my Wimax service which as I 
raised before has a support desk that works 8 am to 5 pm I am sure because the 
staff are reassigned to handle support calls for 2/- callers.

Michael, before leaving please migrate me to the 8/- per minute tariff and 
assign me the level of customer support I am used to, if I want to be treated 
like trash I will go to your competitors.

Regards

We might be born equal, but we are not equals
 Robert Yawe
KAY System Technologies Ltd
Phoenix House, 6th Floor
P O Box 55806 Nairobi, 00200
Kenya


Tel: +254722511225, +254202010696 


      
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