Okay, like I said ... if the customer was so damn infatuated with a $49.99 plan, they'd already be on it! And in that case, stay! No one is tellig you that you have to change, are they?

BetterThanJake said:

Corpo Rat said:
1. VZW as a company is trying to push people away from local plans due to roaming issues(!) and the fact that people with LDC plans tend to churn more than people on the AC plans.

Then again, I may be assuming too much rationality here.

You are assuming too much rationality here...

The local plans on average use more local roaming partners, therefore as a company it costs verizon more money to provide a local plan than a national plan. If you visit a Verizon store or view their coverage plans online, you will notice that the local plans (especially out west) offer more coverage in the limited areas they do cover than the national plans.

They are grandfathered in until 01/31/05 ... then they go bye-bye. So really the LDC and LDC FSP are still available, but only until 01/31/05.

mycool said:
They are grandfathered in until 01/31/05 ... then they go bye-bye. So really the LDC and LDC FSP are still available, but only until 01/31/05.

Whaa? No more LDC plans, period, after 1/31? Am I interpreting this correctly?
If I am, no more LDC would kinda suck. I admit I'm sorta thinking of switching to an AC 450 plan to save the 5 bucks a month on long distance, but still, it seems a lot of ppl would want to jump on that LDC 600 promo. If you're seldom out of state, its a great deal.

Not to mention that, even without promos and even with the recent improvements to AC minutes, LDC still offers 50-200 minutes more than ADC, depending on price level.

I thought the recent spate of mergers was...
(continues)

No... the NEW LDC plans will be available after 01/31/05 ... but until then they offer the same ones as before... I do believe the NEW ones will offer the same minutes but only at 3 different levels...

I think it's 39.99, 59.99 and 79.99 but I could be wrong on one of those. AFTER 01/31/05 those will be the ONLY ones offered... until then, the other ones can still be gotten including the 49.99 plan.

Whew... well, that's way better. Except for the part about no more $49.99 plans.

Seems like a ploy on VZW's part to increase revenue. A lot of average users are somewhere around that sweet spot, and may have to bump up to the $59.99 plan. Still kinda ugly for consumers. ☹️

Just a quick comment, a majority of customers are on the $39,99 plan or the $59.99 plan. Very few customers choose the $49.99 - 500 minutes which is why they got rid of the plan.

Few customers were on the $49.99 plans because of the way Verizon graduated the minutes.

For LDC for $40/50/60 it was 500 or 600 minutes(promo)/700/1000.

For old AC it was 400/500/800.

If the $50 level had been a true intermediary step, instead of giving not much more minutes than $40, more ppl would have chosen it.

Again, I think it works out to be a revenue-enhancer for VZW to get rid of the $50 level... a lot of ppl will be caught in the big gap between the 450 and 900 minute levels in AC and have to go up to the $60 level to avoid overages.

Ditto on the new LDC (which I've heard will have a monster step between 550 and 1100 minutes).

Who cares you are only talking about a difference or 10.00 per month (difference in old 500 min to 800 min plan)? People spend that much on lunch in one day. VZW is selling value. Double your minytes for only and extar 20.00 per month. That sounds pretty sweet to me. Take a bag lunch to work 2 times per month and you will have the extra 10.00 that you need.

$10 a month works out to $120 per year... it definitely adds up. Why should a consumer not care about that amount of money? Puzzling. 😕

Because $120 isn't a lot of money. it's less than half a percent of what the average american makes in a year.

Trust me... lots of ppl do indeed care about saving $120. Under your premise, Amazon.com shouldn't exist, since you're 'only' saving 5-10 bucks per movie DVD.

Matinee movie pricing? Ditto.
Fast food? Ditto.

C'mon, let's be real now. 🙄

I have to agree with you on this one because, as a full-time college student on federal pell grants and part-time working on campus...$10 does indeed look like a lot of money on a phone bill. I don't think comparing it to food is reasonable, because we have to eat to live...lol. And if they're going to do away with the "in between" plans like I said earlier...the only ones benefitting are those with the extra cash and VZW corporate.

At least that's how I see it. Just my $0.02 😕

Why is it so weird for a carrier to push customers to the $59.99 level? Cingular does it with additional lines on their plans. If you want a 9.99 additional line you need to sign up for a 59.99 or higher price plan.
Wireless carriers are not out to save their customers money, they are out to make money just like everyone else is. Companies like Cricket, Unicel, Metro PCS and T-Mobile know what their network is worth to their customers. Their churn rates speak for themselves. If all of those carriers customers think they are getting such a good deal then why are they leaving? On the other hand if Verizon is so overpriced then why are they growing so fast and why are so few of their customers leaving?
The facts seem to support the notion th...
(continues)

SPCSVZWJeff said:
Why is it so weird for a carrier to push customers to the $59.99 level?

Well, at least you admit that's what they're doing. Some reps would have a hard time being as forthright.

As far as the rest of it goes... yes, I'm sure we're all quite aware that Verizon is in this to make money. Still... do you make more money pushing ppl to a $60 level they don't want to go to, or do you make more money by building customer loyalty though giving them the kind of choices that fit their needs?

Short-term, the answer is probably the former, but long-term, the jury's out. And its not like the competition is going always going to be playing New Jersey Generals to Verizon's Harlem Globetrotters. On...
(continues)

BetterThanJake said:

SPCSVZWJeff said:
Why is it so weird for a carrier to push customers to the $59.99 level?

Well, at least you admit that's what they're doing. Some reps would have a hard time being as forthright.

As far as the rest of it goes... yes, I'm sure we're all quite aware that Verizon is in this to make money. Still... do you make more money pushing ppl to a $60 level they don't want to go to, or do you make more money by building customer loyalty though giving them the kind of choices that fit their needs?

Short-term, the answer is probably the former, but long-term, the jury's out. And its not like the competition is going always going to be playing New Jersey Gener

...
(continues)

In my opinion it is kind of irresponsible for a carrier to major in discounts when so much of the country is not adequately covered.
Ever notice how many T-Mobile people churn to Verizon or another carrier for coverage reasons?
Building out a wireless network takes money, that money comes from customers.
Verizon could be like T-Mobile and build the cheapest network possible, not cover all of a city or the surrounding areas and depend on roaming agreements within their own licensed markets for coverage.
Discounters are terrible at overall service. They may excel at certain areas but cannot afford to offer the complete package. Where would you rather eat a hamburger, McDonalds or Red Robin?

SPCSVZWJeff said:
In my opinion it is kind of irresponsible for a carrier to major in discounts when so much of the country is not adequately covered.
Ever notice how many T-Mobile people churn to Verizon or another carrier for coverage reasons?
Building out a wireless network takes money, that money comes from customers.
Verizon could be like T-Mobile and build the cheapest network possible, not cover all of a city or the surrounding areas and depend on roaming agreements within their own licensed markets for coverage.
Discounters are terrible at overall service. They may excel at certain areas but cannot afford to offer the complete package. Where would you rather eat a hamburger, McDonalds or Red Robin?

...
(continues)

muchdrama said:
Did you ever think that this is a Verizon corporate mandate and the employees have no say in it at all? When my employees were selling Verizon phones, the yard stick for success was how many $59.99 plans they sold. And this was Circuit City.

I'm aware that's its a corporate mandate and that the reps have to play the cards they're dealt, for good or bad. Its just that some reps defend policies that aren't so good sometimes.

Oh, and to reply to another of your posts and kill two birds with one stone: Red Robin is a chain that has stores out here in California. And yes, they do make a mighty fine burger... way better than the fast food joints 🙂

BetterThanJake said:

muchdrama said:
Did you ever think that this is a Verizon corporate mandate and the employees have no say in it at all? When my employees were selling Verizon phones, the yard stick for success was how many $59.99 plans they sold. And this was Circuit City.

I'm aware that's its a corporate mandate and that the reps have to play the cards they're dealt, for good or bad. Its just that some reps defend policies that aren't so good sometimes.

Oh, and to reply to another of your posts and kill two birds with one stone: Red Robin is a chain that has stores out here in California. And yes, they do make a mighty fine burger... way better than the fast food joints 🙂

...
(continues)

I personally use the LDC 49.99 plan, and quite frankly, I think it's the best plan they have (locally of course) because you get 1000 anytime, free LD, free n/w, free IN...so that would definitely suck if they do away with the 49.99/month option...it already sucks that they don't have it on the AC plans ☹️ What are people supposed to do who need the "in between" minutes? Cos right now, as I see it, it's either too little minutes, or too much 😕

They are looking to increase ARPU simply put.

Also, it wouldn't help them out when they tie it into their Double or Triple your minutes advertising -- for $20 more than $39.99 you double your minutes or for $40 more than $39.99 you triple your minutes. What would they say for the $49.99 plan?? For $10 more than $39.99 you get 1.5 times as many minutes! or whatever.

Hey, my wife and I have 39.99 + 20.00 right now, but we just hit the 1 year mark. Since she's getting a new phone we have to go to the new plans. 59.99 for 2 lines on family share, same as we are paying now, the only difference is that we will get 500 minutes instead of 400. Since this is the first month we have ever gone over (by about 25 mins) The change has come just in time. I can't believe people are complaining about more minutes for less money. The times when this hurts the customer are RARE exceptions. This change will help all of VZW's new and existing customers by giving them more for their money. It will also keep VZW competitive with Cingular.

bmore said:
so does that mean you get to upgrade your phone early if you sign another 2yr contract at the halfway point in your original 2yr contract? did i understand correctly? and if so what kind of upgrade would you be eligible for thanks bro also i live in baltimore this is the northwest right? thanks

Yes, that's exactly what it means... And sometimes it's a misconception that taking another 2 year contract doesn't tack 2 years on and make it three years, it just forgets about what you had and makes the contract two years. And yes, you're definately Northeast area in Baltimore.

~Steve

thanks steve what kind of upgrade am i eligible for at the halfway point? i get the prorated price on a new phone like a new customer? im following you thanks again

Steve is 110% correct about the early upgrade program. That is how I make alot of my money nowadays!

You will be eligable to purchase a new phone at the upgrade price AND be able to take advantage of any promo price/promo plan at that time. Just like a customer that has finished their contract, or is signing up for the first time.

Cool huh?

but if you do the early upgrade and sign a new 2yr contract you are not eligible for the ne2 program until 2 years from the new contracts ending period, right? thanks!!

Exactly.

Sorry for the delayed response... out of town on business.

~Steve

Don't forget, early upgrade requires that at the time of upgrade, you have to move to a price plan of $49.99 or higher. On the bright side of that, part of the worry free garantee you can change back to the $39.99 the day after you upgrade 😛

Actually, now that there is no $49.99 price plan (as of 1/17/05) it is required that the customer accept a $59.99 pplan or higher, with an average monthly revenue of $49.99 or higher (which takes into account any monthly discounts a customer may have).

~Steve

:LOL: Kudos to you, I totally forgot about it, I feel ashamed. For those who want the 300 min plan but still wants to upgrade early, add pckgs to make your avg revanue 49.99 or higher, then delete them 😛

Zaniphan said:
:LOL: Kudos to you, I totally forgot about it, ... 😛

Thanks for the kudos, they're quite delicious...

😛

~Steve