$5 charge for calling in to make My5/10 changes

[spektakle]

I own a pickup truck but I don't know how to fix an automatic transmission. If it breaks I don't expect Ford to just give me a new transmission because it's part of the truck I paid for. I have a couple of options if it breaks. One is learn how automatic transmissions work and fix it myself for free or pay someone else to do it for me.

You buy your cell phone plan, you have multiple options to change your my5 or my10 numbers for free, if you can't figure it out or don't have the means to do it, you have to pay someone else to do it for you.

I don't see the problem.

I'm sorry but your argument is pointless. You are comparing something breaking to something that is part of the deal. Changing my10 numbers once a month is part of the plan you are paying for. If you have to pay for that you might as well have to pay every time you call in to customer service.

I bet you wouldn't be paying yourself if your truck's transmission broke 6 months after you got it if it has a 3 year warranty. You would be kicking and screaming at them if they tried to charge you.... why? Cause it's part of the deal that you paid for.

[ceredon]

we certainly have a diverse variety of business models out there don't we.

I can see a budget provider 'as a cost measure' taking this approach, but not a big budget provider.

That's true. You tend to see more of the 'lower end' carriers pushing self serve options while premium providers usually portray themselves as charging more to begin with because they provide a greater level of service for their rates. Rogers is going for more of a mixed approach where they charge premium rates but charge for those additional services. Doesn't seem like the wisest of moves, depending on how much revenue this is actually going to make. I don't expect many people will opt, unless they really are unable or averse to the online system, to pay the $5 fee. Assuming the vast majority of people opt to go online, what's the benefit to Rogers? Fewer calls into CS. What does that result in? More layoffs as staff, by definition, become surplus and redundant due to the successful reduction in calls.

I guess the other carriers will benefit from another poorly thought out move by Rogers. The other carriers may also nickel and dime for these services, but their upfront charges are less. I am sure the Rogers shareholders are going to love seeing the next quarterly numbers as the other carriers continue to capitalize on Nadir's adventures. But, then again, they can always layoff more staff to make their numbers. In fact, one could say they are obligated to make those layoffs in order to maximize profit.

So layoffs if it works exactly as planned and layoff if it drives customer away. Bend over and kiss your jobs goodbye people. I really don't care which of these companies get my money. Do you care which one hires you next?

[Guest 260]

New CFO @ Rogers. He's trying to make an impact plus they are desperate to maintain the sliding bottom line. I would expect to see more value erosion (layoffs, nickel & diming) until the revenue numbers stabilize. They will be seeking to recoup $ anywhere and everywhere at the moment. They'll turn around at the end and ask themselves, "What is our business model? How do we differentiate from the competition?" It will be very interesting to see where it ends.

[ceredon]

Ah yes, I expected to see the usual crowd on this thread saying 'YES! Rogers is EVIL! And they SHOULD GIVE US EVERYTHING FOR FREE!'

The excuse that some people don't have computers or some people don't have smartphones or some people are too stupid to figure out how to do it on their "dumbphone" is lame. If you're too lazy or stupid to figure out how to do something on your own, you should have to pay someone else to do it.

I own a pickup truck but I don't know how to fix an automatic transmission. If it breaks I don't expect Ford to just give me a new transmission because it's part of the truck I paid for. I have a couple of options if it breaks. One is learn how automatic transmissions work and fix it myself for free or pay someone else to do it for me.

You buy your cell phone plan, you have multiple options to change your my5 or my10 numbers for free, if you can't figure it out or don't have the means to do it, you have to pay someone else to do it for you.

I don't see the problem.

No one is asking for anything for 'free' which isn't already and currently provided as a part of their monthly service fees.

Your pickup trunk repair analogy was poor, but let's see if we can improve upon it for you. If, when you bought your truck, you went to the luxury dealership because they were reputed to have a higher level of customer service and you are willing to pay for better service. Services like oil changes are offered at the highend dealer and they even detail your car when you bring it in. So, being a man of means, you opted to spend say 20% more on the vehicle at that dealership than the low-end dealer down the road, knowing they treat you better. But today you brought your car in for an oil change and the normally included detailing and wash. The tell you they can provide a bucket and some water and access to their vacuum but you will have have to provide the cloths, soap and will have to wash it yourself. Or they can do it, but it will be $100 fee, exactly like the other dealership down the road.

Now there is nothing wrong with what they are proposing. You aren't completely retarded, so you know how to wash your own car. You can figure it out. They aren't evil for making this change. They are trying to save money. They would like to reduce their staff count and operate more like the low end dealership down the road when it comes to servicing their customers. They are simply being competitive. You understand this and have no ill will towards them for it. But maybe next time you are car shopping, you will look more closely at the other dealership that offers better value up front and doesn't need a pretense of being a 'premium' dealership, selling the identical cars and services. Really, what the highend dealership did was expose that they are perhaps not really a premium dealership. They just charge as though they are. The emperor has no clothes it seems, and he exposed that fact accidently all by himself.

[ceredon]

New CFO @ Rogers. He's trying to make an impact plus they are desperate to maintain the sliding bottom line. I would expect to see more value erosion (layoffs, nickel & diming) until the revenue numbers stabilize. They will be seeking to recoup $ anywhere and everywhere at the moment. They'll turn around at the end and ask themselves, "What is our business model? How do we differentiate from the competition?" It will be very interesting to see where it ends.

That's the funny part. People aren't going to pay this type of fee. They will do it themselves, exactly as expected. This leads only to further layoffs and not revenue increases. If I was a CSR, every time I explained this and other new fees and encouraged customers to use the self-serve option, I would be thinking to myself "am I going to have to fill out my own pink slip too?"

These types of moves will help Rogers bottom line, I have no doubt. But not through growing revenue, as it is not intended to grow revenue. It only allows cost reductions. There is only one cost this allows them to reduce. They've laid off more than 2% (maybe closer to 3 or 4% with the retail stores included) of their staff over the last 6-9 months before these moves. I wonder how many more before Christmas, as these initiatives have their desired effect.

[WorldIRC]

They're charging for this for either 1 of 2 reasons:

1. With the reduction in staff, too many "not-needed" calls are entering the call centre. Retail reps / activation centres are asked to educate all clients on self-serve options. Rogers ran the reports, and saw that an overwhelming number of calls coming in are My5 / My10 related. Easy fix...pay the $5 or reduce the calls, both are a win for Rogers.

2. Rogers is hurting for revenue and they simply want to nickel and dime.

My bets are on #1 though. During a call, the rep has to pick a reason for the call. When a client calls in for "self-serve" doable tasks, this gets recorded.

[ceredon]

They're charging for this for either 1 of 2 reasons:

1. With the reduction in staff, too many "not-needed" calls are entering the call centre. Retail reps / activation centres are asked to educate all clients on self-serve options. Rogers ran the reports, and saw that an overwhelming number of calls coming in are My5 / My10 related. Easy fix...pay the $5 or reduce the calls, both are a win for Rogers.

2. Rogers is hurting for revenue and they simply want to nickel and dime.

My bets are on #1 though. During a call, the rep has to pick a reason for the call. When a client calls in for "self-serve" doable tasks, this gets recorded.

I would think it is #1 as well, with a difference in opinion on whether it is reactionary or preemptive in nature. (I think #2 is a given and a part of Rogers DNA but I don't think they really believe these fees will be revenue generators. If they do, then I expect staff tasked with pan-handling outside HQ next. That would be a greater revenue generator and allow staff to get some time outside, win-win)

Rogers likely ran those same reports prior to the announced layoffs. They would have known the call volume would overwhelm the remaining staff and piss off customers with even longer wait times. I think they made those layoffs with the knowledge the call volume would be manageable for the short term. Therefore, I think these fees are phase 2. It would make sense to migrate customers towards self-service prior to making new layoffs so as to better assess the impact. If enough customers go self-serve, then more layoffs. Butthis is admittedly just speculation, in terms of chicken or the egg coming first.

Fees are going up and more reductions are coming. These seem to be certainties.

[ceredon]

Why not, money is money and both providers want it and have an obligation to share holders to make money whenever possible.

Absolutely true. But there is a fine line in business between maximizing revenue from a customer and pushing a customer away due to excessive costs. Looking at the trends in Rogers' reports, I would advance that they have crossed that line. Driving customers away is never a good thing. Doing so with the belief you will be able to squeeze more from those that stay in order to compensate for the ones that left means losing even more customers, necessitating squeezing remaining customers more, leading to fewer customers....see where that is going? Flush a toilet and you will get a better picture.

Once a company gets into that spiral of losing customers due to high rates, forcing ever higher rates, cost cutting inevitably becomes the primary method of improving margins. Sounds familiar. This becomes another spiral.

[jcalder]

Changing my10 numbers once a month is part of the plan you are paying for.

And they provide you with the tools to do it yourself for free so that they don't have to pay someone to do it for you. If you can't utilize these tools, you have to pay.

I bet you wouldn't be paying yourself if your truck's transmission broke 6 months after you got it if it has a 3 year warranty. You would be kicking and screaming at them if they tried to charge you.... why? Cause it's part of the deal that you paid for.

Key words are bolded. Didn't know my phone plan had warranty on it. I must say I never really considered warranty because any vehicle I can afford is long past any warranty expiration date...

Wasting a customer service agent's time to do trivial things that you can do yourself should cost you money. That's how I see it and I really don't expect many people around here to agree with me.

To be fair, I think Rogers should be provide you with printed instructions on how to change your my5 or my10 numbers on your own when you get your phone though. Then you don't really have an excuse to say "I didn't know how".

[WorldIRC]

^Rogers retail reps are supposed to physically show and assist someone on how to log in online and manage self-serve tools.

[ceredon]

And they provide you with the tools to do it yourself for free so that they don't have to pay someone to do it for you. If you can't utilize these tools, you have to pay.



Key words are bolded. Didn't know my phone plan had warranty on it. I must say I never really considered warranty because any vehicle I can afford is long past any warranty expiration date...

Wasting a customer service agent's time to do trivial things that you can do yourself should cost you money. That's how I see it and I really don't expect many people around here to agree with me.

To be fair, I think Rogers should be provide you with printed instructions on how to change your my5 or my10 numbers on your own when you get your phone though. Then you don't really have an excuse to say "I didn't know how".

Not one person here seems to disagree with that point, regardless of you thinking they do. They disagree on where that money should be coming from. Should it be a part of the fee you are paying for the product/service to begin with or should it be yet another add-on fee? That is the disagreement. No one is expecting anything for free.

I don't pay an extra fee for the clerk at Tim Horton's to pour my coffee, when it would be trivial for me to do it instead. I don't pay extra to the clerk at McDonalds to put the pickles on my quarter pounder even though they could provide a bucket of pickles for me to top it myself. I don't pay an extra fee at the gas station when I go inside to pay the clerk instead of using the pay at the pump. I don't pay an extra fee at the supermarket for using a checkout clerk instead of a self-checkout. All of those places could charge extra for those trivial, menial services, but they don't. Do you understand why they don't? If you understand why they don't then you might understand the situation here. Otherwise you probably won't.

Some people see customer service as wasting their time. Others don't.

[jcalder]

^Rogers retail reps are supposed to physically show and assist someone on how to log in online and manage self-serve tools.

Exactly. So if this was done then changing your my5 or my10 shouldn't require a call-in.

[DataDude]

1) My Rogers is down half the time and doesn't work very well to begin with. You are all forgetting this important point.

2) How hard would it be to create a simple automated system to let you do the switch over the phone?

3) Rogers is exploiting their most vulnerable customer base who do not have access to computers and who use their phones exclusively to make calls. It's easy for us gurus to log onto the WAP site and make changes, but not everyone has even been to their web browser or even has one on their phone or knows where to access it. Besides, as I said, it's often down.

[Mr Mystery]

1) My Rogers is down half the time and doesn't work very well to begin with. You are all forgetting this important point.

There is no fee to have an agent change the numbers for you when MyRogers is down.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using HowardForums

[Eluder]

I haven't seen MyRogers down in a very long time to be honest.
Never had a time where I couldn't change My10, but I don't change it that often, maybe every other month I drop a number and replace it.