Recession and increasing prices

JustAddWater

Is it just me or when others see things like this:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0701/vhi.html

To me, that's just wrong!

All I see here is

1. Increased prices. More customers leave. They'll lose more and more customers and back to square one. Vicious circle

2. If people do decide to stick with them, then in essence you are penalizing your loyal customers (a big no no for me) (you can also say they're applying a stupid tax/charge to those that just pay for things without shopping around)



When will companies learn. Did I once see any mention of the likes of Penneys/Dunnes moaning during the recession. No. Why? Because they are about make less profit margins and having more customers. They're not doing too bad, i'm sure they have felt the pinch but not as bad as others

Lidl/Aldi are booming. Having the time of they're lives cleaning up in the recession! Opening up everywhere these days

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

To be honest it depresses me to see companies raising prices in recessional times to try make more money

Less is more! If companies actually lowered prices they'd get more customers and if they can't lower their prices and/or give better value for money then we're better off if they go bust in some cases

It's just laziness when companies think "Oh profits down, lets increase prices" instead of being inventive and looking at ways to increase sales

Maybe i'm talking crap here but that's just how I feel

</rant>

jor el

The VHI needs to cut it's costs, in a major way, not increase prices further. I'll be looking at changing to Quinn when my renewal comes up in November.

By the way, your link is broken. It links you to composing a reply to this thread, not to the RTE article.

JustAddWater

Exactly

If hibernian/quinn keep prices level then VHI will be un-competitive at a time when they need to be MORE competitive than before

jor el wrote: »

The VHI needs to cut it's costs, in a major way, not increase prices further. I'll be looking at changing to Quinn when my renewal comes up in November.

cson

JustAddWater wrote: »

Exactly

If hibernian/quinn keep prices level then VHI will be un-competitive at a time when they need to be MORE competitive than before

And then we'll have to have risk equalisation again :rolleyes:

goat2

jor el wrote: »

The VHI needs to cut it's costs, in a major way, not increase prices further. I'll be looking at changing to Quinn when my renewal comes up in November.

By the way, your link is broken. It links you to composing a reply to this thread, not to the RTE article.

i will be doing same
they already have a huge chunk of my cash every month, they will get no more

borderlinemeath

goat2 wrote: »

i will be doing same
they already have a huge chunk of my cash every month, they will get no more

VHI were always more expensive, I have all my policies with quinn and get a discount for doing so.
I have never claimed on my car insurance but we did claim on the house insurance.
We were wondering were we even covered as it happened during renovation works- (and this is usually a clause with house insurance) we had a delivery of plumbing and heating equipment stolen. Quinn assessor was out within a couple of days- had the reimbursment cheque within a week.

borderlinemeath

JustAddWater wrote: »

2. If people do decide to stick with them, then in essence you are penalizing your loyal customers (a big no no for me) (you can also say they're applying a stupid tax/charge to those that just pay for things without shopping around)



When will companies learn. Did I once see any mention of the likes of Penneys/Dunnes moaning during the recession. No. Why? Because they are about make less profit margins and having more customers. They're not doing too bad, i'm sure they have felt the pinch but not as bad as others

Lidl/Aldi are booming. Having the time of they're lives cleaning up in the recession! Opening up everywhere these days

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

To be honest it depresses me to see companies raising prices in recessional times to try make more money

Less is more! If companies actually lowered prices they'd get more customers and if they can't lower their prices and/or give better value for money then we're better off if they go bust in some cases

It's just laziness when companies think "Oh profits down, lets increase prices" instead of being inventive and looking at ways to increase sales

Maybe i'm talking crap here but that's just how I feel

</rant>

Maybe you didn't look hard enough but there are threads here week in and week out complaining about Dunnes. The price of their reusable bags, the cost of goods compared to Tesco etc.

And I really can't believe you consider Ryanair treat their customers well?? They're nothing but cattle to them. Ever miss a flight or go 0.01 kilo over your baggage?

They literally grab your hand luggage off you as you try to board the plane and tell you that it's too big or doesn't fit in their perfect rectangular box and that you will have to buy a bag tag for it.


There's a reason they are profitable. They underpay and overwork their staff (I've seen the 20min turnaround where staff barely get to go to the loo nevermind eat lunch)

And they are like vultures feasting on a corpse from the minute you click onto Ryanair.com to the minute they throw you on the runway 50 miles east of where you actually want to go.

cson

There's a Ryanair thread in Consumer Issues stickied up at the top where you'll find more rants like your own.

Otherwise; everyone knows [or should know] the deal with Ryanair at this stage and can have no excuses. I've flown all across Europe with them for the last 3 years for **** all and never had a problem. You know the rules and play by them when you choose them = no problems.

g32

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Maybe you didn't look hard enough but there are threads here week in and week out complaining about Dunnes. The price of their reusable bags, the cost of goods compared to Tesco etc.

All grocery stores up north offer free plastic bags. Maybe we will see your Merc in the Asda Car Park.

ScouseMouse

g32 wrote: »

All grocery stores up north offer free plastic bags. Maybe we will see your Merc in the Asda Car Park.

Not for much longer. I read that there was a 7p charge planned.

And by the way, the shop gets none of the 22c irish bag tax, it goes to the taxman every quarter.

borderlinemeath

g32 wrote: »

All grocery stores up north offer free plastic bags. Maybe we will see your Merc in the Asda Car Park.

What has this got to do with the discussion? Other than to point out the UKs ongoing irresponsibility to the environment?
Grow up G32, nobody's listening anymore.

However I do find it comical (but in keeping with every one of your insane inaccurate posts) that you think I drive a merc.
I'm a retailer. I don't earn a wage that allows for a car that is nothing other than an overpriced status symbol for the overpaid.

borderlinemeath

cson wrote: »

There's a Ryanair thread in Consumer Issues stickied up at the top where you'll find more rants like your own.

Otherwise; everyone knows [or should know] the deal with Ryanair at this stage and can have no excuses. I've flown all across Europe with them for the last 3 years for **** all and never had a problem. You know the rules and play by them when you choose them = no problems.

The OP has suggested that that Ryanair stand for good service.
I think what he meant to imply was that they are the cheapest. Perhaps. But certainly don't equate good customer service with being the cheapest.
I tend to check all options and have often flown with Aer Lingus rather than Ryanair - even if it does cost a few quid more. Why? Because their customer service stinks.

I have reluctantly flown with Ryanair. On occasion with my old job I was flown to their head office in the UK and back and that was fine as it was day trips with no luggage and usually flying alone.
Also 3 times to european destinations but ONLY because there was no direct alternative (and I seriously considered a one stop flight through Luton!)

rubadub

borderlinemeath wrote: »

Ever miss a flight or go 0.01 kilo over your baggage?

No, if I thought I would I would not pick ryanair, just like if I wanted a knife & fork and a jug of water I would not go to mcdonalds. I actually like the way they operate and wish they would strip it down even further to make it even cheaper. I like the way they price everything out, as I do not avail of most services, and now since people do get charged for luggage the checkin queues go quicker since people are less likely to bring stuff they do not need. With other airlines all these extras are included in the price, there is no free lunch, I do not want to subsidise other peoples costs.

People moan about seats on planes, I would gladly stand if I could, I have stood on buses for longer than I have sat on flights, I think some airline was proposing having standing on flights.

In much the same way I do not like subsidising people who benefit more from VHI than myself, I would gladly get health checks if it meant cheaper insurance, just like I would gladly let Ryan air weigh me at check in and charge me by the kilo.

reprazant

jor el wrote: »

The VHI needs to cut it's costs, in a major way, not increase prices further.

Yes and no.

They need to cut costs to stay in business when the state stops being their guarantor but they also need to build up their cash reserves and quickly to reach solvency ratios.

The government has said that it will put money into to do this but I can only imagine that they would really prefer not to have to put too much in.

Also, VHI's policyholders are generally older then Quinn & Aviva. Because of this, the costs it has to endure are higher then theirs. They need to increase to cover this and build up cash reserves.

Trampas

friend of mine had two epidural during child birth because the hospital made a mess of the first one.

They seen the bill and the hospital charged for the 2 of them. They rang the vhi about it and there attitude was they would pay for the 2.

to me it appears they don't try and stop leakages in costs

Terrontress

The reason why Ryanair works is because they are so ruthless.

There is a set of rules to save money using them and if you don't understand them then go to Aer Lingus and pay more for it.

I fly about 20 Ryanair flights a year. I never pay for a bag, never buy a scratchcard, Bullseye Baggie or a panini. I turn off when the fanfare comes on to tell me that we are three minutes ahead of schedule.

I would never fly Aer Lingus as they are not as punctual. Between Dublin and London there are only 2 Irish airlines worth flying with. Ryanair for price and punctuality or Cityjet for service.

Aer Lingus offers none of the above.

ART6

reprazant wrote: »

Yes and no.

They need to cut costs to stay in business when the state stops being their guarantor but they also need to build up their cash reserves and quickly to reach solvency ratios.

The government has said that it will put money into to do this but I can only imagine that they would really prefer not to have to put too much in.

Also, VHI's policyholders are generally older then Quinn & Aviva. Because of this, the costs it has to endure are higher then theirs. They need to increase to cover this and build up cash reserves.

€300 millions I believe. The question is, since VHI is currently losing tens of millions a year and must raise its charges by around 6% to 7% a year for the next ten years (according to the newspapers), it will inevitably lose customers and sustain higher losses. What then? More bailouts as with the banks? I can almost hear the Finance Minister: "We can't allow VHI to fail as it would irreparably damage the health industry".

mr j tayto

And I really can't believe you consider Ryanair treat their customers well?? They're nothing but cattle to them. Ever miss a flight or go 0.01 kilo over your baggage?

They literally grab your hand luggage off you as you try to board the plane and tell you that it's too big or doesn't fit in their perfect rectangular box and that you will have to buy a bag tag for it.


There's a reason they are profitable. They underpay and overwork their staff (I've seen the 20min turnaround where staff barely get to go to the loo nevermind eat lunch)

And they are like vultures feasting on a corpse from the minute you click onto Ryanair.com to the minute they throw you on the runway 50 miles east of where you actually want to go. +++111

Despite all their success,they must be one of the most despised companies on the planet,O'Leary is not a nice human being.

91011

The easiest way to reduce your health insurance bill is to shop around, not just with other provioders, but also within your current provider.

If you're a male, it extremely doubtful that you will need any maternity cover:D, also many males don't give a toss if we're sharing a room.

The indurers themselves have added to various plans and for most people the lower price plans are more than adequit. Also, go onto the hia website www.hia.ie and check to see what plans are available - EVERY plan that the companies sell is available by law to everyone - even the credit union plan, the an post plan etc.

I've switched from essential Plus to Credit Union Starter for herself (good maternity benefits) & Essentail plus to Company Health for myself.

Previous cost = €1708
New cost = €999 combined / year

Very little loss of benefits except the type of room is changed, but most other things are almost identical except maternity benefit on Company Heath is basic (of no concern to me as I'm male), but maternity on credit union starter is same as essential plus.

You can change plans at any time during the year.

borderlinemeath

Terrontress wrote: »

The reason why Ryanair works is because they are so ruthless.

There is a set of rules to save money using them and if you don't understand them then go to Aer Lingus and pay more for it.

I fly about 20 Ryanair flights a year. I never pay for a bag, never buy a scratchcard, Bullseye Baggie or a panini. I turn off when the fanfare comes on to tell me that we are three minutes ahead of schedule.

I would never fly Aer Lingus as they are not as punctual. Between Dublin and London there are only 2 Irish airlines worth flying with. Ryanair for price and punctuality or Cityjet for service.

Aer Lingus offers none of the above.

You have missed my point entirely.
The OP Implied that Ryanair offered good customer service.

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

This I disagree with. I don't care if they are the cheapest. I don't care that you and everybody else take 20 flights a year with them.

But don't try and twist my thread into something it's not.
You even said yourself that Ryanair are "ruthless". That's hardly a word that is used to discribe good customer service.

jock101

Well retailers are only cutting their own throats in the long run, if they refuse to cut prices in a Recession. Simple answer is buy your products outside this State, in other EU states. I have been spending my cash in the UK and Ulster for years. Its your right and duty.

monkeypants

Trampas wrote: »

to me it appears they don't try and stop leakages in costs

Agreed. Paying a consultant €200 for a five minute referral to the hospital across the road should be challenged. They should definitely look into using their bargaining power.

mikemac

Paying 200 euro to a consultant might be the most money you ever spent if it identifies an issue early

On the thread title, despite all the hype about the relaunched Tesco (where a lot if Irish brands were removed ), the prices are definitely going back up, some prices have never been higher

Viper_JB

The only thing that's really dropped over the recession is prices of food and that's been a very small drop. As apposed to that ALL public services have gone up in price, fuel has gone way up - pretty much anything the government has been able to screw us on they have and of course insurance has gone up but lets face it they've been charging what ever the hell they wanted for years now.

monkeypants

feelingstressed wrote: »

Paying 200 euro to a consultant might be the most money you ever spent if it identifies an issue early

Agreed. But that's not what happened. We were just sent straight across the road. It was that quick that we should have been sent there in the first place. VHI covered it without question and my point is that there was no value to the consultation. VHI handed out €200 for nothing.

davo10

I agree €200 is steep but don't forget that being a private patient is supposed to entitle you to fast track treatment, which it sounds like you got. A friend of mine is an orthopaedic surgeon, he is 39 years old and started University in 1990. For 20 years he has been working, studying, doing exams and he and his young famaily moved between hospitals and countries as he moved up in grades. Thats a lot of long hours, hard work and dedication to be at the top of his field, I do not begrudge him his salary, neither public nor private. He once said to me, who would I prefer operating on me or my family, a surgeon who is happy at work or a surgeon who thinks he is under appreciated and under paid?

g32

JustAddWater wrote: »

Is it just me or when others see things like this:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0701/vhi.html

To me, that's just wrong!

All I see here is

1. Increased prices. More customers leave. They'll lose more and more customers and back to square one. Vicious circle

2. If people do decide to stick with them, then in essence you are penalizing your loyal customers (a big no no for me) (you can also say they're applying a stupid tax/charge to those that just pay for things without shopping around)



When will companies learn. Did I once see any mention of the likes of Penneys/Dunnes moaning during the recession. No. Why? Because they are about make less profit margins and having more customers. They're not doing too bad, i'm sure they have felt the pinch but not as bad as others

Lidl/Aldi are booming. Having the time of they're lives cleaning up in the recession! Opening up everywhere these days

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

To be honest it depresses me to see companies raising prices in recessional times to try make more money

Less is more! If companies actually lowered prices they'd get more customers and if they can't lower their prices and/or give better value for money then we're better off if they go bust in some cases

It's just laziness when companies think "Oh profits down, lets increase prices" instead of being inventive and looking at ways to increase sales

Maybe i'm talking crap here but that's just how I feel

</rant>

The stakes are about to get higher against these greedy retailers.

Poundland are opening some new stores in Enniskillen and Newry, closer to us. Their operations director Tim McDonnell: "It is forecast that Northern Ireland will be our most successful region in the UK."

Obviously, this must be due to cross-border shopping.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/140-jobs-in-store-at-poundland-465521.html#ixzz0tmTC5FFU

jock101

JustAddWater wrote: »

Is it just me or when others see things like this:

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0701/vhi.html

To me, that's just wrong!

All I see here is

1. Increased prices. More customers leave. They'll lose more and more customers and back to square one. Vicious circle

2. If people do decide to stick with them, then in essence you are penalizing your loyal customers (a big no no for me) (you can also say they're applying a stupid tax/charge to those that just pay for things without shopping around)



When will companies learn. Did I once see any mention of the likes of Penneys/Dunnes moaning during the recession. No. Why? Because they are about make less profit margins and having more customers. They're not doing too bad, i'm sure they have felt the pinch but not as bad as others

Lidl/Aldi are booming. Having the time of they're lives cleaning up in the recession! Opening up everywhere these days

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

To be honest it depresses me to see companies raising prices in recessional times to try make more money

Less is more! If companies actually lowered prices they'd get more customers and if they can't lower their prices and/or give better value for money then we're better off if they go bust in some cases

It's just laziness when companies think "Oh profits down, lets increase prices" instead of being inventive and looking at ways to increase sales

Maybe i'm talking crap here but that's just how I feel

</rant>

They wonder why people shop in the UK part of Ulster?
Have you tried looking for health insurance with other company's in Europe, As where in an free trade union community!

rubberdiddies

borderlinemeath wrote: »

You have missed my point entirely.
The OP Implied that Ryanair offered good customer service.

Ryanair is one of the few (if no the only) profitable airlines in Europe

I know they're different companies but i'm not talking about the goods they sell, talking about how they treat/view customers/profits

This I disagree with. I don't care if they are the cheapest. I don't care that you and everybody else take 20 flights a year with them.

But don't try and twist my thread into something it's not.
You even said yourself that Ryanair are "ruthless". That's hardly a word that is used to discribe good customer service.

I've flown 10 times with ryanair this year and have had nothing but good customer service and on-time flights.

You can't speak for everyone

91011

g32 wrote: »

The stakes are about to get higher against these greedy retailers.

Poundland are opening some new stores in Enniskillen and Newry, closer to us. Their operations director Tim McDonnell: "It is forecast that Northern Ireland will be our most successful region in the UK."

Obviously, this must be due to cross-border shopping.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/business/140-jobs-in-store-at-poundland-465521.html#ixzz0tmTC5FFU

After watching the programme on how poundland can sell products for such a price (child labour in harsh conditions) I would under no circumstances purchase as much as a piece of wrapping paper from them.

There is an ongoing investigation that Poundland have products that they sell in store that are being made by child workers as young as seven they are also paid a poor wage of just 7p an hour, 100 hours a week!

I for one WILL NOT support slavery conditions as a way of getting a few pence off a product.

Dr. Greenthumb

davo10 wrote: »

I agree €200 is steep but don't forget that being a private patient is supposed to entitle you to fast track treatment, which it sounds like you got. A friend of mine is an orthopaedic surgeon, he is 39 years old and started University in 1990. For 20 years he has been working, studying, doing exams and he and his young famaily moved between hospitals and countries as he moved up in grades. Thats a lot of long hours, hard work and dedication to be at the top of his field, I do not begrudge him his salary, neither public nor private. He once said to me, who would I prefer operating on me or my family, a surgeon who is happy at work or a surgeon who thinks he is under appreciated and under paid?

If he had to pay for that tuition it would of cost him a few hundred grand probably in fees but instead that was footed by the tax payer. Also while he was off working / training in different hospitals he would have been getting paid and getting overtime.

There should be some sort of work scheme where the graduate doctor has to work a certain amount of years in public hospitals at a reasonable wage as compensation for the additional fees paid out over and above the average cost of going to college.

At the moment the working person gets hit with the cost of putting them through all those years of training through paying taxes and then the ridiculously high fees they charge for consultancy.

I don't begruged them a good living but there should be some way of keeping the cost to consumer as resonable as possible.