SKY treating loyal customers with disdain

bobbo23

My mother and father have been continuous customers of SKY for over 15 years, 25 if including time spent in England. Having two boxes to allow them to watch separate programs they pay a monthly subscription of €100. Their original SKY+ box has just gone on the blink, after contacting Sky and going through the usual rigmarole of turning off and on the box, resetting the box, fully resetting the box it was determined we would need an engineer. This would cost €100, €60 with a discount offered by the kind support operative. I suggested that they would be better off cancelling their subscription for bit and then rejoining as new customers to avail of all the benefits that this would bring, of course the kindly SKY employee was unable to comment on this.
If anybody knows the length of time they would need to break their custom for, in order to become new customers it would be appreciated. They live in a part of the country where there are no new fibre optic cables nor competitors to SKY so are unable to switch providers and have no real choice but accept the shoddy and lack-lustre treatment handed out to loyal customers whilst watching adverts promising the sun, moon and stars to new customers.
Any feed back most welcome.

radiowaves

bobbo23 wrote: »

My mother and father have been continuous customers of SKY for over 15 years, 25 if including time spent in England. Having two boxes to allow them to watch separate programs they pay a monthly subscription of €100. Their original SKY+ box has just gone on the blink, after contacting Sky and going through the usual rigmarole of turning off and on the box, resetting the box, fully resetting the box it was determined we would need an engineer. This would cost €100, €60 with a discount offered by the kind support operative. I suggested that they would be better off cancelling their subscription for bit and then rejoining as new customers to avail of all the benefits that this would bring, of course the kindly SKY employee was unable to comment on this.
If anybody knows the length of time they would need to break their custom for, in order to become new customers it would be appreciated. They live in a part of the country where there are no new fibre optic cables nor competitors to SKY so are unable to switch providers and have no real choice but accept the shoddy and lack-lustre treatment handed out to loyal customers whilst watching adverts promising the sun, moon and stars to new customers.
Any feed back most welcome.

Threaten to cancel the subscription. The loss of €100 a month offset against an engineer visit will wake them up.

Been there and have a raggedy t-shirt to prove it!

In relation to new customers, you are being grossly unfair. Every single one of us was a new customer at some point and we all availed of whatever offers were available as new customers. They can't treat their whole customer base as new or they wouldn't have a business to run.

And once you've subscribed at an address that address can never be home to a new subscription again. If you want to go down that route though, I have managed it with the simple addition of an 'a' onto the numeric, so, for example, 4 Wuthering Heights becomes 4a Wuthering Heights. This has worked for me in the past too.

swoofer

i had a friend with same issue, by the way they only had the basic sky box for over 9 years, 75 a month not sky plus or hd, I rang for him and asked to cancel, and they got a brand new HD box, sky plus, a new dish, new quad lnb, and a discount of 15.80 for 12 months. and hd for 7.50 pm instead of 15pm. He would have got more but as he was not the name on account he could not cancel outright so if you ring on their behalf be sure to have the account holder nearby.

sky have so many offerings now even I am confused. look on website and see whats on offer.

the best ploy is to ring and say you want to cancel the lot, ie select cancellations from the menu, dont worry it takes 30 days so you wont loose anything. 100 a month and still been charged means they look on the record and know as you never called they can try it on. say you are getting soarview and fta that will shake them up

dubrov

Don't say you are thinking of cancelling, say that you are cancelling.
Definitely mention Saorview and FTA satellite when you ring as well as the cost being too much.
You'll probably be put through to cancellations who will make you an offer.
I'd expect them to offer a free replacement box straight away and probably a discount as well if you psuh the cost is too high angle.

If you refuse that, they'll probably ring you a week later with a better offer again.
If you refuse that, they'll probably ring a you a week later with a and even better offer.

You have 30 days before you are cut off so can always back out of the cancellation just before the deadline if you need to.

You've got to understand that loyalty doesn't really mean anything. It just means that you are unlikely to leave them so they can charge more. It is harder to entice customers from other providers to switch and that is why there are always introductory offers. Have a look at the UPC thread which is full of angry loyal customers who see new customers getting better deals.

swoofer

NB select cancellations option from the outset, this shows you have made up your mind, bear in mind there will be a note on the file about the charges from first call. The idea is you have thought about paying but on reflection and the bad treatment you are now giving them a dose of their own medicine. €100.00 a month is mega money.

NB The reason you are cancelling is 1 too dear, and 2 cant afford to pay call out.

Your aim is free sky + box, it will be HD but can also be used as a standard SD sky plus. Sky will try and add a charge for HD its usually 15 euro a month and they do offer it at 5, 7, etc. If used to SD its not worth it so say too dear.

AND

a reduction in the monthly outgoings for 12 months.

good luck

ex_infantry

i cancelled mine two months ago due to the fact the landlord has it installed in the house and is part of our contract with her, they rang me last thursday but was too busy to answer, but when i rand to cancel they offered sun moon and stars for me to stay with them

denis1501

If you don't want to go down the cancellation route you could always buy them a second-hand Sky HD box and install it yourself. You should be able to pick one up for 30 or 40 euro, maybe even cheaper. Way less than a Sky call out charge anyway.

swoofer

no they have been customers for 15 plus years, sky owe them big time. and they will get a FREE box and a discount. Its customeers like these that allow sky to offer all those mouth watering packages to new customers.

denis1501

I'm just giving the guy some options, not everybody is up to haggling over the phone.

Zhane

GBCULLEN wrote: »

no they have been customers for 15 plus years, sky owe them big time. and they will get a FREE box and a discount. Its customeers like these that allow sky to offer all those mouth watering packages to new customers.

The sense of entitlement from that post is something else.

Cantona's Collars

Massive thread here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=87342463#post87342463

radiowaves

Zhane wrote: »

The sense of entitlement from that post is something else.

Absolutely agree. Ringing up with such an attitude will get nobody anywhere.

snaps

Threaten to cancel, its the only way to get anything out of them. You always have the option of re subscribing under a different name, but i highly doubt it will get that far.

swoofer

I am waiting with baited breath for an update.

MBSnr

snaps wrote: »

Threaten to cancel, its the only way to get anything out of them.

Yeap - We had a dodgy box, said we were cancelling as what use is it paying for your service if the box doesn't work correctly. Got a replacement box, credit on the account and an ongoing discounted monthly payment. I'd say if we'd brazened it out we'd have got a renewal call a few days before the end of the cancellation and probably would have managed to get an upgraded box out of them. It's just the game you have to play!

The way they figure it is a customer paying 'anything' is better than no customer at all. They'd rather have you as a subscriber who increases the percentage of their stats.

mjhickeyie

I have recently cancelled Sky and they have not contacted me with any good offers that others seem to be getting.

I had been on a 50% reduction for 9 months which was great.
When the 9 months was finished I contacted Sky to cancel as my wife is currently out of work.
They offered a 20% reduction for 6 months. I said i still wanted to cancel. They offered 20% for 12 months and I still said cancel. Then they gave me one month free to "think about it".

I took the free month and contacted them again to cancel and was offered the 20% reduction again but I said i wanted to cancel. They made no further offer.

My sky is gone since the 25/10 and I have not been contacted by them since.

Ronnie Raygun

bobbo23 wrote: »

... They live in a part of the country where there are no new fibre optic cables nor competitors to SKY so are unable to switch providers and have no real choice but accept the shoddy and lack-lustre treatment handed out to loyal customers whilst watching adverts promising the sun, moon and stars to new customers.

There you have it then. Loyalty schemes are operated by businesses that face stiff competition, like supermarkets.

MBSnr

mjhickeyie wrote: »

My sky is gone since the 25/10 and I have not been contacted by them since.

Perhaps since you didn't take any of the preceding offers they haven't bothered. You might still get a call in a month though......

mjhickeyie

MBSnr wrote: »

Perhaps since you didn't take any of the preceding offers they haven't bothered. You might still get a call in a month though......

That's true.

I just wanted to let the op know that Sky may not make a suitable offer.

snaps

mjhickeyie wrote: »

I have recently cancelled Sky and they have not contacted me with any good offers that others seem to be getting.

I had been on a 50% reduction for 9 months which was great.
When the 9 months was finished I contacted Sky to cancel as my wife is currently out of work.
They offered a 20% reduction for 6 months. I said i still wanted to cancel. They offered 20% for 12 months and I still said cancel. Then they gave me one month free to "think about it".

I took the free month and contacted them again to cancel and was offered the 20% reduction again but I said i wanted to cancel. They made no further offer.

My sky is gone since the 25/10 and I have not been contacted by them since.

but you already had offers? 50% off for 9 months?

mjhickeyie

snaps wrote: »

but you already had offers? 50% off for 9 months?

Yes, but that was last year.

From my experience Sky don't seem to be trying as hard to keep customers now.

The op may not be offered the upgraded box that they are hoping for.

winston_1

Nobody has a right to demand a free replacement box or service how ever long they have been a subscriber. The equipment is yours, the subs are for the programmes.

It's a bit like demanding you garage replaces your car because you always buy petrol from them.

dubrov

bobbo23 wrote: »

They live in a part of the country where there are no new fibre optic cables nor competitors to SKY so are unable to switch providers.

Just to add if you can get Sky then you should also look into Freesat/Free-to-air. You just need to buy a new box and can get all the UK channels from the same Sky satellite dish without any subscription. You'd need to stick up an aerial to get all the Irish channels (Saorview).

A combi box would be able to combine the UK and ROI channels into one channel list with no monthly fee

fatherted1969

Had a rant with their customer service last week. Think its incredibly bad form to have to cancel your subscription just to get a discount. I've been a full package customer for the last 18 years €109 a month. I like the package just felt its too expensive and rang to see if i could get a reduction in price. They told me no offers on reduction at all so i got annoyed and told them to pit me through to cancellations, and only then was i offered a reduction in price. I said you're all geared for new customers and not bothered about long term customers at all. Not the Sky reps fault but someone had to hear it

dubrov

Much harder to get a new customer than keep a current one, hence the deals

fatherted1969

Had a rant with their customer service last week. Think its incredibly bad form to have to cancel your subscription just to get a discount. I've been a full package customer for the last 18 years €109 a month. I like the package just felt its too expensive and rang to see if i could get a reduction in price. They told me no offers on reduction at all so i got annoyed and told them to pit me through to cancellations, and only then was i offered a reduction in price. I said you're all geared for new customers and not bothered about long term customers at all. Not the Sky reps fault but someone had to hear it

mikeym

Sky have an advert on the radio about their existing customers only deal on sky broadband.


Sky make billions of euro every year they are not struggling so they should do a deal on HD boxes for existing long term customers.

edgecutter

I cancelled it two months ago and have received numerous letters in the post offering half price for so many months, but honestly I don't miss it. Sky Tv is full of repeats and there are other sources to see tv you want.

snaps

edgecutter wrote: »

Sky Tv is full of repeats and there are other sources to see tv you want.

i moved abroad, so cancelled my sky. I've actually found stuff is on foreign channels long before sky. Take for instance skys own "strike back" I watched the new series already, before its even aired on sky. Also the other sources as you put it, makes it so convenient.

eirman

I made a call on behalf of an elderly friend of mine who was not willing to pay anything for a call out.

I cancelled for him (after the usual verification) on the phone .... the sky operative came back to me after having spoken to a supervisor saying that they could not do a €0 charge call out for technical reasons, and that they would do one for the minimum the system would allow (which I think was €5 (or €10 perhaps))

My friend accepted the offer and the call out which involved changing the LNB, went well.

listermint

Zhane wrote: »

The sense of entitlement from that post is something else.

1200 Euro a year for sub standard SD Sky Sports and Recycled movies. I think they found their cash cows and milked them dry.

You do know they reduced the quality of their SD Sky Sports immensely to force people over the HD Sports.

Treating good customers with care is what good business is all about.

winston_1

eirman wrote: »

I made a call on behalf of an elderly friend of mine who was not willing to pay anything for a call out.

I cancelled for him (after the usual verification) on the phone .... the sky operative came back to me after having spoken to a supervisor saying that they could not do a €0 charge call out for technical reasons, and that they would do one for the minimum the system would allow (which I think was €5 (or €10 perhaps))

My friend accepted the offer and the call out which involved changing the LNB, went well.

I thing Sky are bonkers to allow themselves to be bullied in this way. The free offers are a once only offer for new customers which I presume your elderly friend was once. Parts wear out and €10 for a new LNB is well below cost not to mention the installers time, petrol, insurance etc. Most people once they have Sky can't do without it and only a small minority will carry out their threat to cancel. No other service industry would accept this bullying.

dubrov

I know UPC offer similar deals and I imagine they are all at it.
They are just trying to sell their product at the highest price they can.

Although they would have made a loss on the installer, they are making a killing on the TV subscription cost with the incremental cost almost zero.

I'd say Sky are more afraid that people will switch over to free-to-air, get used to not paying for TV and never switch back.

ardmacha

Some of these long established people do not make much use of Sky facilities, and might well find the FTA savings of interest, even if the setup is less convenient.

bobbo23

They are somewhat on in years and are not really up for battling it out with SKY. As it stands a technician is coming next week and will be fixing whatever for free.

Onthe3rdDay

winston_1 wrote: »

I thing Sky are bonkers to allow themselves to be bullied in this way. The free offers are a once only offer for new customers which I presume your elderly friend was once. Parts wear out and €10 for a new LNB is well below cost not to mention the installers time, petrol, insurance etc. Most people once they have Sky can't do without it and only a small minority will carry out their threat to cancel. No other service industry would accept this bullying.

I'd assume that SKY put aside money from each subscription for this very purpose. There are plenty of other ways to get TV at this stage. It's not bullying if you say you're going to give up a service for another. There seems to be more and more of this around. In the old days you'd do a deal for a horse or a car. This is no different.

It's actually nuts that small service industries have to give discounts all the time (I know from experience!) but if it's a big company we should accept the terms and conditions that they offer.

Plus Sky don't want the big secret to get out, Most of the stations people watch are free. Older people still think they're going to lose BBC, CH4 and UTV (via other stations) if SKY cut them off. If you're not interested in Sports most people in Ireland are happy with what's available Free to Air on Satellite.

ex_infantry

sky rang me yesterday yet again asking why i cancelled my subscription!! i've told them three times since august at this stage!!!!

radiowaves

ex_infantry wrote: »

sky rang me yesterday yet again asking why i cancelled my subscription!! i've told them three times since august at this stage!!!!

Why did you?!

radiowaves

winston_1 wrote: »

I thing Sky are bonkers to allow themselves to be bullied in this way. The free offers are a once only offer for new customers which I presume your elderly friend was once. Parts wear out and €10 for a new LNB is well below cost not to mention the installers time, petrol, insurance etc. Most people once they have Sky can't do without it and only a small minority will carry out their threat to cancel. No other service industry would accept this bullying.

You've a strange definition of the word bullying :rolleyes:

As an aside, I was in a supermarket earlier and was able to head straight to the toy section and purchase a football.
I wasn't pushed (or bullied if you prefer) into buying a whole load of American cereals; British comedy(-shaped biscuits); or one or two perfumed Soaps before doing so. Although there were some movie DVDs on special offer once I bought the football.

I'm sure the announcement from BT today will have Sky feeling quite a bit more bullied than in the4 the circumstances you're suggesting.

If BT's CL offerings are available in Ireland, even a sizeable increase in their subscription price is nothing compared to the cost of Sky Sports.

Anyway, Sky covering a 100 odd euro callout charge against the loss of even a basic package monthly income from the customer, they'd be crazy not to cover the callout charge, especially as they can probably get them tied down to a new contract? bullied? come on!.

ex_infantry

radiowaves wrote: »

Why did you?!

we moved house two years ago and as part of the rental agreement the landlord who had sky installed already pays for it, but i never actually thought of cancelling my account until i copped i was still paying for it in aug and so cancelled it

radiowaves

ex_infantry wrote: »

we moved house two years ago and as part of the rental agreement the landlord who had sky installed already pays for it, but i never actually thought of cancelling my account until i copped i was still paying for it in aug and so cancelled it

And they haven't accepted that?

They're like a spurned lover really...

ex_infantry

exactly!! i've been paying for a subscription i was'nt even using FFS