5 ms·

> therefore phone support exists and therefore I ,also apparently, pay for phone support. My misunderstanding. So, in that case, you got what you think you are

> therefore phone support exists and therefore I ,also apparently, pay for phone support. My misunderstanding. So, in that case, you got what you think you are paying for and are clearly happy with what you got in return for your money as you continue to pay for it going forward. What's your concern again? > I am fairly certain if more options were available, this run towards the bottom would not be so awful from customer experience perspective Perhaps there aren't more options because you're too price sensitive? I'll give you all the top quality telephone support you could ever want for $10,000,000 per year, but I strongly suspect already that your answer is "no thanks". If I had to offer you phone support at the same price as T-Mobile it would be unquestionably worse, not having the economies of scale they have. Since you are clearly happy with the product they offer, at least given the price they offer it at, how could any other options rise up? Anyone smaller trying to offer an alternative would have to charge more just to provide the same level of support, and a lot more to provide better support. Are you getting out your wallet to see that happen or is this one of those fake rants that "actions speak louder than words" was coined for?

A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
<< you got what you think you are paying for and are clearly happy with what you got in return for your money as you continue to pay for it going forward I will admit I am mildly concerned I am being willfully misunderstood, which goes against the spirit of HN conversations. I would not characterize me as happy. My issue was resolved, but that issue explicitly could and should have been resolved earlier ( as it clearly could have been ) without the need to of intermediaries in the form of Twitter. And what happens to all those poor folks, who were banned from Twitter? They can't get 'good' support now, because T-Mobile is saving a few bucks? How is that even in the realm of being acceptable business practice? << Since you are clearly happy with the product they offer, It is a stretch and it goes back to my lack of options "rant" above that include oligopoly position in nearly every industry in US. If I had 20 providers to choose from, somehow I do not think we would have this conversation. Instead, I get to choose, who will piss me off the least. That is not happy. That is merely not sufficiently angry yet. << "no thanks" You are right. The price is ridiculous for an individual and most businesses. << If I had to offer you phone support at the same price as T-Mobile it would be unquestionably worse, not having the economies of scale they have. Not necessarily. Virtual providers do exist ( and they don't seem to be doing badly ), but they happen to be running on the same network as the existing oligopolies giving the illusion of choice, which only hides the real issue here. << Anyone smaller trying to offer an alternative would have to charge more just to provide the same level of support, and a lot more to provide better support. Maybe? I certainly had no way to test that proposition. Ever since I was a little boy, there were only a handful of telecoms for some unfathomable reason. << Perhaps there aren't more options because you're too price sensitive? Maybe? What price range are you talking about specifically though? $100 for two lines with some silly 2gb cap? I frankly pay too much as it is compared to similar services in EU ( I can't readily compare to India or China, but I suspect those prices are even lower there ). If I am sensitive to price, it is because I like to get value for the money spent.
- randomdata 4y ago
  > I would not characterize me as happy. It would be irrational to pay for a service you are unhappy with. Perhaps you mean you are are "unhappy" in the same way that one is "unhappy" to have a $5 BigMac over a $50 steak? Which is to say that the BigMac is good for the price, even if not the best food imaginable. > If I had 20 providers to choose from, somehow I do not think we would have this conversation. Just about anyone (with reasonable knowhow) can provide you phone support. If there are fewer than 20 people out there willing to do that for you, I'd be flabbergasted. But they won't work for free, and probably not even for cheap. You've no doubt chosen the bargain basement option provided by T-Mobile because you find it balances the best value for the money. It's not great service, but it is cheap service. It's the $5 BigMac, even if you are really craving $50 steak, but don't want to spend $50 on a meal. > Ever since I was a little boy, there were only a handful of telecoms for some unfathomable reason. We seem to be flailing around here a lot, but it was made clear to me in the last comment that we're talking about the phone support being paid for. Phone support does not have to work directly for the telecom to interface with the telecom. They can talk to you to find out the problem and then do whatever it takes to get the job done with the carrier afterwards. How much are you actually willing to pay for that, though? It seems the answer is not much. So why would competition rise up to make no money? Let's take that further: Why aren't you offering this service to others? Because you realize you won't make any money?
  - A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
    << It would be irrational to pay for a service you are unhappy with. Perhaps you mean you are are "unhappy" in the same way that one is "unhappy" to have a $5 BigMac over a $50 steak? Which is to say that the BigMac is good for the price, even if not the best food imaginable. Hmm. No, but at least now I can understand the perspective you seem to be speaking from, which partially explains the disconnect between how we perceive the world. You seem to think I talk about 'hardware support', whereas I am talking something T-Mobile is taking money for ( and that includes.. you know, connecting my call to people I call, routing text messages and data where they belong and respond to appropriate customer queries ). I would like to point out that 'moving number from one provider to the other' shouldn't even need to qualify as customer service, but onboarding, which the company should be doing everything to make sure is as seamless as possible. I am "unhappy" because my "choice" in the matter of choosing a provider is limited to 3 major competitors in US. I provide myself with the 'support' you seem to suggest. This is explicitly not what we talked about or even a reasonable interpretation of my original complaint. I am 'unhappy', because I buy Big Mac at McDonalds, but upon purchase I am told to go that other store across the street to complete the purchase. How is that reasonable? << it was made clear to me in the last comment that we're talking about the phone support being paid for. Are we? I am not even being difficult here. How is transferring number from one provider to another count as somehow separate 'phone support' and not just some basic initial setup? << Why aren't you offering this service to others? Because when I sell Big Macs, I do not dare to tell people that pay me to go to the store across the street for self-assembly or help with Big Mac assembly. Like fuck man. I sincerely hope you are trolling me now and I am falling for it, because the alternative is that people have been actually convinced that this is an acceptable state of affairs. edit: << How much are you actually willing to pay for that, though? I already am. That is the point. I purchased a Big Mac and not separate bun combo with an asterisk stating some assembly required. I do not understand how this is somehow not a clear concept. edit2: In fact, I got a Big Mac with a contract that includes a phone number to call when I need McDonald's help dealing with that Big Mac. edit3: << even if you are really craving $50 steak, but don't want to spend $50 on a meal. I feel obligated to ask now. What, exactly, is steak in this analogy? edit4: You actually got me riled up. Impressive. From your perspective, should all customer inquiries be outsourced to social media to save businesses some dough?

A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago

<< you got what you think you are paying for and are clearly happy with what you got in return for your money as you continue to pay for it going forward I will admit I am mildly concerned I am being willfully misunderstood, which goes against the spirit of HN conversations. I would not characterize me as happy. My issue was resolved, but that issue explicitly could and should have been resolved earlier ( as it clearly could have been ) without the need to of intermediaries in the form of Twitter. And what happens to all those poor folks, who were banned from Twitter? They can't get 'good' support now, because T-Mobile is saving a few bucks? How is that even in the realm of being acceptable business practice? << Since you are clearly happy with the product they offer, It is a stretch and it goes back to my lack of options "rant" above that include oligopoly position in nearly every industry in US. If I had 20 providers to choose from, somehow I do not think we would have this conversation. Instead, I get to choose, who will piss me off the least. That is not happy. That is merely not sufficiently angry yet. << "no thanks" You are right. The price is ridiculous for an individual and most businesses. << If I had to offer you phone support at the same price as T-Mobile it would be unquestionably worse, not having the economies of scale they have. Not necessarily. Virtual providers do exist ( and they don't seem to be doing badly ), but they happen to be running on the same network as the existing oligopolies giving the illusion of choice, which only hides the real issue here. << Anyone smaller trying to offer an alternative would have to charge more just to provide the same level of support, and a lot more to provide better support. Maybe? I certainly had no way to test that proposition. Ever since I was a little boy, there were only a handful of telecoms for some unfathomable reason. << Perhaps there aren't more options because you're too price sensitive? Maybe? What price range are you talking about specifically though? $100 for two lines with some silly 2gb cap? I frankly pay too much as it is compared to similar services in EU ( I can't readily compare to India or China, but I suspect those prices are even lower there ). If I am sensitive to price, it is because I like to get value for the money spent.

randomdata 4y ago
> I would not characterize me as happy. It would be irrational to pay for a service you are unhappy with. Perhaps you mean you are are "unhappy" in the same way that one is "unhappy" to have a $5 BigMac over a $50 steak? Which is to say that the BigMac is good for the price, even if not the best food imaginable. > If I had 20 providers to choose from, somehow I do not think we would have this conversation. Just about anyone (with reasonable knowhow) can provide you phone support. If there are fewer than 20 people out there willing to do that for you, I'd be flabbergasted. But they won't work for free, and probably not even for cheap. You've no doubt chosen the bargain basement option provided by T-Mobile because you find it balances the best value for the money. It's not great service, but it is cheap service. It's the $5 BigMac, even if you are really craving $50 steak, but don't want to spend $50 on a meal. > Ever since I was a little boy, there were only a handful of telecoms for some unfathomable reason. We seem to be flailing around here a lot, but it was made clear to me in the last comment that we're talking about the phone support being paid for. Phone support does not have to work directly for the telecom to interface with the telecom. They can talk to you to find out the problem and then do whatever it takes to get the job done with the carrier afterwards. How much are you actually willing to pay for that, though? It seems the answer is not much. So why would competition rise up to make no money? Let's take that further: Why aren't you offering this service to others? Because you realize you won't make any money?
- A4ET8a8uTh0 4y ago
  << It would be irrational to pay for a service you are unhappy with. Perhaps you mean you are are "unhappy" in the same way that one is "unhappy" to have a $5 BigMac over a $50 steak? Which is to say that the BigMac is good for the price, even if not the best food imaginable. Hmm. No, but at least now I can understand the perspective you seem to be speaking from, which partially explains the disconnect between how we perceive the world. You seem to think I talk about 'hardware support', whereas I am talking something T-Mobile is taking money for ( and that includes.. you know, connecting my call to people I call, routing text messages and data where they belong and respond to appropriate customer queries ). I would like to point out that 'moving number from one provider to the other' shouldn't even need to qualify as customer service, but onboarding, which the company should be doing everything to make sure is as seamless as possible. I am "unhappy" because my "choice" in the matter of choosing a provider is limited to 3 major competitors in US. I provide myself with the 'support' you seem to suggest. This is explicitly not what we talked about or even a reasonable interpretation of my original complaint. I am 'unhappy', because I buy Big Mac at McDonalds, but upon purchase I am told to go that other store across the street to complete the purchase. How is that reasonable? << it was made clear to me in the last comment that we're talking about the phone support being paid for. Are we? I am not even being difficult here. How is transferring number from one provider to another count as somehow separate 'phone support' and not just some basic initial setup? << Why aren't you offering this service to others? Because when I sell Big Macs, I do not dare to tell people that pay me to go to the store across the street for self-assembly or help with Big Mac assembly. Like fuck man. I sincerely hope you are trolling me now and I am falling for it, because the alternative is that people have been actually convinced that this is an acceptable state of affairs. edit: << How much are you actually willing to pay for that, though? I already am. That is the point. I purchased a Big Mac and not separate bun combo with an asterisk stating some assembly required. I do not understand how this is somehow not a clear concept. edit2: In fact, I got a Big Mac with a contract that includes a phone number to call when I need McDonald's help dealing with that Big Mac. edit3: << even if you are really craving $50 steak, but don't want to spend $50 on a meal. I feel obligated to ask now. What, exactly, is steak in this analogy? edit4: You actually got me riled up. Impressive. From your perspective, should all customer inquiries be outsourced to social media to save businesses some dough?