[Asterisk-biz] Re: Truly Unlimited DID's

[smbPBX]

Matt:
I agree with Lee's last comment. It is the choice of the word "screwed" It 
is a business model decision and you may decide not to offer that model.

One more point: I find most "unlimited" offerrings to be deceptive even if 
they disclose it in fine print in their TOS. I must say that I have found 
some that explain "unlimited" very clearly on the same page.
Kanti

On 6/3/05, Lee Barken <barken at rohan.sdsu.edu> wrote:
> 
> hi Matt,
> I simply object to the term "screwed". I don't object at all if I pay
> for an "unlimited" soup and salad bar and I only eat one plate.
> Restaurants that use the "all you can eat" model have some profitable
> customers and some unprofitable customers. That's how their business
> model operates. I understand your point and I appreciate your ethical
> approach that you don't want to take advantage of customers. I simply
> questioned the use of the term "screwed".
> 
> Best,
> -Lee
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, 3 Jun 2005, Matthew Simpson wrote:
> 
> > > From: Lee Barken <barken at rohan.sdsu.edu>
> > >
> > > hi Matt,
> > > I understand your concern and subsequent logic regarding unlimited
> > > services. My only comment is that business people take *risks*.
> > > Hopefully, the are calculated risks. When a provider sells an 
> unlimited
> > > service, they are assuming the risk that the transaction may be
> > > unprofitable. I don't think anybody is getting "screwed" in this
> > > situation.
> >
> > You're not getting the point. Sure you can say that it is the provider
> > taking the risk that they can screw their customer by selling them an
> > unlimited service that costs more than if they bought it metered. But
> > somebody is STILL GETTING SCREWED [the customer]. Personally I don't 
> like
> > doing business in which I am screwing a customer, even if my "risk" pays 
> off
> > and I end up better off for it.
> >
> > > Either the venture is profitable or unprofitable. It reminds
> > > me of companies like AOL or Netzero who offer "unlimited" Internet 
> access.
> > > Over time, these companies become very good at estimating the 
> aggregate
> > > usage patterns of many thousands of users.
> >
> > No, they don't offer "unlimited". They ADVERTISE unlimited but you'll 
> find
> > that if you leave your connection up 24/7 you'll get bumped off after a 
> 4
> > hour period, and after a while you'll either hit a hard limit, or you'll 
> be
> > forced to upgrade to a higher class of service. We sell dialup wholesale 
> at
> > TxLink, and everyone last one of our clients that offers "unlimited" to
> > their end-users has a hard-limit set in their backoffice, and most of 
> them
> > have 4 hour session timers [some are generous and give 8].
> >
> > > Sure, some customers will use
> > > more services and some customers will use less services, but the idea 
> is
> > > to price your offer accordly, such that the net result is a profitable
> > > enterprise. If a company does a poor job of estimating and projecting
> > > usage patterns, my hope is that they will not feel "screwed", but 
> instead
> > > just take some time to review their planning policies and procedures 
> and
> > > take appropriate and reasonable corrective actions.
> >
> > So it's okay as long as the company makes out okay, you don't care that 
> the
> > consumer is getting screwed in that case?
> >
> > >
> > > Best,
> > > -Lee
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > Asterisk-Biz at lists.digium.com
> > http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-biz
> >
> 
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-- 
Regards,

smbPBX
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