Verizon wireless - What if your cell carrier were like this?

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What if your cell carrier were like this?

Larry

2007-08-22, 10:33 pm

I got this apologetic email from Skype in Luxembourgh, today. Next time
you're trying to get your cellular carrier to even admit there is a
problem, not to mention getting them to fix it, think about this letter
Skype sent all its hundred or so thousand customers....

Larry
--
"Hello

You may or may not know but last week Skype wasn't available for a
couple of days. There were a number of reasons for this and I am
delighted to say that the problem is now well and truly sorted and
everything is back to normal. For those of you who tried to use Skype
during that time but couldn't, we're very sorry. For those of you who
didn't try to use Skype - well thankfully you were not affected but we
want to reassure everyone that Skype is now working happily and the
problem is fixed.

We know we have many faithful users out there who give us feedback
(good and bad) on what we're doing as a company. The Skype community
makes us what we are. Without you, our users, we simply wouldn't
exist. We've helped people stay in touch with their friends and
family over the past four years without any massive hitch and we want
it to stay that way.

When the unexpected happens, it's important to remember the people who
stuck behind us and whose loyalty humbled us. I want to thank
everyone for their support, patience and being part of the Skype
community. And for those of you who missed out on using Skype last
week - I want to especially thank you as well.

As a goodwill gesture to all you faithful Skype Pro, Skype Unlimited,
SkypeIn or Skype Voicemail customers, we're adding an additional seven
days to your current subscription, free of charge. And even if you
didn't miss out on using Skype last week - you can still have a week
free on Skype, on the house!

So please enjoy it, call your loved ones, friends, family and
colleagues and thanks again.

Talk soon,
The people at Skype"

----------end of message

Even without the free week, just sending out a letter like this is a very
good business decision. When is the last time your cellular or landline
carrier sent you an apology?

Todd Allcock

2007-08-23, 4:33 am

At 23 Aug 2007 02:33:53 +0000 Larry wrote:
> I got this apologetic email from Skype in Luxembourgh, today. Next
time
> you're trying to get your cellular carrier to even admit there is a
> problem, not to mention getting them to fix it, think about this
letter
> Skype sent all its hundred or so thousand customers....

The free week was a nice touch. It doesn't make up for the cock and
bull "Windows Update" story they came up with first, however, or the
silence after.

They had a problem, and fixed it, which is good, but I think they owe
the "community" whose loyalty "humbled them" a full explanation of
what went wrong and why it won't happen again.

For me it was no big deal- if I use Skype once a month that's heavy
usage for me! But they owe a full explanation to people like YOU-
guys that use it as a landline, and to companies that write software
or build hardware that uses Skype. Otherwise they are just a
toyphone service no better than the SunRockets of the world crashing
and burning around them.

--

"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003

danny burstein

2007-08-23, 4:33 am

In < Xns9994E68788267noon
ehomecom@208.49.80.253> Larry <noone@home.com> writes:

>I got this apologetic email from Skype in Luxembourgh, today. Next time
>you're trying to get your cellular carrier to even admit there is a
>problem, not to mention getting them to fix it, think about this letter
>Skype sent all its hundred or so thousand customers....

You're off by a factor of a thousand, plus, plus.

They've got fifty or so million subscribers. Probably
more by now...

--
____________________
____________________
_____________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

Todd Allcock

2007-08-23, 4:33 am

At 23 Aug 2007 04:34:22 +0000 danny burstein wrote:
>
> You're off by a factor of a thousand, plus, plus.
>
> They've got fifty or so million subscribers. Probably
> more by now...

They might have 50 million USERS, but I suspect the vast majority of
those millions do not have actual recurring subscriptions (Skype Pro,
Skype-In/Out or VM.)

The free Skype-to-Skypers and pay-per-callers don't get a free week.

I'd wager the actual monetary subscribers number in the hundred
thousands, if that.

--

"I don't need my cell phone to play video games or take pictures
or double as a Walkie-Talkie; I just need it to work. Thanks for
all the bells and whistles, but I could communicate better with
ACTUAL bells and whistles." -Bill Maher 9/25/2003

George

2007-08-23, 7:33 am

Larry wrote:
> I got this apologetic email from Skype in Luxembourgh, today. Next time
> you're trying to get your cellular carrier to even admit there is a
> problem, not to mention getting them to fix it, think about this letter
> Skype sent all its hundred or so thousand customers....
>
> Larry

I guess the "it was broke for two days because people rebooted their PCs
story didn't work?

The Ghost of General Lee

2007-08-23, 10:33 am

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:33:53 +0000, Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>When is the last time your cellular or landline
>carrier sent you an apology?

I think the real question is when is the last time a cellular or
landline company had reason to send me a letter like this?

Answer: never.

Teddeli

2007-08-23, 10:33 pm

On Thu, 23 Aug 2007 02:33:53 +0000, Larry <noone@home.com> wrote:

>I got this apologetic email from Skype in Luxembourgh, today. Next time
>you're trying to get your cellular carrier to even admit there is a
>problem, not to mention getting them to fix it, think about this letter
>Skype sent all its hundred or so thousand customers....
>
>Larry
I would have been impressed if they headed the letter " Dear Larry"

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