jeh@decwrl.dec.com (05/15/91)
I saw an ad on TV last night which should raise the hackles of any
slamming victim.
They were looking for subscribers to one of AT&T's special
long-distance plans.
Quasi-quoted, because I can't remember it exactly:
"Give us the numbers of the friends you call on AT&T's plan. We'll
give you at least 10% savings [not so bad so far] and we'll offer to
switch them to MCI."
I'll just bet they will.
Jamie Hanrahan, Kernel Mode Consulting, San Diego CA
Chair, VMS Internals Working Group, U.S. DECUS VAX Systems SIG
Internet: jeh@dcs.simpact.com, hanrahan@eisner.decus.org, or jeh@crash.cts.com
Uucp: ...{crash,scubed,decwrl}!simpact!cmkrnl!jehJohn Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com> (05/19/91)
cmkrnl!jeh@decwrl.dec.com writes: > "Give us the numbers of the friends you call on AT&T's plan. We'll > give you at least 10% savings [not so bad so far] and we'll offer to > switch them to MCI." Did you get that number right? Does MCI honestly believe that any person in his right mind would, for the measley chump change amount of 10%, take on all of the problems of MCI? From my many experiences with MCI, that company would have to offer calls at "90% off" before I would even entertain ANY thoughts of signing up. John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
seanwilliams@attmail.com (05/19/91)
cmkrnl!jeh@decwrl.dec.com writes: > ...I saw an ad on TV last night which should raise the hackles of any > slamming victim. They were looking for subscribers to one of AT&T's > special long-distance plans ... We'll give you at least 10% savings, > and we'll offer to switch them to MCI."... The service MCI is describing is called Friends and Family. Here's how it all works: First of all, you must be an MCI customer yourself. Look at your phone bill. Write down the twelve numbers you call most often. If these numbers are either friends or family, call MCI and tell them. MCI will check to see if they are also MCI customers. If they are, they will become part of your "Circle of Callers". What does this mean? It means that if you call them, you will get a 20% discount on the call, on top of any other discounts you are entitled to (a PrimeTime plan, for example.) Of course, if they are not MCI customers, MCI will tell them that YOU requested them to join MCI. If they eventually do join, they will then become part of your circle of callers. Their benefit? They get to call YOU for 20% off. You are automatically part of your own circle, so when you call home with your MCI Card you get a 20% discount also. MCI compares this plan to AT&T's SuperSaver, which gives discountes to specific area codes. I would assume that SuperSaver gives a 10% discount, and this is why MCI says "save an additional 10%" in the ad you mentioned. (Hence a 20% discount, total). I would assume the Friends and Family plan is catching on fairly quickly in the realm of BBS callers. Sean E. Williams | seanwilliams@attmail.com Spectrum Telecommunications | "I own Spectrum, so our 333 Prospect Avenue / PO Box 227 | opinions are very similar" Duncannon, PA 17020-0227 USA | voicemail: +1 717 957 8127
Scott Hinckley <scott@hsvaic.boeing.com> (05/23/91)
In <telecom11.377.3@eecs.nwu.edu> john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon) writes: > cmkrnl!jeh@decwrl.dec.com writes: >> "Give us the numbers of the friends you call on AT&T's plan. We'll >> give you at least 10% savings [not so bad so far] and we'll offer to >> switch them to MCI." > Did you get that number right? Does MCI honestly believe that any > person in his right mind would, for the measley chump change amount of > 10%, take on all of the problems of MCI? From my many experiences with > MCI, that company would have to offer calls at "90% off" before I > would even entertain ANY thoughts of signing up. Please folks, when you flame a company at least give some background on why you are doing it! I have been using MCI for four years now, after trying both AT&T and SPRINT. I switched from AT&T to save me money (~$15/month with my calling patterns), and I switched from SPRINT due to noisy lines (which I hear is no longer a problem). I have always recieved excellent and prompt service from MCI. Also line noise is almost non-existant (maybe one modem call per two months experiences it). The only complaint I have with MCI is that they removed the around-town feature from their card, but nobody else has it either. Scott Hinckley Internet:scott@hsvaic.boeing.com|UUCP:...!uunet!uw-beaver!bcsaic!hsvaic!scott DISCLAIMER: All contained herein are my opinions, they do not|+1 205 461 2073 represent the opinions or feelings of Boeing or its management| BTN:461-2073
John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com> (05/23/91)
Scott Hinckley <scott@hsvaic.boeing.com> writes: > Please folks, when you flame a company at least give some background > on why you are doing it! It has all been rehashed before; I thought it was not necessary to spell it out again: 1. Slow throughput on PEP calls to many locations; 2. Constant billing problems between my many residence lines; 3. Bogus calls that would appear month after month; 4. A "customer service" department that was impossible to deal with; 5. A "calling card" that worked in some places and not others; 6. A distinct attitude that since I was not personally a "Fortune 500" company, my complaints and concerns were trivial. Also mentioned quite clearly before was the fact that if one's usage and requirements are simple, then many problems will not surface. Complex service requirements tend to bring out the real trouble. This is similar to the times when GTE has been on the grill and the invariable messages show up -- "What are you talking about? I have had perfectly good service with my single GTE residence line for years!" John Higdon | P. O. Box 7648 | +1 408 723 1395 john@zygot.ati.com | San Jose, CA 95150 | M o o !
KATH MULLHOLAND <K_MULLHOLAND@unhh.unh.edu> (05/23/91)
I also found MCI's service and pricing to be excellent, and was an MCI customer since divestiture. THeir sales techniques could use some work. I switched when MCI called one night and got permission from my fifteen-year old son to add some seven-dollar monthly charge to my bill. I don't know what the charge was for, and I don't care. My kid doesn't pay the bills, and I was furious that they pressured him ito okaying whatever new program they were selling. Kath Mullholand UNH Durham, NH