W Christian Consulting

What could you be doing better?

Why not offer customers what they actually need?

I recently switched mobile phone plans and it got me wondering if it isn’t time for providers to change plan features. My new provider was touting a plan with a few hundred minutes of calling, a few hundred texts, and 1GB of data and they were so proud of it. I wasn’t impressed; all the providers in this market have a similar plan and mobile phone service has become a commodity item. Sorry, I have an iPhone. 1GB of data is nothing for smartphone users.

The conversation with the sales rep went something like this. Him: “So, how many minutes would you say you use in a month?” Me: “Umm, maybe about 10.” Him: “10. OK. Well, we have this great plan with 250 minutes.” Me: “Wow! How does that help me?”

Then, we got into my texting needs. Him: “How much do you text in a month?” Me: “About 4 messages or so.” Him: “Oh. That plan also includes unlimited texts.” Me: “Gee, thanks. That’s totally…irrelevant.”

I miss my unlimited Internet plan but I’m trying to cut costs.  I might have to find another penny to pinch.

The problem is that mobile phone carriers are still thinking that they provide phone service with internet access tacked on. They haven’t noticed that their customers are changing. Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, iMessage, Skype. Who needs talk and text? Add to that all the data intensive applications and what I really need is a data-only phone plan with per minute and per text charges. Who doesn’t stream audio from the time they leave the house until they get wherever they’re going? Forget cell phone companies. Someone should start a mobile broadband company that also offers phone and text services.

If you’re in business, how has your market changed? What add-on are you offering that could be the major draw that sparks your growth?

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