Why Won’t You Quit?
By: Mr. Wilson on
February 12, 2007
Maybe they don’t want me for a customer. Unfortunately, I want their product.Indeed, Ms. Burkman's sentiment is not unique. I have heard many people -- in my family, on the bus, at work, and elsewhere -- utter a line along the lines of "I hate Time Warner and I want them to change, but I'm not willing to give up their services". Why should Time Warner change if their customers are willing to put up with the existing product? What's their incentive? Happier customers? Happy customers pay the same each month as annoyed customers. More customers? Probably, but that's only an incentive if the money from the new customers is greater than the investment required to earn them. Only Time Warner knows those numbers. In any event, the pace at which Time Warner fixes the problem (or "problem", depending on your perspective) is proportional to the incentive their current and potential customers give them to fix it. Why not increase their incentive? That is: quit. Call up Time Warner and tell them that you are dropping their service until they improve X, Y, and Z. Of course, one person quitting isn't a big deal. So how 'bout a community-wide "Quit Time Warner Day"? Let's make it, say, March 1. Tell your family and friends. Tell Cindy Lange-Kubick. Tell the cities that Time Warner next wants to roll out its Navigator software in. And then when the big day comes, quit. I know some of you are dying to tell me this plan won't work, so please do go right ahead. What's your better idea? And please don't rely too heavily on the "we need another cable company" line. That may be true, but I know some folks in Omaha who would tell you that the presence of competition alone isn't enough to ensure a high-quality product.
Comments
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I totally agree. I realized from reading the article in the paper and the comments online that I simply do not care as much about this issue as a lot of people. If I were to the point of frustration that these people clearly seem to be, I would stop using the product. It is just common sense.
I certainly gripe…95% of the time it stays within the walls my house. I guess I just have other things in life to worry about than how slow my DVRs are functioning, not to demean those that really are irritated by it. I understand the “get what you pay for” theory, but walk away if it is causing you major life stress. I am much more fascinated with TWC’s decision making than anything.
On the competition note, I agree that choice isn’t going to solve the problem. I keep seeing the comment and idea that it is “small town” to only have one cable provider. I have lived in “large towns” and “big cities” and they only have one cable provider. Competition isn’t assumed anywhere. Finding a community with city-wide competition is truly rare and it doesn’t make things cheaper or better. The new cable company has to pay for new infrastructure, which doesn’t guarantee a cheaper rate for the consumer. A second cable company here would not change much, if anything.
I’ve already stopped paying them for cable tv. Unfortunately, I still pay them for cable internet, because I need that for school and work.
You know, after a few weeks you don’t even miss cable. Sign up for a good netflix or blockbuster plan and you’ll have plenty to watch, and everything is released on DVD eventually anyway. You definitely won’t miss the commercials.
Before I moved out of Lincoln, I had Dish Network. I had relatively very few problems and I did get local channels from them (I believe at no extra charge). I heard they had an issue where they may not be able to broadcast locals anymore, but they’re appealing; DirectTV supposedly isn’t affected by this ruling.
The only issue was that I couldn’t get a free HD-DVR, they’ve come down to around $300-400 but that’s still a chunk. When I signed up, I had the option of either a free HD receiver or a free DVR receiver. The DVR receiver fed two different TVs, so I could my shows and watch them on either TV.
We don’t have digital cable (are we the only ones in Lincoln who don’t?), so we don’t have the DVR issue. Maybe it’s time to upgrade.
I’d had digital cable since the day it was available at my college apartment in 1995. I had it all the years since, wherever I’d lived. I assumed it was one of those things I’d always have from then on.
Then I moved to Lincoln, and as a temporary cost saving measure we only got basic cable. No set top box, nothing. We’ve had a TiVo sine 2002, and it works fine (better actually) without digital TV. In fact, it “stretches” the content available to the point that there is more on basic cable than we would ever have time to watch anyway.
For about 2 weeks I missed watching the “obscure channel” and the “here’s how you do it channels”. I quickly realized that I was getting more and more of my entertainment and local/national news through my web connection via RSS. And I went outside more, which was a bonus.
I may never subscribe to anything other than basic cable again. (Though HDTV is tempting…)
Hmmm. Well, I can’t sympathize too much with Kathy’s gripes. I cancelled all cable over a month ago and I haven’t missed it one bit. I haven’t even turned on a television since then. Oh, I still have shows I like to watch but the networks post those shows on the net the day after they air so it’s still just like DVR.
I don’t know, but I guess I just find it sad that people get so bent out of shape for TV. TV! I realize you’re paying for a product, but you’d think Lincoln was hit by a nuclear warhead because hundreds of obese folks’ DVR’s don’t rewind an extra 2 seconds or something. But I guess I’d be the same way if internet wasn’t working good.
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