[mythtv-users] FCC releases CableCard changes

[Brian Wood]

On Monday, October 18, 2010 09:12:22 am Simon Hobson wrote:
> Brian Wood wrote:
> >  > I wonder how often company execs see their shrinking subscriber base
> >  > as a
> >>  
> >>  problem cause by these things rather than just a phase in the economy.
> >
> >I doubt that many of those execs are even aware of it.
> 
> What it needs is for people to write to the company execs and tell
> them in no uncertain terms why they've just cancelled their
> subscription. Feedback to the retentions dept is never going to reach
> them.
> 
> >>  That, and a lot of the people I know are just simply oblivious to the
> >>  options other than what the service provider shoves down their throat.
> >
> >These are the same people who think the only alternative to Windows
> >is to buy a Mac. If it's not advertised widely they
> >are not aware of it.
> 
> Not only that, but the CC sales dept will be more than happy to tell
> customers that there is no alternative. That is one of the big things
> about this latest update as I read it - the CCs will have to have the
> CableCard option clearly shown in their price lists etc AND they will
> have to split up the cost of the CableCard and the rest of the box
> for everything but the simplest set top boxes.
> 
> One can only hope that a few of the customers seeing the charges will
> ask why it's two separate prices, and then ask the question "so I can
> put that CableCard in a box from someone else then ?"
> 
> >  > We are the minuscule minority.
> >
> >Yes we are, though if a problem bothers TiVo users as well as us it
> >might be more significant.
> 
> But, if organised, you can sound like more than your are - I say you
> because I'm not in the US. In general, the sheeple never get further
> than the customer facing departments (mostly sales when trying to
> buy, or retentions when trying to leave) when they want to complain.
> Very, very few complaints will ever make it to senior management - so
> if everyone running Myth (or a TiVo, or ...) writes to senior
> managers and complains, then it will sound like a much larger body of
> dissatisfied customers than they really are.


True, since companies usually use a rule-of-thumb like "each letter actually represents 100 (or whatever) people".

The problem is writing a letter (paper or electrons) that actually makes it to the exec's eyes, and not some overworked 
assistant who simply chalks up another tick mark under "unhappy".

It would probably actually help to not mention Linux or MythTV, the few execs who have actually heard of either are likely 
to write them off as pirates or cranks.

Tivo users are probably at least a little more socially acceptable.