Hands0n
4th May 2010, 04:54 PM
But is it enough?
I have, from soon after my first initial dalliance with 3 (as was and who is now Three), had a complete love/hate affair with the company. Anyone who has read any of my previous diatribes in reference to 3/Three will know that all of my discrete experiences of the organisation have ended up in disaster. Leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth that is strangely insufficient to keep me away forever. I keep coming back, with the predicatable results when things go sour - they fall at their usual Customer Services hurdle, cursed by their seemingly inextricable tie to the off-shore operation in Mumbai. A dreadfully dire lot they are, and continue to be a millstone around 3/Three's neck.
Really, 3/Three should by now have been a major UK player. They had the network [mostly] in the right places, and it wasn't too long before they abandoned their disastrous use of NEC handsets (anyone recall the e606 - I still have my two) as other manufacturers came along. By the time 3/Three had got to the Nokia 6800 the state of the art of 3G handsets was well and truly established. People were flocking to buy them, then the N80 and after that the N95 - all reasonably well received 3G capable handsets.
And so why are 3/Three not the leading light in 3G networking that they should be? Why has Vodafone and others overtaken them, or maintained their market share? Why does 3/Three continue to churn customers away to the so called big four? The answer, in two words, is Customer Service.
When things go wrong, as they inevitably do, 3/Three - as any other company - are measured on their capability and ability to resolve the problem. And it is in this area the 3/Three's Customer Services tend to fail so miserably. Not only do their fail, but their attitude is often surly and unhelpful, giving off the feeling that they believe you to be blessed to be on their network. Then their aggressiveness when trying to leave puts the cherry on the "I'm going" cake, ruining any prospect at retention.
You'd have to think that 3/Three don't sample their own Customer Service, and rely instead on a bank of yes-men who give off the impression that all is right with that world. But their churn and retention rates, plus the feedback on the forums tells another story that 3/Three have ignored so far. Although there was a glimmer of light that was changing until the Volcano incident (another story).
So, what do we do? Do we wish 3/Three well with their new branding (see it here http://three.co.uk/Home )? It does look rather bland, but a damn sight better than those monkeys they flirted with a while back, and since returned to the Mumbai CS centre from where they got them from :D
I wish 3/Three well in this new venture. Perhaps they can pull it off, make their network bigger and more reliable, negate the need to call their CS ever again. Or, looking at it from a 'glass half empty' position, perhaps the Mumbai CS are waiting in the wings to ruin this attempt also.
If anyone at 3/Three is reading this, get the hint that has been going round since 2003. Jettison Mumbai, bring it all back to the UK and you will be unstoppable. In fact, I would forecast 3/Three as being the premier 3G network operator within three years (allowing for other contracts to mature and word to get around) if you did this. It only take the corporate will to make such a fundamental change - the rest will happen automagically.
3 has today refreshed its brand in a bid to attract new customers on the strength of its data network
3 has today announced it will refresh its brand in a bid to become the premier network for data services.
The operator has switched its strategy from being price-led to focus on the quality and service of its data propositions.
3 said it will re-educate the public by removing any previous "stigma" that existed in previous years.
It will also be updating its tariffs to include free data as part of the package for the first time, instead of as an add-on.
3 has also simplified its brand logo in to a single monochrome design and will be displayed as 'Three' instead of the numeric form.
The new look, which includes a complete point of sale refresh in all its channels including retail and online will be unveiled today (May 4).
A 3 spokesperson said: "We think the refresh, which includes changing the way we write our name from '3' to 'Three', results in a simpler, warmer and clearly internet-focused brand.
"It's designed to be a more approachable look and the incorporation of Three.co.uk into the logo reflects our drive to be the home of the mobile internet.
"We will continue to challenge the market to give customers great value, but in store you'll see an increased emphasis on the benefits of our services rather than simply shouting about price."
3 also said it will be launching a new above the line national advertising campaign to get its new message across to potential new customers.
It is to promote the strategy through a cinema theme later this month and arrange to show its plans through 35 cinemas across the UK to its staff. It will include the tag line "They're going even further to make it even better."
The campaign will also discuss its network expansion which has doubled in the past 18 months.
3 claims to have the biggest 3G network in the UK bringing "more capacity" and "greater coverage" to greater parts of the country than any other, spending "billions" of pounds.
"We hope that the brand's new look will prompt people to take a new look at Three," said the spokesperson.
"Moving from a 6,000 site network to one of over 10,675 today and nearly 13,000 by the end of the year means this is a great time to refresh the look and feel.
"The network is the core of everything we do. The confidence we have in the network now has a brand identity to match."
The national campaign will begin on May 8 and will appear across all forms of media including substantial coverage in newspapers, TV and in cinema.
Source: http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/News/477471/3_refreshes_brand_to_three.html
I have, from soon after my first initial dalliance with 3 (as was and who is now Three), had a complete love/hate affair with the company. Anyone who has read any of my previous diatribes in reference to 3/Three will know that all of my discrete experiences of the organisation have ended up in disaster. Leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth that is strangely insufficient to keep me away forever. I keep coming back, with the predicatable results when things go sour - they fall at their usual Customer Services hurdle, cursed by their seemingly inextricable tie to the off-shore operation in Mumbai. A dreadfully dire lot they are, and continue to be a millstone around 3/Three's neck.
Really, 3/Three should by now have been a major UK player. They had the network [mostly] in the right places, and it wasn't too long before they abandoned their disastrous use of NEC handsets (anyone recall the e606 - I still have my two) as other manufacturers came along. By the time 3/Three had got to the Nokia 6800 the state of the art of 3G handsets was well and truly established. People were flocking to buy them, then the N80 and after that the N95 - all reasonably well received 3G capable handsets.
And so why are 3/Three not the leading light in 3G networking that they should be? Why has Vodafone and others overtaken them, or maintained their market share? Why does 3/Three continue to churn customers away to the so called big four? The answer, in two words, is Customer Service.
When things go wrong, as they inevitably do, 3/Three - as any other company - are measured on their capability and ability to resolve the problem. And it is in this area the 3/Three's Customer Services tend to fail so miserably. Not only do their fail, but their attitude is often surly and unhelpful, giving off the feeling that they believe you to be blessed to be on their network. Then their aggressiveness when trying to leave puts the cherry on the "I'm going" cake, ruining any prospect at retention.
You'd have to think that 3/Three don't sample their own Customer Service, and rely instead on a bank of yes-men who give off the impression that all is right with that world. But their churn and retention rates, plus the feedback on the forums tells another story that 3/Three have ignored so far. Although there was a glimmer of light that was changing until the Volcano incident (another story).
So, what do we do? Do we wish 3/Three well with their new branding (see it here http://three.co.uk/Home )? It does look rather bland, but a damn sight better than those monkeys they flirted with a while back, and since returned to the Mumbai CS centre from where they got them from :D
I wish 3/Three well in this new venture. Perhaps they can pull it off, make their network bigger and more reliable, negate the need to call their CS ever again. Or, looking at it from a 'glass half empty' position, perhaps the Mumbai CS are waiting in the wings to ruin this attempt also.
If anyone at 3/Three is reading this, get the hint that has been going round since 2003. Jettison Mumbai, bring it all back to the UK and you will be unstoppable. In fact, I would forecast 3/Three as being the premier 3G network operator within three years (allowing for other contracts to mature and word to get around) if you did this. It only take the corporate will to make such a fundamental change - the rest will happen automagically.
3 has today refreshed its brand in a bid to attract new customers on the strength of its data network
3 has today announced it will refresh its brand in a bid to become the premier network for data services.
The operator has switched its strategy from being price-led to focus on the quality and service of its data propositions.
3 said it will re-educate the public by removing any previous "stigma" that existed in previous years.
It will also be updating its tariffs to include free data as part of the package for the first time, instead of as an add-on.
3 has also simplified its brand logo in to a single monochrome design and will be displayed as 'Three' instead of the numeric form.
The new look, which includes a complete point of sale refresh in all its channels including retail and online will be unveiled today (May 4).
A 3 spokesperson said: "We think the refresh, which includes changing the way we write our name from '3' to 'Three', results in a simpler, warmer and clearly internet-focused brand.
"It's designed to be a more approachable look and the incorporation of Three.co.uk into the logo reflects our drive to be the home of the mobile internet.
"We will continue to challenge the market to give customers great value, but in store you'll see an increased emphasis on the benefits of our services rather than simply shouting about price."
3 also said it will be launching a new above the line national advertising campaign to get its new message across to potential new customers.
It is to promote the strategy through a cinema theme later this month and arrange to show its plans through 35 cinemas across the UK to its staff. It will include the tag line "They're going even further to make it even better."
The campaign will also discuss its network expansion which has doubled in the past 18 months.
3 claims to have the biggest 3G network in the UK bringing "more capacity" and "greater coverage" to greater parts of the country than any other, spending "billions" of pounds.
"We hope that the brand's new look will prompt people to take a new look at Three," said the spokesperson.
"Moving from a 6,000 site network to one of over 10,675 today and nearly 13,000 by the end of the year means this is a great time to refresh the look and feel.
"The network is the core of everything we do. The confidence we have in the network now has a brand identity to match."
The national campaign will begin on May 8 and will appear across all forms of media including substantial coverage in newspapers, TV and in cinema.
Source: http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/News/477471/3_refreshes_brand_to_three.html