Wednesday, September 30. 2009Jet Lag/Disorientation/Clarity Of Mind Brought On By Holidays....John Linton ........or some other effects of travel/diet/alcohol ingestion/different culture exposure is affecting my ability to understand what I used to think I understood very clearly.....which was why Exetel was in business and how we priced and offered services. It's as though you are looking at an image through a muslin cloth that is being affected by a slight breeze - you can pretty much make out all the details but everything is a bit blurred and sometimes the blurring intensifies and you can't quite make out a detail a moment or so ago you saw quite clearly. Alternatively its just boredom with doing the same thing for the 'millionth' time. I continue to 'plough' through the myriad details required of ADSL plan revision and managed to revise/re-instate the ADSL2 PFWYU plans by COB yesterday which I thought were a pretty novel and very good deal but which the early feed back said were nothing special and as 'ho hum' as the changes I made the day before - pretty depressing reception to offering incredibly low priced plans for people who use less than 25 gb per month and easily the lowest cost ADSL plans available from any provider. Maybe Australia generally has lost interest in ADSL via the Labor Party's scam of an 'NBN2'? For whatever reason it appears that neither I nor anyone who has bothered to comment on the new plans so far has any interest in what we have tried to do. I will make an attempt at revising the VA ADSL2 plans and the ADSL1 plans by the end of today but I have to say my enthusiasm for putting in that effort is less than was when I started this process - which wasn't very high in the first place. One other thing I've noticed since I returned to Australia is that ADSL1 sales have 'risen from the dead' and have, at least for the few days since my return been running at 2:1 to ADSL2 sales - a ratio I haven't seen for more than two years. Part of that is caused by the decline in new ADSL2 sign ups to the lowest level per day I have seen for I don't know how long but it is accentuated by a steep rise in new ADSL1 applications. What on Earth is happening to produce that 'skew' out of the blue? I think that all this is telling me is that I have 'lost the plot' either during my 4 week absence or that the four week holiday has restored enough clarity of thought process to allow me to see what I have been to tried to see before I took a break and that someone less 'jaundiced' in outlook should be doing this exercise - almost 8 years of 'constructing' ADSL offerings from limited options is probably long enough to have exhausted any vestiges of 'creativity' that may have once existed. (it probably hasn't helped either tenor or the coherence of this rambling that my note book has crashed twice due to over heating and I've lost most of what I have just written on two occasions). So - what to do - as I can't just hand over this task to someone else and say "here, I'm too bored to finish this work - you do it." I need inspiration and typing similar thoughts three times is not exactly contributing to that process. I'm not sure what the rest of the day will bring in terms of restoring a flicker of creative thinking but I have my doubts that will happen. Perhaps the best thing to do is to leave it to another day/week/month which seems the most sensible option but I really hate giving up on tasks that have deadlines and it would not be good to leave the job only partly completed. A solution would be to simply change one aspect of the current plans radically but in such a way that it is easy to implement and while being attractive in itself to a new type of user who would see it as being just what they wanted without inconveniencing any other type of user including Exetel's current customers. I think I'll do that - pity I can't think of such a thing just at the moment but I'm sure it will come to me. I don't think taking holidays is a good idea.
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Hi John,
I saw yesterday that you changed the ADSL2 plans and added an effective PAYU option - good. It took me a while to find it though - I suggest you separate it from the other plans and re-name it to emphasize its PAYU characteristics. There was some mention that it was the best PAYU plan so far - my assessment is that the "old" PAYU plan was better - cheaper and had the frills as well..... at $40 per month plus usage charges (which were also at lower rates). But life moves on... and so does each person's requirements. In my case, the whole exercise has led me to cancell my ADSL2 plus phone plan in my Brisbane home unit (2nd residence) - and rely upon my Exetel HSPA sim (my needs are less than 2 GB/month and variable). ... but I'll still keep my ADSL1 PAYU plan going at my main residence in Townsville. Now to work out how to get Voip going over the HSPA facility... Harry. Comment (1)
Could the renewed vigor of ADSL1 take up have to do with the Country Broadband promotion?
Even though that promotion is not focused (or even mentions) ADSL1 services, it does expose more country people (where ADSL2 is much less prevalent, or available) to the existence of Exetel. Just a possible explanation. Comment (1)
I didn't think of that - I'll get the post codes checked.
Comments (7)
Simplify your plan schedule and grandfather/abolish the 'Added Value' plans. There are way too many plans to choose from in my opinion. Let the customer choose their 'Added Value' as optional extras in the User Facilities.
The New/Revised No Frills plans have all but rendered the current Added Value obselete. Comments (2)
Please don't listen to Edwin. I love my "Frilly" plan!
Comments (2)
Sorry Edwin, I meant please don't listen to "SH".
Comments (2)
You have great insight.
We have removed all of the "Value Added" plans for new users. However we will leave all of the old plans in place as, like Thomas, a significant number of users find them of great value. Comments (7)
That's a gutsy move. You now only offer ADSL2+ plans with just an 8 hour off-peak period and with varying quotas (no blanket 60GB) which isn't really unique in the market. Especially as there is no included "added value" which was another way Exetel differentiated itself. Exetel's prices shine though.
Are you planning to do something similar to your ADSL plans? Comments (2)
Hi John,
No you haven't lost the plot (yet) Some of the feedback from yesterday was probably based on the wrong information which seemed to show that equivalent Frills plans were $5/month cheaper than the No Frills plans. I know my feedback was based on that. Seeing the corrected pricing the No Frills plans are starting to look more attractive. Not everyone will understand their potential savings though. I believe you and the rest of Exetel are doing a marvelous job, not only in bringing the best value plans in Australia, but also keeping the customers informed. You've got a great team of people. Cheers, Edwin Comments (4)
John,
I think the NF/22IncTel plan was not priced correctly and there is no reason people will choose it. The NF/21IncTel costs $15 less, this price difference equal to 30GB download. Now the total download allowance (peak + offpeak) between these two plans are only 24GB. So why anyone will choose NF/22IncTel? I think you need to reduce the NF/21IncTel price by $5 to make it viable. Comments (2)
Sorry, I meant to reduce the NF/22IncTel price by $5 to make it viable.
Comments (2)
In the same way you have automated many of the administrative tasks, is there some way you can "automate" the deign and tweaking of plans?
If your focus were on ensuring the inputs to the system were correct and the best available, could you delegate the design of plans to the users themselves? Perhaps via a web based modeling system where users can select the variables they like and lodge a "vote" for their self designed plan. Maybe this would remove the ongoing brain strain associated with having to try and guess what the market wants and what will be competitive. Instead your efforts could go into refining the modeling system and its inputs. Comment (1)
Perhaps that would be possible in the future but right now I can't see a way of doing it.
Comments (7)
I suspect a part of the challenge is to not only come up with something innovative and market changing but to also not attract the wrong type of user
Perhaps a totally different approach could work, plans with unlimited downloads but with peak and off peak upload allowances and excess charges instead Don't know if it would work but it does seem that the people that do the heavy downloading are also responsible for a lot of upload Comment (1)
Perhaps you have a point - and uploads could be a way of addressing that.
Comments (7)
I suppose that would compensate for Bit Torrent users but what about those who use alternative download mediums such as Usenet (HTTP/HTTPS downloads, no uploading requirements as such)?
That being said I have no idea on the level of Usenet use on the Exetel network, it may be minimal. Comment (1)
Personally I hope uploads stay unmetered as it encourages sharing in P2P which was the whole point of it originally.
I moved from iiNet because I decided I wanted to dump the landline and go Naked (object to paying Telstra tax) and iiNet include uploads in the quota. Free uploads was my first requirement in searching for a new ISP. Regards, Michael. Comments (2)
I'm very happy with my Exetel Nak2D service it's great (and undeniably good value despite P2P being pretty slow compared to my previous ISP - iiNet, especially to Japan) so I haven't been overly interested in new plans. My Dad and brother have both on Exetel ADSL1 plans in the country for years, as it's much better value than Telstra.
The new NF/23NoTel looks like it will save me some money, I guess I'll have to think about that. In the best value plans stakes (and given your comments in previous blogs on not having noticed a drop in ADSL2 costs across the industry)... Check out this from TPG: Naked ADSL2+ 80GB with VoIP $59.99 80GB (40GB+40GB) inc 500 Mins VOIP per month. http://www.tpg.com.au/products_services/ull_pricing.php It seems to me the best value choice in ISP is determined by who's infrastructure is in the local exchange, and whether or not you're currently connected to a 3rd party DSLAM. Especially given current connection / reconnection costs. Regards, Michael. Comments (2)
The equivalent Exetel plan has 20 gb more off peak for the same price and costs $10.00 less.
If you look at the conditions of the "500 free VoIp minutes" you will understand that a standalone Exetel VoIP service is much better than what you would get for that "offer". Comments (7)
Hi John,
I've been looking at the No Frills / PAYU plans in some more detail and compared the cost for these plans with the older style plans based on real usage of myself and some of my customers. The savings are between 15 and 35% compared to the current ADSL2 plans (even when taking into account that they will be paying $0.50 or $1.00 per GB of excess data). One thing I've been thinking about in relation to your push for more PAYU services is the fact that agents don't receive commission on excess data charges. I wonder if your agents will try to push customers on to plans on which they will receive a higher commission vs a plan which is better for the customer? Cheers, Edwin Comments (4)
With the excess data charge jumping from $0.50/GB to $1.50/GB the plans are not as attractive anymore...
Comments (4)
Hi John. I think it’s time you totally refreshed your plan structure with a view of the following:
1. All customers to move to new plans. 2. Loyalty bonus to remain and extended to compensate customers that might be worse off. This might be time limited except for those original Exetel customers perhaps. 3. Keeping Exetel different than other ISP. You have 5 basic plans (duplicated for ADSL1, ADSL2 and Naked with their own cost as applicable). Included off-peak allowance is same as peak allowance, hence: Peak Off-Peak Plan X 0GB + 1.00$/GB 0GB + $0.50/GB Plan XX 10GB + $1.00/GB excess 10GB + $0.50/GB excess Plan XXX 20GB + $1.00/GB excess 20GB + $0.50/GB excess Plan XXXX 40GB + $1.00/GB excess 40GB + $0.50/GB excess Plan XXXXX 80GB + $1.00/GB excess 80GB + $0.50/GB excess Customers can get first DID for VoIP for $0.00 then $5.00 for each additional. Customers can choose pay-per use for VoIP, SMS or can choose to purchase ‘frills’ credit in advance with manual/auto top-up facility from member’s page. This credit is decremented for VoIP, SMS, fax etc without expiry as it is used. I might be wrong, but I suspect part of your current issue is trying to manage new and grandfathered plans and trying to keep everybody happy. Time for a clean slate. Hopefully the formating copied. Comment (1)
I've had 10 customers rejected for ADSL2 in the past 2 months that are on exchanges listed as still having ports available. Both Optus and AAPT.
2 of these customers signed up with Optus or iiNet the day after their rejection and received ADSL2 ports. I think your drop in ADSL2 applications in because exchanges appear to be capping out at an alarming rate and that Optus and iiNet are keeping the remaining ports for their own customers. Comment (1)
Don't get dissolusioned John, my mate is currently checking out cancelling his current ISP contract to move to Exetel after seeing how fantastic the pricing was on the new plans, even with a $200 cancellation fee he'll still come out in front before too long with Exetel.
Comment (1)
ADSL1 = UNWANTED CUSTOMERS .
we love Exetel --- JL is the guru of the most innovative ISP plans in AU. "Who will save our souls" .. We never asked to be marooned on ADSL1 exchanges. quote , JEWEL - song circa 2000 -- she probably ripped it off from someone else though... John, are you sure the Medowie MDWI exchange is completely unsuitable for Exetels first foray into ADSL2.. cheers bill. Comment (1)
Hi Bill,
We have tried to work on putting our own DSL equipmenat at Medowie, however it's hard to offer services at competitive pricing when we have this obstacle just to get backhaul there! That's without considering any of the other Telstra fees/DSLAM costs. Medowie: approx 800k install and $700/Mbps/month backhaul to Sydney Comment (1)
Bill,
If Telstra, at some future time, has a change of view on wholesale ADSL2 pricing then your/our/many people's problems will be solved. I don't see it happening any other way. Comments (7)
Am I completeley missing the point?
(And don't get me wrong I love my Exetel services and actively sell them to my friends, family and work colleagues) Why would I move off my INC2DSLA plan at $55/month with 8GB peak (which I use up to 5GB) and 100 free VoIP calls (I make about 50calls/month which equates to between $5 & $6), and move to the NF/21IncTel also at $55/month and then have to pay up to an extra $1 for excess data up to 5GB and then pay for the 50 or so phone calls at approx $5 Even ignoring the VoIP costs I am better off staying where I am. Surely .... ???? Comment (1)
You wouldn't - but that plan is no longer available.
Comments (7)
So you have made the plans less appealing (at least in this case), and then wonder why they are treated as "ho hum"... one of us must be missing something.
Comment (1)
I don't believe these new plans are intended to appeal to (all) existing customers, but instead to new customers.
"ADSL1 sales have 'risen from the dead' and have, at least for the few days since my return been running at 2:1 to ADSL2 sales - a ratio I haven't seen for more than two years" Perhaps this is (partially) a by-product of, when moving house/connecting a new line, the Telstra three month lock-in for phone line rental? Customers may opt to use ADSL1 for 3-6 months instead of paying Telstra's $100 "break fee" to immediately go to ADSL2 (with Optus). Comment (1)
Maybe I missed something but I think you may have made a miscalculation in some of the plans.
For example, NF/21IncTel has 3GB peak and is $10 cheaper then the next plan with 18GB peak. Yet $10 extra in excess payments on the cheaper plan buys you 20GB. Total 23GB Why would anyone buy the second plan? or indeed the third? Comment (1)
Your pricing is all out of whack now that you have given all the plans (except the 0GB plans) a 60GB off-peak quota.
Noone is going to pick any of the 15GB, 18GB or 40GB peak quota plans because the 3GB plans plus excess usage to however high you want to go is the cheaper option. Comments (2)
Clearly the larger plans will need peak downloads increased to have the correct download increments above what is offered with NF/2 plans.
Maybe the current structure is intended??? Comments (2)
As one of your regional agents, I would love to sell adsl2 in my region, but there isn't any. When this problem is overcome adsl1 will no longer be a problem to you. The only way to overcome it right now is to ditch your adsl 1 customers, but I don't think that this would do much for brand loyalty!
Comment (1)
I am an I.T. consultant currently with another business ISP and I look after a number of clients who are with the same ISP.
We are almost all on ADSL1 1500 Kbps plans, and I constantly watch for deals on faster services. I have tried an 8 Mbps service, and I have tried other residential ADSL2+ services. I find it hard to get excited about any plan faster than the 1500 Kbps plan, or find justification for paying for it, for me or my customers. Almost everyone is accessing sites outside Australia, and I have found that the download speed on these sites is no faster at, say, 8 Mbps than at 1500 Kbps. Download an e-mail attachment in Gmail, for example, and it's not faster on the faster services. Traffic to/from overseas seems to be heavily throttled, so why would be get excited about it. I wonder if Exetel has some magic formula for making this problem go away ? I had an 8 Mbps service and downgraded to 1,500 Kbps, and am no worse off. This may explain some apparent marketplace apathy towards your ADSL2+. With respect to Exetel's services, I am a longtime I.T. practitioner and I have a devil of a time understanding exactly what services Exetel provides and under what conditions, based on the language on your web site. I really think you need to improve the clarity, accuracy, and explicitness of language throughout your web site. I have just spent a couple of weeks trying to get your staff to make consistent and accurate the Exetel web pages describing your "X" calling card services, and it has been a devil of a job. I think that some of your people are linguistically challenged or just don't see the need to communicate effectively. Your support fora are full of postings by people asking for clarification of what you mena. Your staff tend to answer in the fora, but then don;t go and fix the clearly-ambiguous web page. Maybe I'm stupid, but here's an example I'm struggling with on page http://exetel.com.au/business_plan_pricing_new.php ... "Any business user can sign up for any residential ADSL plan if those plans meet their specific needs and those plan prices can be found here:" Does that statement mean "Any business user can sign up for any residential ADSL plan IF those plans meet their specific needs and ONLY IF those plan prices can be found here:" or does it mean "Any business user can sign up for ANY residential ADSL plan if those plans meet their specific needs. Those plan prices can be found here:" I service mainly SOHO-type businesses who tend to find adequate residential-grade plans, but they sign up for them in a business name. This has implications for the associated PSTN service line rental, directly listings, etc. My head hurts when I try to see which of your plans, ADSL or ADSL2+ might be applicable to my business & my clients' businesses. I do enjoy your blog, but you might consider that perhaps we readers of the Exetel web site do not see the information being presented there as clearly and unambiguously as you do through your eyes and with your knowledge. Thanks Comment (1)
Not fair to the old customers, who were forced to the 2AM -12PM Off Peak Slot, that the new customers would have their Offpeak start at 12AM (only 8 hrs though).
While in the first instance, you stated that the move to 2AM was inevitable ? Is there any plan to let customers choose their Off Peak time again ? Comment (1)
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