BSS: When Billing Transparency is Chucked Overboard
Michael O’Leary doesn’t quibble on his business model. To the Ryanair CEO, air travel is bus service with wings. Customers are packed on board and flown from Point A to Point B — period. Meals and all other “frills” cost extra. They even want to install pay toilets. At least they’re up-front about it.
The same can’t be said for tech and telecom companies and retailers that levy hidden charges on customers.
Several such rip-offs cited in PC World:
- Restocking Fees: Charging between 10 – 25 percent of the listed price for returning hardware.
- Invoice Cramming: Supposedly “free” apps and services that demand a credit card number. Next thing the customer knows, there are suspicious-looking line item charges on their monthly invoice.
- Restricted App Choices: If a customer has to “jailbreak” his smart phone to install an app, it invalidates the phone’s warranty.
- Built-to-Order Upgrades: Sounds great getting a personalized device until the buyer is gouged for upgrades.
- Overly-Complex Mobile Pricing Plans: Thousands of rollover minutes and unlimited usage for nights/weekends appeals at first blush, but too often the customer is shoehorned into a plan that doesn’t really meet his needs.
Such practices are, at best, short-sighted. Misuse customers and they’ll wave you on and hop the next flight.
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