Corporate Babble & Jargon

[Perry]

Regarding your experiences if you want to judge Spark (or anyone else really) judge them on what they do now - not what they did 30+ years ago.

Reputations are always built on past experiences, not promises of the future and the corporate speak babble that started this thread. .

So my assessment is based on what happened from yesterday, and backwards from there.

As future 'tomorrows' become 'yesterdays,' the aggregate of those experiences may change, one way or another.

You are obviously happy with what you have or you would have changed.

I would not say that I'm happy. That's a step too far.

I'd say that what I get is acceptable when measured against the hassle factor of changing. It's not number portability that makes or breaks that idea.

It'll be interesting to see if Sportsvee's comment on the move from 12 charging cycles per year to 13 is confirmed.

If so . . .

[Sportsvee]

I don't think that is true.
Do you have a link for that?

https://www.spark.co.nz/shop/mobile-plans/prepaid.html

I hate contract plans so do the pre-paid ones. When looking to changed, these were all 4 weeks now, not monthly like my current one.

4 weeks = 28 days = 13 payments a year.
Came in about the same time as the rollover did.

[Wayne]

Interesting.
I searched Voda and they do 28days prepay (though had to dig in the terms and conditions to find it).
Sort of makes sense but could be annoying as the date would keep changing.
Post-pay plans are for a calendar month.

[Davo36]

I'm with 2Degrees and it's monthly. I just do a monthly prepay thing. Cheap as chips nowadays.

[Perry]

I thought pre-pay was done on a top-up-when-needed basis, rather than monthly?

I'm obviously ignorant of such hi-tech stuff.

[Wayne]

I thought pre-pay was done on a top-up-when-needed basis, rather than monthly?

I'm obviously ignorant of such hi-tech stuff.

Used to be in the old days when you got charged for everything you used - ie x for a call and y for a text.
Now with packages you get unlimited texts and xx minutes for the month (or 28 days).
They then have plans with 'carry-over' minutes and data so if you have 200min talk and only use 50 then the next month you have 350mins avaliable.
Many have limits in how much (or how long) the carry-over bits last.

[Wayne]

I'm with 2Degrees and it's monthly. I just do a monthly prepay thing. Cheap as chips nowadays.

Interesting - a subtle differentiator.
Spark and Voda = 28days
2Degrees = month

[Davo36]

Yes. 2Degrees not quite as greedy yet I guess.

[Perry]

Oh, Dear

They were "genuine mistakes."

I wonder how they were found out? The article is silent on that.

No indication if it was a result of a customer complaint.

But likewise, it doesn't appear to be a result of an internal audit.

Either way, no excuse, really.

It was David Lange (wasn't it?) who described Telecon as "a licence to print money."

[Wayne]

They were "genuine mistakes."

I wonder how they were found out? The article is silent on that.

No indication if it was a result of a customer complaint.

But likewise, it doesn't appear to be a result of an internal audit.

Either way, no excuse, really.

It was David Lange (wasn't it?) who described Telecon as "a licence to print money."

Yet you are still with them?
The best way to make a point to a business is with your feet.
No fool like an old fool.

[Perry]

Yes, this old fool has given his reasons, before.

Generally, the telecomms industry is akin to Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves.

Good with crocodile tears, like Simon M.

Do you know if Spark was reported / 'found out?'

Or if they discovered the problem themselves and reported the company to the Comical Commission?

Would you say that that Spark had a significant burden of responsibility to ensure that its billing systems were accurate?

Or that a near enough is good enough philosophy is acceptable? (Until / unless found out, of course)

[Wayne]

Yes, this old fool has given his reasons, before.

Generally, the telecomms industry is akin to Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves.

Good with crocodile tears, like Simon M.

Do you know if Spark was reported / 'found out?'

Or if they discovered the problem themselves and reported the company to the Comical Commission?

Would you say that that Spark had a significant burden of responsibility to ensure that its billing systems were accurate?

Or that a near enough is good enough philosophy is acceptable? (Until / unless found out, of course)

I think they worked it out and dobbed themselves in.
Billing systems have to be 100% - near enough is never good enough.
Having said that nothing is perfect and sometimes the technology lets you down.

[Perry]

I missed this one, earlier:

Both praise and scorn is being heaped on a way of working called Agile, in the wake of a decision by Spark to require 1900 staff to sign up to the work practice or consider themselves redundant.

Real chummy outfit to work for, it seems.

Being threatened like that must do wonders for morale.

Standover tactics reign supreme.

My, how some things never change.

[Wayne]

I missed this one, earlier:


Real chummy outfit to work for, it seems.

Being threatened like that must do wonders for morale.

Standover tactics reign supreme.

My, how some things never change.

Why is it that people will believe reporting on something they no nothing about but not accept reporting on say property stuff.

The reporting showed it as very black and white but, of course, there are many shades of grey.
As a person within Spark I think I am quite aware of what went down and it wasn't really as reported.

The T&C of the contract were basically the same or better (for example - your pay slotted into the next band higher rather than lower if it didn't match the band).

You should know not to believe all you read.

[Perry]

Are you saying categorically that this statement is false?

. . . a decision by Spark to require 1900 staff to sign up to the work practice or consider themselves redundant.