Real-Life Math
Your job as a CSR with a major cable TV company often has you scrambling
to sort out the many options and packages your customers can subscribe to.
The choices are staggering.
It is not uncommon for customers to subscribe
to channels they don't want by mistake. Then they hit the roof when they
get their bill. Sometimes a compromise is the only solution.
Sean Mahr
is a CSR. He does estimates all the time. He knows the value of compromise.
"I have to often come up with the good, the bad and the ugly! Sometimes I
have to redo the estimate 2 or 3 times to fit the needs of the customer and
what they can afford."
Today, you have had a call from a retired couple.
They are planning on switching to your company. They have much different interests,
but they don't want to pay for channels they won't watch.
They
are on a fixed income, so they expect value for their dollar. The wife likes
movies, cooking shows and crafts. The husband likes sports, news, auto racing
and old TV show reruns. You promise to call them back by the end of the day
with some payment options to look at.
Here are the cable packages and
options you have to work with:
Plan A -- Basic service (everyone
starts with this) 12 channels, including the major networks and 1 news-only
channel.
$9.95 / month
Plan B -- Basic service plus 1 sports
channel, 2 news and 2 movie channels
$15.95 / month
Plan C
-- Basic service plus the movie pack: 5 movie channels and a news-only channel
$15.95
/ month
Plan D -- Basic service plus the sports pack: 5 sports
channels and a news-only channel
$15.95 / month
Plan E
-- Add-on pack to any of the above: 5 more movie channels
$11.95 / month
Plan
F -- Add-on pack to any of the above: 3 nostalgia TV channels and 3 craft
and lifestyle channels
$11.95 / month
Plan G -- Basic service
plus a sampling of all the channels (company's choice) and a news and
weather channel
$29.95 / month
Plan H -- Open plan, each
additional channel (minimum of 3)
$9.95 / month
Don't forget:
there will be 11 percent sales tax on the total.
Discounts are also
available. Here they are:
- Order either package B, C, or D and package E or F and get 15 percent
off
- Order either package B, C, or D and package E and F and get 20 percent
off
- Pay for any service in advance, for a minimum of a year, and get an additional
2.5 percent off
- Seniors discount is 5 percent
What are 3 options you can show them?