BT hopes to curtail price hike backlash with DM campaign
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BT is hoping to temper its customers' frustrations at its price increases by focusing its direct mail campaigns around how they can mitigate the rises by purchasing special tariffs and deals.
The September issue of BT's customer magazine Update will feature a full-page letter from managing director of customer service Warren Buckley explaining the price rises and pointing consumers towards other ways to save money on their bills.
BT is raising prices on some of its most popular tariffs by up to 5% in December. Line rental costs will rise by 70p to £14.60 a month.
The company says the latest increase, reportedly the third in the last 14 months, will be the last before 2013, under its "price freeze promise".
The letter in Update magazine reads: "We know no one likes it when prices go up. That's why we've kept these rises as low as we can. You can rest assured that no other prices are increasing by more than 5% and prices of over half of our products and services won't change at all. What's more, the cost of line rental and calls to UK landlines won't rise again until 2013."
The magazine also features a series of deals on tariffs and line rental that it says are cheaper than its rivals Sky, Virgin and TalkTalk.
BT will also communicate the price increases and how to seek out further money-saving deals in customers' bills and other direct mail communications.
Another company that has recently received consumer backlash for bill increases, British Gas, took out full-page press ads across the tabloids and broadsheets to communicate why its bumper profits were "good for Britain".
Readers' comments (2)
David Nute | Wed, 31 Aug 2011 12:19 pm
Has anyone else noticed that the companies that get the biggest backlash to price increases, are the same ones that make massive profits and get slated for lousy service.
I think people don't mind paying more for good service and then maybe they wouldn't spend so much on marketing.
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chris millar | Fri, 2 Sep 2011 7:00 pm
no price rises untill 2013! gosh price freeze heaven!!!! come on, do they think were thick? the line rental has increased by 14% in just over a year and this from the only utility firm that will charge you £120 for moving house! and by the way bt rang me tonight to try and tie me in for twelve months and the guy on the phone said he was unaware of a price rise!
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