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Post by timleschild on Nov 6, 2022 18:38:40 GMT
It's pretty goddamned hard to recommend people try out even the best boxsets when the digital-only copy of a 3-episode Dalek Universe set costs more than a blu-ray of David Tennant's entire era. Yuuuup. I appreciate that from a business perspective, these things are apples and oranges. But from a consumer point of view--the point of view that actually matters if you want to keep your business afloat?
$53 for 47 hours of high-def BD TV that engages eyes and ears, has actual VFX, etc + includes extensive bonus features [current price of the Tennant complete set on Amazon Canada] vs $46 for just 3 hours of audio-only stories + 1 hour of (let's be honest) shallow/surface-level chats with 2 or 3 actors and maybe a minute or two with the writer and director [current price of Dalek Universe 3 on the BF website]
From a dollars and cents "what's gonna give me the most bang for my buck" POV, that's no choice at all.
When you see it like that it shows how from an economic point of view there is nothing attractive about BF to new customers. In fact it actually makes the product unappealing. With Disney & RTD now would be the ideal time for BF to take this opportunity. Sadly they are clueless. I have serious concerns for their future once the licence expires in 2030.
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Post by shallacatop on Nov 6, 2022 18:47:15 GMT
I’ve said it so many times before, but they should permanently discount some of their jumping on points / notable releases. Offer the first episode of each for free and then buy the set on download for £4.99 or £9.99 or whatever. BF aren’t losing anything, the quality of the productions should speak for themselves and hopefully gain the buy-in for the potential new fan.
Only the Monstrous, The Diary of River Song 1, 10DA Vol 1, Classic Doctors New Monsters 1 & 2, 8DA Time War 1, etc.
Give them an opportunity to sample all of the Big Finish Doctors whilst offering a clear path of progression if they want to get more.
The stuff they do with DWM always feels half arsed. I’ve never heard of someone getting into Big Finish through them and it’s a hard sell to give a free episode and then expect them to pay 50% off (the post-release increased price) for something they already own 25%/33% of. Give them a full freebie or discount the full set heavier.
It’d cost them absolutely nothing to do.
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Post by Kestrel on Nov 6, 2022 19:37:35 GMT
If I were running things, I'd take their current prices and apply multipliers based on the age of the release. That way they could still sell the new stuff at a premium (which is presumably where they'd get the majority of their sales from the most dedicated fans whales while keeping the older stuff accessible. (I'd also push digital sales a lot more and try to start cutting back on CD releases, but that's a different matter.) So, for example: - After 1 year: x0.75
- After 2 years: x0.5
- After 3 years: x0.4
- After 4 years: x0.2 to 0.25
So if we take a boxset at the starting MSRP of £35 (oof), then over time it would change to:- 1+ years: £26.25
- 2+ years: £17.50
- 3+ years: £14.00
- 4+ years: £7.00 to £8.75
The whole process could be automated.... discounted price for the first month, then 12 months at full price, and then discounts start kicking in.
And an eventual 20% price for old media might seem extreme, but this would result in, for example, all 4+ year-old Monthly Range releases priced at £2.99, which is the current MSRP for MR001-100.
I think this would also benefit Big Finish creatively, as they'd have to do more to get people to buy new releases. EG the current run of XDAs has been pretty disappointing (YMMV, of course) to my mind precisely because it's not very ambitious, and is content to simply offer "more of the same." And... is anyone really in a hurry for more of the same? Especially when there's more ambitious stuff to look forward to like Dalek Universe or Stranded?
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Post by tuigirl on Nov 6, 2022 20:28:56 GMT
I said it before, I will repeat again and again. BF need to offer their products on the big global streaming providers. Exactly like the audio drama producers in Germany are doing. And some of the German producers are much smaller than BF. And they still can produce comparable product with great actors for a lower price. Just because they have a large audience due to being present on iTunes, Amazon.... and all the others. Germany is the no. 1 audio drama nation. Just take a hint or two.
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Post by Digi on Nov 6, 2022 20:50:09 GMT
If I were running things, I'd take their current prices and apply multipliers based on the age of the release. That way they could still sell the new stuff at a premium (which is presumably where they'd get the majority of their sales from the most dedicated fans whales while keeping the older stuff accessible. (I'd also push digital sales a lot more and try to start cutting back on CD releases, but that's a different matter.) So, for example: - After 1 year: x0.75
- After 2 years: x0.5
- After 3 years: x0.4
- After 4 years: x0.2 to 0.25
So if we take a boxset at the starting MSRP of £35 (oof), then over time it would change to:- 1+ years: £26.25
- 2+ years: £17.50
- 3+ years: £14.00
- 4+ years: £7.00 to £8.75
The whole process could be automated.... discounted price for the first month, then 12 months at full price, and then discounts start kicking in.
And an eventual 20% price for old media might seem extreme, but this would result in, for example, all 4+ year-old Monthly Range releases priced at £2.99, which is the current MSRP for MR001-100.
I think this would also benefit Big Finish creatively, as they'd have to do more to get people to buy new releases. EG the current run of XDAs has been pretty disappointing (YMMV, of course) to my mind precisely because it's not very ambitious, and is content to simply offer "more of the same." And... is anyone really in a hurry for more of the same? Especially when there's more ambitious stuff to look forward to like Dalek Universe or Stranded? I think this is a really interesting idea, and I wish anyone at Big Finish had anywhere near this much business acumen.
Yours too, tuigirl , though I'll admit I don't really know anything about the German market beyond what you've just written.
It's kind of astonishing that 'amateurs' on an internet forum can come up with all manner of cost-saving and profit-increasing ideas in less than a week, while a company that's been planning this change for three years--and been around for 25 years--still somehow manages to fumble the ball every single time.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Nov 6, 2022 21:19:16 GMT
If I were running things, I'd take their current prices and apply multipliers based on the age of the release. That way they could still sell the new stuff at a premium (which is presumably where they'd get the majority of their sales from the most dedicated fans whales while keeping the older stuff accessible. (I'd also push digital sales a lot more and try to start cutting back on CD releases, but that's a different matter.) So, for example: - After 1 year: x0.75
- After 2 years: x0.5
- After 3 years: x0.4
- After 4 years: x0.2 to 0.25
So if we take a boxset at the starting MSRP of £35 (oof), then over time it would change to:- 1+ years: £26.25
- 2+ years: £17.50
- 3+ years: £14.00
- 4+ years: £7.00 to £8.75
The whole process could be automated.... discounted price for the first month, then 12 months at full price, and then discounts start kicking in.
And an eventual 20% price for old media might seem extreme, but this would result in, for example, all 4+ year-old Monthly Range releases priced at £2.99, which is the current MSRP for MR001-100.
I think this would also benefit Big Finish creatively, as they'd have to do more to get people to buy new releases. EG the current run of XDAs has been pretty disappointing (YMMV, of course) to my mind precisely because it's not very ambitious, and is content to simply offer "more of the same." And... is anyone really in a hurry for more of the same? Especially when there's more ambitious stuff to look forward to like Dalek Universe or Stranded? I think this is a really interesting idea, and I wish anyone at Big Finish had anywhere near this much business acumen.
Yours too, tuigirl , though I'll admit I don't really know anything about the German market beyond what you've just written.
It's kind of astonishing that 'amateurs' on an internet forum can come up with all manner of cost-saving and profit-increasing ideas in less than a week, while a company that's been planning this change for three years--and been around for 25 years--still somehow manages to fumble the ball every single time.
Oh.. They hold concerts in stadiums in Germany, the voice actors simply reading and acting out the scripts - sold out shows (thanks tuigirl for the vision I love it).. Look to what other companies are doing and if you can see what they are doing is working and you are not doing that- do some serious research..!
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Post by tuigirl on Nov 6, 2022 22:20:12 GMT
I think this is a really interesting idea, and I wish anyone at Big Finish had anywhere near this much business acumen.
Yours too, tuigirl , though I'll admit I don't really know anything about the German market beyond what you've just written.
It's kind of astonishing that 'amateurs' on an internet forum can come up with all manner of cost-saving and profit-increasing ideas in less than a week, while a company that's been planning this change for three years--and been around for 25 years--still somehow manages to fumble the ball every single time.
Oh.. They hold concerts in stadiums in Germany, the voice actors simply reading and acting out the scripts - sold out shows (thanks tuigirl for the vision I love it).. Look to what other companies are doing and if you can see what they are doing is working and you are not doing that- do some serious research..! Amen.
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Post by sidestep on Nov 6, 2022 23:49:01 GMT
Some people even look at me in a weird way because of download only, but to be honest, I have also other interests and hobbies and one also needs to eat, so sorry if I am not a „real“ fan because I am not a CD physical copy snob. But of course this is an entirely different place like the online environment- so I think your observations have merit. I am just not part of many other online communities because of lack of time and zero patience for toxic behavior anymore. So I am missing that part of the picture. Entertainment does not only compete in a narrow corridor with products similar to its own (example, BF and Audible, BBC Audio, audiobooks, etc), it jockeys for a person’s spending share (& time) with everything — streaming services, tv shows & movies Blu-ray/dvds, music, books, comics, electronic & physical games, merchandise, as tuigirl said, “other interests & hobbies”. As well as “real life” expenses (food — especially with holidays coming, gadgets, appliances, housing, travel/commute, education, medical, family, taxes, shipping, clothing, fuel, repairs, utilities, etc). It’s a delicate balancing act to juggle all of these balls. Based on observation & life experiences, I find it’s a common blind spot some people have when doing market study (if any) for a new or existing business. Comic book shops don’t just compete with other comic book shops, pizza parlors don’t just compete with the same type of restaurants. Just because it’s that only type of business out there doesn’t mean it’s a monopoly (it is, by literal definition, but not in terms of economics of spending share, you know what I mean?) Everything fights for a slice of the pie. And it’s always a gamble when one raises prices: does the slice remain the same size, with more profit/sales, or does it shrink or get deferred or altogether disappear because the person decides there are other more urgent wants or needs at that same moment? Its also the question of low volume high profit vs high volume ok profit. Like, if someone buys just one boxset or series & that’s it, or buys the entire Main Range (I started out this way 😁 I was just going to buy the Paternoster Gang releases & that was it. Then decided to try UNIT because of sales, then because of Spotify, got into the Main Range - Evelyn & 6 and got hooked on Classic Who. Point of no return when I got hooked on Gallifrey thanks to recommendations 😊). Its the “door buster” scenario during sales. $100 tv gets customers to visit the store & they end up buying lots of other stuff. Had a lot of thoughts since this international price increase. It was technically “announced “ in 2019, but still… Fans in other online places are also discussing it in more intense economic terms. There are some who say it is needed. Maybe they know something? Oh well.
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Post by timleschild on Nov 7, 2022 0:18:23 GMT
I said it before, I will repeat again and again. BF need to offer their products on the big global streaming providers. Exactly like the audio drama producers in Germany are doing. And some of the German producers are much smaller than BF. And they still can produce comparable product with great actors for a lower price. Just because they have a large audience due to being present on iTunes, Amazon.... and all the others. Germany is the no. 1 audio drama nation. Just take a hint or two. Agree totally. How will BF survive? I sometimes think they believe their exclusivity is a benefit where I think its a hindrance. BF have been around for years but how many people know they exist? & I'm not talking the general public but devotees of the show? Novels & comic books are probably far more well known given their presence in comic book shops like Forbidden Planet, a natural fit for fans of the show due to cross-over appeal with other sci-fi & fantasy pop culture. I have seen BF products on the Forbidden Planet website but don't recall seeing it in store, maybe its there somewhere? Or would they rather have limited edition vinyl only for sale in bloody ASDA? Baffling, truly baffling.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 7, 2022 6:04:49 GMT
If even we die hard fans cannot recommend it to other fans anymore.... then this is a alarm sign. It's pretty goddamned hard to recommend people try out even the best boxsets when the digital-only copy of a 3-episode Dalek Universe set costs more than a blu-ray of David Tennant's entire era.It is, as noted above, apples and oranges but the result to the consumer is the same. My most notorious example was BF asking for £40 for 4 episodes of a reimagined version of The Prisoner when you could, the same week, buy the complete TV show on bluray for less than half that. Oft-called one of the greatest television shows ever made. Now, once more it's not a like for like comparison but if my friend is asking for a recommendation am I gonna say buy the BF version at many times the cost with no history or lineage with Mark Elstob doing, as he says on the extras, an impression of the TV version or will I recommend Network's bluray - a true classic on HD in its entirety starring an icon in Patrick McGoohan? Not even a question in my mind.
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Post by tuigirl on Nov 7, 2022 15:47:27 GMT
I said it before, I will repeat again and again. BF need to offer their products on the big global streaming providers. Exactly like the audio drama producers in Germany are doing. And some of the German producers are much smaller than BF. And they still can produce comparable product with great actors for a lower price. Just because they have a large audience due to being present on iTunes, Amazon.... and all the others. Germany is the no. 1 audio drama nation. Just take a hint or two. Agree totally. How will BF survive? I sometimes think they believe their exclusivity is a benefit where I think its a hindrance. BF have been around for years but how many people know they exist? & I'm not talking the general public but devotees of the show? Novels & comic books are probably far more well known given their presence in comic book shops like Forbidden Planet, a natural fit for fans of the show due to cross-over appeal with other sci-fi & fantasy pop culture. I have seen BF products on the Forbidden Planet website but don't recall seeing it in store, maybe its there somewhere? Or would they rather have limited edition vinyl only for sale in bloody ASDA? Baffling, truly baffling. Totally agree. With the most popular German audio drama series, they even sell the CDs everywhere, even at normal day to day petrol stations. It is present everywhere. How do you want to sell product if you hide away in an exclusive corner and only by jumping though many hoops potential customers will be knighted with the honour to purchase something? How is that a business practice? This is not even some fancy voodoo cult. I can imagine if money is tight, many people will just not bother.
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Post by Digi on Nov 7, 2022 22:18:37 GMT
Complaint filed (ie: emailed Enquiries). I don't expect anything will change, but it never hurts to tell a business that they've done something absurd (so long as you say it nicely) and that their total lack of communication is deeply unprofessional (again, so long as you say it nicely).
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to reply. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interest of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a response:
{Spoiler}{Spoiler} Hello,
I'm writing today to express my dismay at your overseas pricing announcement. While I understand and respect the need for price increases over time to keep your company solvent, direct currency conversion to GBP is a nonsensical, poorly considered decision. For everyday people, your customers, cost of living among peer countries is more or less equal -- a £3 McMuffin is $3 in America, $3 in Canada, $3 in Australia, etc. This reality will be ignored in your new model -- £25 works out to nearly $40 where I live, for instance. If you were a frequent shopper for an item that costs £25, would you continue to buy it if on Monday afternoon the shop announced that starting Tuesday morning, that item will now cost £40?
Multiplying the price point for overseas customers does not level the playing field, nor does it make pricing more 'fair' to UK customers. Your own article indicates an increasing minority of UK residents engaging in price dodging by using false address information. It's hard to see this change in any other way than to punish international customers for the practices of UK domestic customers. A change this dramatic, paired with the ongoing trend toward less content per release (ie 3 disc sets rather than 4) escalates your products from being slightly pricey 'boutique' items (albeit worth every penny!), into simply being wildly overpriced for us non-UK folks.
I'm also very disappointed in Big Finish's continued failure to communicate with its customers. Some time ago, Big Finish announced price increases effective 1 November--and then never took the time to tell anyone what precisely that entailed. Then, just hours before what was widely anticipated to be an across-the-board price increase coming into effect, you've instead chosen to blindside effectively only your international customers. And even then, I only seem to be able to find this announcement via a Tweet. There is not one single mention of this anywhere in the month of October's updates on the Big Finish website, either as a standalone news item (as one would expect for a change of this magnitude), or even within any of the weekly update pages. I am astonished that this could go completely unreported on your own website.
Now, I've had to step back from my Big Finish purchases for some time now due to personal circumstances, so practically speaking this isn't going to have any immediate effect on my buying habits. But this predatory pricing scheme, combined with the lack of consideration shown to your customers, are experiences so overwhelmingly negative that it will influence my purchasing habits going forward. And while I hope that the company remains in good shape, I fear that I won't be the only international customer who feels misled, unfairly targeted, and priced out of the market based on reasoning that does not conform to reality.
Lastly...I wanted to make sure that I say: my one-on-one interactions with Big Finish staff over the years have been universally positive, including when I have emailed Enquiries in the past. I'm certain that you, the person reading this email, is not the person responsible for wider decision-making at the company, so I do apologize for making you be the one who is on the receiving end of this. You folks answering emails at Enquires, Sales, and so forth have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I am grateful to you for the work you do.
Regards, (my name)
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Post by mark687 on Nov 7, 2022 22:47:41 GMT
Complaint filed (ie: emailed Enquiries). I don't expect anything will change, but it never hurts to tell a business that they've done something absurd (so long as you say it nicely) and that their total lack of communication is deeply unprofessional (again, so long as you say it nicely).
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to respond. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interests of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a reply: {Spoiler}{Spoiler} Hello,
I'm writing today to express my dismay at your overseas pricing announcement. While I understand and respect the need for price increases over time to keep your company solvent, direct currency conversion to GBP is a nonsensical, poorly considered decision. For everyday people, your customers, cost of living among peer countries is more or less equal -- a £3 McMuffin is $3 in America, $3 in Canada, $3 in Australia, etc. This reality will be ignored in your new model -- £25 works out to nearly $40 where I live, for instance. If you were a frequent shopper for an item that costs £25, would you continue to buy it if on Monday afternoon the shop announced that starting Tuesday morning, that item will now cost £40?
Multiplying the price point for overseas customers does not level the playing field, nor does it make pricing more 'fair' to UK customers. Your own article indicates an increasing minority of UK residents engaging in price dodging by using false address information. It's hard to see this change in any other way than to punish international customers for the practices of UK domestic customers. A change this dramatic, paired with the ongoing trend toward less content per release (ie 3 disc sets rather than 4) escalates your products from being slightly pricey 'boutique' items (albeit worth every penny!), into simply being wildly overpriced for us non-UK folks.
I'm also very disappointed in Big Finish's continued failure to communicate with its customers. Some time ago, Big Finish announced price increases effective 1 November--and then never took the time to tell anyone what precisely that entailed. Then, just hours before what was widely anticipated to be an across-the-board price increase coming into effect, you've instead chosen to blindside effectively only your international customers. And even then, I only seem to be able to find this announcement via a Tweet. There is not one single mention of this anywhere in the month of October's updates on the Big Finish website, either as a standalone news item (as one would expect for a change of this magnitude), or even within any of the weekly update pages. I am astonished that this could go completely unreported on your own website.
Now, I've had to step back from my Big Finish purchases for some time now due to personal circumstances, so practically speaking this isn't going to have any immediate effect on my buying habits. But this predatory pricing scheme, combined with the lack of consideration shown to your customers, are experiences so overwhelmingly negative that it will influence my purchasing habits going forward. And while I hope that the company remains in good shape, I fear that I won't be the only international customer who feels misled, unfairly targeted, and priced out of the market based on reasoning that does not conform to reality.
Lastly...I wanted to make sure that I say: my one-on-one interactions with Big Finish staff over the years have been universally positive, including when I have emailed Enquiries in the past. I'm certain that you, the person reading this email, is not the person responsible for wider decision-making at the company, so I do apologize for making you be the one who is on the receiving end of this. You folks answering emails at Enquires, Sales, and so forth have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I am grateful to you for the work you do.
Regards, (my name)
Link to International Customers Info page WAS Added to that Weekly News Page (probably as a result of similar E-mails) but I agree as with July's Postage Increase very surprised it hasn't merited its own News Piece especially as it wasn't the resulting situation the June News piece heavily implied would happen. Regards mark687
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Post by Digi on Nov 7, 2022 22:51:15 GMT
Link to International Customers Info page WAS Added to that Weekly News Page (probably as a result of similar E-mails) Yup. Wasn't there when I emailed on the night of Monday the 31st, was retroactively added to the Monday news sometime the next day.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Nov 7, 2022 23:03:32 GMT
Complaint filed (ie: emailed Enquiries). I don't expect anything will change, but it never hurts to tell a business that they've done something absurd (so long as you say it nicely) and that their total lack of communication is deeply unprofessional (again, so long as you say it nicely).
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to reply. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interest of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a response:
{Spoiler}{Spoiler} Hello,
I'm writing today to express my dismay at your overseas pricing announcement. While I understand and respect the need for price increases over time to keep your company solvent, direct currency conversion to GBP is a nonsensical, poorly considered decision. For everyday people, your customers, cost of living among peer countries is more or less equal -- a £3 McMuffin is $3 in America, $3 in Canada, $3 in Australia, etc. This reality will be ignored in your new model -- £25 works out to nearly $40 where I live, for instance. If you were a frequent shopper for an item that costs £25, would you continue to buy it if on Monday afternoon the shop announced that starting Tuesday morning, that item will now cost £40?
Multiplying the price point for overseas customers does not level the playing field, nor does it make pricing more 'fair' to UK customers. Your own article indicates an increasing minority of UK residents engaging in price dodging by using false address information. It's hard to see this change in any other way than to punish international customers for the practices of UK domestic customers. A change this dramatic, paired with the ongoing trend toward less content per release (ie 3 disc sets rather than 4) escalates your products from being slightly pricey 'boutique' items (albeit worth every penny!), into simply being wildly overpriced for us non-UK folks.
I'm also very disappointed in Big Finish's continued failure to communicate with its customers. Some time ago, Big Finish announced price increases effective 1 November--and then never took the time to tell anyone what precisely that entailed. Then, just hours before what was widely anticipated to be an across-the-board price increase coming into effect, you've instead chosen to blindside effectively only your international customers. And even then, I only seem to be able to find this announcement via a Tweet. There is not one single mention of this anywhere in the month of October's updates on the Big Finish website, either as a standalone news item (as one would expect for a change of this magnitude), or even within any of the weekly update pages. I am astonished that this could go completely unreported on your own website.
Now, I've had to step back from my Big Finish purchases for some time now due to personal circumstances, so practically speaking this isn't going to have any immediate effect on my buying habits. But this predatory pricing scheme, combined with the lack of consideration shown to your customers, are experiences so overwhelmingly negative that it will influence my purchasing habits going forward. And while I hope that the company remains in good shape, I fear that I won't be the only international customer who feels misled, unfairly targeted, and priced out of the market based on reasoning that does not conform to reality.
Lastly...I wanted to make sure that I say: my one-on-one interactions with Big Finish staff over the years have been universally positive, including when I have emailed Enquiries in the past. I'm certain that you, the person reading this email, is not the person responsible for wider decision-making at the company, so I do apologize for making you be the one who is on the receiving end of this. You folks answering emails at Enquires, Sales, and so forth have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I am grateful to you for the work you do.
Regards, (my name)
I personally have no issues with this Digi, well constructed and though out, providing examples etc. I would hope they will read this and respond with the respect it deserves. It's not a "sticker blip" "U guyz suck u raised the prices!".. etc.
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Post by sidestep on Nov 8, 2022 3:18:03 GMT
Complaint filed (ie: emailed Enquiries). I don't expect anything will change, but it never hurts to tell a business that they've done something absurd (so long as you say it nicely) and that their total lack of communication is deeply unprofessional (again, so long as you say it nicely).
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to reply. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interest of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a response:
Imho your email was well-written, with many of the pertinent things that needed to be said, & you elucidated your points in a calm, firm & methodical matter. Thank you Digi. I hope they at least pass it on to the higher ups, or even the marketing staff that they paid for the new slogan (if Enquiries don’t have the authority to reply to it themselves. I wonder if they’ll address the issue on the podcast? Surely you weren’t the only one who sent in an email on this topic?
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Nov 8, 2022 3:38:22 GMT
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to reply. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interest of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a response:
Imho your email was well-written, with many of the pertinent things that needed to be said, & you elucidated your points in a calm, firm & methodical matter. Thank you Digi. I hope they at least pass it on to the higher ups, or even the marketing staff that they paid for the new slogan (if Enquiries don’t have the authority to reply to it themselves. I wonder if they’ll address the issue on the podcast? Surely you weren’t the only one who sent in an email on this topic? Unfortunately from what I have been told with regards to the podcast, they only read/discuss full positive appraisal/reviews and don't really mention constructive criticism. Too many tangents, I just can't do it anymore.
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Post by sidestep on Nov 8, 2022 4:24:25 GMT
Imho your email was well-written, with many of the pertinent things that needed to be said, & you elucidated your points in a calm, firm & methodical matter. Thank you Digi. I hope they at least pass it on to the higher ups, or even the marketing staff that they paid for the new slogan (if Enquiries don’t have the authority to reply to it themselves. I wonder if they’ll address the issue on the podcast? Surely you weren’t the only one who sent in an email on this topic? Unfortunately from what I have been told with regards to the podcast, they only read/discuss full positive appraisal/reviews and don't really mention constructive criticism. Too many tangents, I just can't do it anymore. I vaguely recall them addressing the grumbles on recasts & other issues awhile back? They usually have this special background music when they do that. 🙂 but yeah, it’s very rare instances. Anyway, it would be nice if they did.
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Post by aussiedoctorwhofan on Nov 8, 2022 4:30:21 GMT
Unfortunately from what I have been told with regards to the podcast, they only read/discuss full positive appraisal/reviews and don't really mention constructive criticism. Too many tangents, I just can't do it anymore. I vaguely recall them addressing the grumbles on recasts & other issues awhile back? They usually have this special background music when they do that. 🙂 but yeah, it’s very rare instances. Anyway, it would be nice if they did. Yes.. Constructive criticism that clearly comes from a good and positive place should be welcomed.
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Post by tuigirl on Nov 8, 2022 9:05:33 GMT
Complaint filed (ie: emailed Enquiries). I don't expect anything will change, but it never hurts to tell a business that they've done something absurd (so long as you say it nicely) and that their total lack of communication is deeply unprofessional (again, so long as you say it nicely).
Noting here that, despite claiming to reply to emails same day if received within business hours or within 48 hours if received outside, it is now 7 days/5 business days since I emailed them, and they haven't bothered to reply. Big Finish's commitment to communication continues to be outstanding EDIT: And in the interest of transparency, I'll let you folks decide whether you think I was so aggressive that I didn't merit a response:
{Spoiler}{Spoiler} Hello,
I'm writing today to express my dismay at your overseas pricing announcement. While I understand and respect the need for price increases over time to keep your company solvent, direct currency conversion to GBP is a nonsensical, poorly considered decision. For everyday people, your customers, cost of living among peer countries is more or less equal -- a £3 McMuffin is $3 in America, $3 in Canada, $3 in Australia, etc. This reality will be ignored in your new model -- £25 works out to nearly $40 where I live, for instance. If you were a frequent shopper for an item that costs £25, would you continue to buy it if on Monday afternoon the shop announced that starting Tuesday morning, that item will now cost £40?
Multiplying the price point for overseas customers does not level the playing field, nor does it make pricing more 'fair' to UK customers. Your own article indicates an increasing minority of UK residents engaging in price dodging by using false address information. It's hard to see this change in any other way than to punish international customers for the practices of UK domestic customers. A change this dramatic, paired with the ongoing trend toward less content per release (ie 3 disc sets rather than 4) escalates your products from being slightly pricey 'boutique' items (albeit worth every penny!), into simply being wildly overpriced for us non-UK folks.
I'm also very disappointed in Big Finish's continued failure to communicate with its customers. Some time ago, Big Finish announced price increases effective 1 November--and then never took the time to tell anyone what precisely that entailed. Then, just hours before what was widely anticipated to be an across-the-board price increase coming into effect, you've instead chosen to blindside effectively only your international customers. And even then, I only seem to be able to find this announcement via a Tweet. There is not one single mention of this anywhere in the month of October's updates on the Big Finish website, either as a standalone news item (as one would expect for a change of this magnitude), or even within any of the weekly update pages. I am astonished that this could go completely unreported on your own website.
Now, I've had to step back from my Big Finish purchases for some time now due to personal circumstances, so practically speaking this isn't going to have any immediate effect on my buying habits. But this predatory pricing scheme, combined with the lack of consideration shown to your customers, are experiences so overwhelmingly negative that it will influence my purchasing habits going forward. And while I hope that the company remains in good shape, I fear that I won't be the only international customer who feels misled, unfairly targeted, and priced out of the market based on reasoning that does not conform to reality.
Lastly...I wanted to make sure that I say: my one-on-one interactions with Big Finish staff over the years have been universally positive, including when I have emailed Enquiries in the past. I'm certain that you, the person reading this email, is not the person responsible for wider decision-making at the company, so I do apologize for making you be the one who is on the receiving end of this. You folks answering emails at Enquires, Sales, and so forth have been nothing but kind and helpful to me, and I am grateful to you for the work you do.
Regards, (my name)
Bravo!
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