Why Subscribers Were Not Notified of Channel Changes

[NBACha]

As we all know, Sirius XM did not do a very good job of notifying customers about the channel changes that took place last week. Most of us found out through message boards and news articles well before there was any word from Sirium XM. I sent Sirius XM an e-mail asking why the changes were not announced to users until after the fact. Here is the reply I got:

"Thank you for your email in regards to the recent channel changes. We
are here to assist! We understand your concerns with not being notified. At this
time we are unable to provide a reason as to why our listeners were not
notified. Our changes are usually informed on our website on a daily
basis. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused."

How's that for a reply??

 

[Music_Rube]

Sounds like a canned response to me.

 

[jwt873]

Unfortunately, it sounds like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. It makes me suspect that the merger isn't going as smoothly as planned.

 

[Supafly]

What can they say?

We don't give a crap what you think.

We're bankrupt and can't afford to hire someone to type an update.

We flip a coin to decide which channels to keep.

If you keep bugging us we'll shut down the website.

 

[HarleyJoel]

Canned response. Fill in the blanks:
"Thank you for your email in regards to ____________________.
We are here to assist! We understand your concerns with ____________.
At this time we are unable to provide a reason as to ____________________.
Our ___________ are usually informed on our website on a daily basis.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused."

 

[TSS Taylor]

I wasn't happy they notify people or discuss it prior to it happening. However I'm not surprised that emailing customer service got that sort of a response.

 

[kc1ih]

"Thank you for your email in regards to the recent channel changes. We
are here to assist! We understand your concerns with not being notified. At this
time we are unable to provide a reason as to why our listeners were not
notified. Our changes are usually informed on our website on a daily
basis. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused."

Like everyone checks the website on a daily basis!

 

[VinnyM27]

Are you kidding! There are damn good reasons they didn't notify us.

They didn't want the negative reaction to start before the changes. The letter writing campaigns would and phone calls would have flooded them for weeks up to the changes. Better to let it just happen all at once.

Also, I wonder how much (if any) prep the Djs had for the changes. Probably heard about it in the paper, too!

 

[Kryptonite]

Canned response. Fill in the blanks:
"Thank you for your email in regards to ____________________.
We are here to assist! We understand your concerns with ____________.
At this time we are unable to provide a reason as to ____________________.
Our ___________ are usually informed on our website on a daily basis.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused."

"Thank you for your email in regards to ____________________.
We are here to assist! We understand your concerns with ____________.
At this time we are unable to provide a reason via e-mail as to ____________________.
Please call Customer Service at _________ and sit through our "wonderful" help menus, then sit on hold for 10 minutes until you can talk to someone who barely speaks English. But first, remember to hit "1 for English."
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Please visit our website! ________ Did you know you can listen online?? Well you can, and here's how!"

 

[i-l-l]

I can tell you why and this comes from someone that works there. Sirius didn't want to lose more subscribers if the subscribers found out before hand of the changes. Popular channels such as Lucy, Raw, System, ect. fan base had to find out after the switch happened. I'm sure if XM/Sirius put out some info saying those channels were going to be canned, a lot of people would have canceled before the 11th. The on air talent of channels that were going to be canned couldn't say anything about the merger let alone the channel going away. That included the talent that were being brought over.

I saw an article about this in USA Today on Tuesday about this very subject btw.

 

[HomieG]

The SiriusXM email was probably written by the same folks who prepped the CEO's of the Big Three automakers for their Senate hearing on Wednesday.

 

[Mike Nassour]

It's pretty simple.....Mel's a broadcast radio guy. Ever hear of a broadcast station advertising that it was about to blow up its programming? No way, it just stunts for a day, fires the current staff and installs the new people...or more probably these days...computer.

 

[nightowl]

It's pretty simple.....Mel's a broadcast radio guy. Ever hear of a broadcast station advertising that it was about to blow up its programming? No way, it just stunts for a day, fires the current staff and installs the new people...or more probably these days...computer.

I tend to believe it was as posted above, they didn't want the email and phone cancellations and complaints before the changes were made.

I received the new channel lineup card in the mail within a couple days of the lineup change. The PR people knew the change was coming, had the after-the-fact materials ready to go, but the Company was afraid to put it out there ahead of time.

 

[DAB]

They didn't want the negative reaction to start before the changes.

You are kidding right? I mean did you ever go over to XMFan? They started doing this a month before the changes ever started. You would have swore it was the end of the world, but no one knew anything for sure. Folks were ranting and raving, threating to cancel and many actually did cancel at least that is what they said.

I think they should have sent out a notice in advance, what difference does it make when folks start complaining. They aren't going to change it back, so it is sort of irrelevant. They will tweak and make some changes on existing channels, but that is something one would expect. But the fact is that by not notifying subscribers I think you pissed some off totally unnecessarily when many if not most of them would have just been find with the channel changes. I still don't think the big displeasure is as wide spread as many seem to think.

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

You are kidding right? I mean did you ever go over to XMFan? They started doing this a month before the changes ever started. You would have swore it was the end of the world, but no one knew anything for sure. Folks were ranting and raving, threating to cancel and many actually did cancel at least that is what they said.

I think they should have sent out a notice in advance, what difference does it make when folks start complaining. They aren't going to change it back, so it is sort of irrelevant. They will tweak and make some changes on existing channels, but that is something one would expect. But the fact is that by not notifying subscribers I think you pissed some off totally unnecessarily when many if not most of them would have just been find with the channel changes. I still don't think the big displeasure is as wide spread as many seem to think.

Bitching on XMFAN does not tie up CSRs and cost them free months before the upgrade. Also, most of the bitching was because the XM side was not secure with their information. It got partially released. The Sirius lineup was not released until 11/12.

As to the number of cancellations on XMFAN, look at join dates before counting. I think the actual number even for that board is below the number posted. It would also not put it beyond the NAB to have some pre-ons posting to try to stir up satrad fans. They have tried many tricks and I somehow don't think they are through.

 

[DAB]

Bitching on XMFAN does not tie up CSRs and cost them free months before the upgrade. Also, most of the bitching was because the XM side was not secure with their information. It got partially released. The Sirius lineup was not released until 11/12.

Well that is assuming that there would have been folks calling in droves to complain about the channel changes themselves. I suspect if subscribers had the information to review it ahead of time that many of the complaints they did get could have been avoided. One of my insider buddies told me the bulk of complaints they got were because folks were pissed they were not told in advance, not to bitch about the channel changes themselves. Then look at all the articles that have run about this since. Most of them haven't so much focused on the channel changes as much as they have the fact that Sirius XM didn't notify subscribers in advance. They seem to take more flack for that than the changes themselves. We all knew changes were coming that wasn't the shock. It was doing it with no notification that angered and caused a great many to call in at all.

XMFan, come on they bitch about everything constantly rather they have the information or not. That is just the nature of that core group there.

 

[XM Ruined It]

They did it for the only reason they do anything. Money. Its all about the Benjamins baby.

They are corporate whores plain and simple. You think they give a rat's ass what we think? No, they just want to make sure they keep getting that monthly bill.

They dont give a SHIT about the listeners.

 

[TheScionicMan]

As Manson would say: "What are you going to do about it?"

 

[XM Ruined It]

As Manson would say: "What are you going to do about it?"

December 17th, we might have to find out.

Siriusly Screwed

 

[downsj]

December 17th, we might have to find out.

Siriusly Screwed

..and on that day a couple of dozen people will call, filled with righteous indignation, and cancel. They won't even get offered a free month to stay.

:zz: