How not to do Customer Care: Has 2degrees grown 2-big?
It’s devastatingly amazing how a customer service cock-up can turn things around. Here I am referring to my earlier post “10 reasons why 2degrees is better than Vodafone” back in February 2011, not that long ago. Fast-forward fourteen months: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – Eric Hertz… » more
I want a sexy voice and elevator music in my library
This is my little rant, but let me first of all make it clear that I have nothing against librarians as individuals – except that I don’t understand why they all have to wear cardigans. Is that an official dress code, or do they think they’d look less professional if they wear anything else? Beats me. But that’s beside my… » more
10 reasons why 2degrees is better than Vodafone
Firstly, some disclosure statements: At the time of writing, I am an employee of Telecom New Zealand, the country’s largest telco, although my line of work has nothing to do with telecommunications services per se. What follows is an account purely from an average urban customer’s point of view. Disclosure #2: I have written on my blog before about my… » more
My thoughts on New Zealand’s ultra-fast broadband future
[Disclosure and disclaimer: I am currently, i.e. at the time of writing, an employee of Telecom New Zealand. My views and opinions expressed in this blog post, however, are mine alone and not those of my employer or any other entities. While I have worked for a number of telecommunications service providers, I am not a "telco" expert, and broadband... » more
Analysing the price tags of Apple Mac portables
It’s been a week since the Great Apple Announcements of 2009: new operating system, new laptops, and new phone. It’s no secret that Apple profits hugely from its culture of secrecy; publicity generated from worldwide speculation on its yet-to-be-made product announcements must be worth an astronomical sum every year. What’s also unique about Apple is that the company exercises total… » more
Crisis, yes, but Fiji doesn’t need Jack Bauer
Fiji occupies my thoughts a lot these days. It must be the doomsday headlines delivered over the past week in much the same tone as the calamitous reports on North Korea, Sudan, and Thailand. But one thing is for sure: Despite all those perilous keywords and travel warnings, Fiji is no Thailand. It’s no war zone, it’s no axis of… » more
Daylight saving: Either do it all year round or don’t bother
What do Queensland, Saskatchewan, and Arizona have in common? Hint: (Picture: WebExhibits) Those are the brave states that said No-thanks when the rest of the country fell for the ludicrous idea of shifting time to extend daylight. Known to have been first proposed by a New Zealander in 1895, the notion of saving daylight by manipulating the local time has… » more
Choose change: Ditch commercialism in names
One thing I can’t stand when I’m watching TV, listening to the radio, or reading the paper, is unnecessarily long Internet domain names (Web addresses). I don’t understand why some countries such as the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand mandate the use of country-specific second-level domains that sit between the brand/organisation name and the country abbreviation. Some real-life examples: bbc.co.uk… » more
