Term Pricing/Billing Cycle Item Change

[mcolvin]

In trying to be competitive in DSL pricing, one of the things we are looking at doing is implementing an "Introductory" pricing scheme where X price is good for 3 months, then it changes to Y price from there on out. I found this thread, which kind of is suggesting the same type of thing:

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=2042&highlight=expire

Is there no chance of having something added to the existing "Products" set up that can automatically fill in the currently available fields if each product is edited once added to a customer's record? This way, we can define a certain product to change from product X to product Y after Z months. Or, even set a product to delete itself after a set period of time. (Then we could use a "Credit" product to accomplish the same goal.)

If no chance of adding it to the FM based version, possibly the re-write? Obviously, relying on phone techs to manually change each new subscriber's billing cycle item is less than ideal.

Thanks Shawn!

[digitalpoint]

You really would want it to *always* be filled out whenever the product was added to a customer's billing cycle? What if they weren't a new customer, but an existing customer with a different plan? Would you still want to give them the special pricing for the term, or?

[mcolvin]

Well...Here's exactly what it would be for.

Introductory pricing for DSL customers. Let's say we offer it for $14.95 per month for 6 months. After 6 months, it goes to the regular price of $29.95 per month. Depending on the "Introductory Offer" terms, that term could be 3 months, 6 months, or a year (As is the current SBC offer).

This would be available to NEW customer's only. So, yea, for EVERY new customer signs up for THAT product (It could/would be a different product than the regular DSL product). If it was an existing customer with, say dial-up service, then yea, they'd get the "Intro" pricing also, since they are a new DSL customer.

I was thinking that if it was something that was set-up within the "Edit Products" area, you could define an "INTRODSL" product, and a "STANDARDDSL" product, and have the "Intro" product set the "Product Changes to" field to the "Standard" product after X time, say in months.

[digitalpoint]

Well in order for it to automatically fill in, it would have to auto-fill anytime it was added to a customer's billing cycle (basically like how the price and description is auto-filled). There's not a way to base it on an offer code or how long the customer has been a customer.

[mcolvin]

Or....Can you think of another way to accomplish the same thing? I couldn't figure out any way to do it...Other than manually on each new account.

Well. I think that would work. Everytime anyone added the "Intro" product to a customer, it would be with the intention that it expire at some point, and be replaced with an permenant product...

Wait...Are you saying that the "Date product changes" couldn't be dynamically set X months out? IE, if the user signs up on 4/11/06, that date couldnt' be set to 7/11/06, and tomorrow, someone who signs up on 4/12/06 couldn't have 7/12/06?

I guess the correct fields are "Item Changes To" and "Item Changes On". The "Item Changes To" would be static, but the "Item Changes On" would be based on X months (Days?) from the date added to the customer's billing cycle.

[digitalpoint]

Right... that's what I'm talking about.

[mcolvin]

That's what your talking about meaning...(Sorry, I threw so much out there, not sure which you were replying to!) Meaning, the "Item Changes On" CAN'T be dynamically updated based on the date added to the customer's billing cycle?

[digitalpoint]

No, meaning it would be dynamic (for example 3 months in the future from the date added).

[mcolvin]

That would be perfect!

[ColinR]

We do something similar and it works great for us on intro offers. 2 or 3 Month credit that drops off from their billing cycle after X amount of time using the item expires on or in some cases changes to another billing item using item changes to.

We export out billing cycle items and periodically audit as those fields (item expires on or changges to) as they are exportable

[mcolvin]

Any chance of an update to the exisiting FM version that might have this?

(Not pushing, I know you're re-writing, just curious if this might see the light of day any time soon, or if we should look at having to manually handle this...Need to start training the techs.)

Thanks!