23-11-2010, 04:25
(These views are mine and mine alone and do not represent in any way the management/owners of this website)
Dear Bang Media
As we know that you are aware of and read this forum, I would like to express my concern at the events surrounding the (hopefully temporary) recent loss of service on Channels 912 and 959 on SKY's EPG, and Channel 98 on Freeview (although I note that the satellite channels are still being uplinked and transmitting as normal).
I am sure that you are aware of the old saying “any publicity is good publicity”, and this is borne out by the fact that in just a few days the discussion thread about the loss of service has already had getting on for 40,000 hits. Sunday 21st saw the biggest ever one-day traffic flow in the history of this website, and not forgetting, of course, that the subject has been discussed in countless other forums across the web.
However, as we enter the fifth day of this “problem” there comes a point where the almost complete lack of information to your customers is causing a subtle but noticeable trend where the tone and content of the comments stops being speculative and they start becoming negative. It is then only a short step to them becoming dangerously and even irreparably damaging to your business.
Although I simplify the general opinion of the posters on this forum is that the problem comes down to one of four causes:
1. there is a a genuine technical/engineering fault
2. you have a financial/contractual issue with SKY over the use of the EPG
3. you are in dispute with OFCOM over fines/programme content/your broadcasting licence
4. your business is in financial difficulties or has cashflow problems, possibly contributed to or stemming from a combination of any or all of the above points
If it genuinely is a complex technical fault - the “official line” on the little information you have given out so far - then why not just put minds to rest with a message either on your website or on-screen, or get the girls to announce it on-air with an indication of how long you think it will take to fix?
Your failure to do so leads me to believe that it is probably one of the other causes and in that case you have my every sympathy as I appreciate that there are all sorts of commercial and/or possibly legal reasons why it would be commercial suicide for you to make any sort of public announcement, and could ruin any talks you could be having with your bank or lawyers about refinancing the business etc.
BUT every business needs one thing more than any other, and that is to keep its customers on-side, and that rule applies just as much to a company selling telephone sex as it does to a high-street supermarket. What do you think would happen if Tesco closed its doors for four days without explanation? Apart from the loss of income their staff would probably start looking for other jobs and their customers would certainly start taking their business elsewhere.
What the events of the past few days has shown beyond all doubt is the rich vein of loyalty and support that exists within forum members towards your company (and don't forget that less than one in ten people reading this site at any one time are members). This is not as strange as it first sounds, as we would be just as loyal towards our football clubs or our local pubs or even our favourite takeaways - it is the marketing man's dream, the lads holy trinity of “Sex, Booze and Soccer”. With a few misguided exceptions, none of us should be so naive as to imagine that the girls on screen will ever be anything other than a fantasy for us, but through the medium of television we invite them into our homes; we get to “know” them, we're daft enough to pay £1.50 a minute to chat to them, we see their characters and personalities and yes, we “bed” them, even if only into a tissue. But most of all we get to care about them.
A sizeable number of threads have commented on how many girls haven't had shifts over the weekend or have had shifts cancelled or truncated at short notice and whilst we know that many of them have other sources of income they, like so many of us in these difficult times, could face the problems of short-time working, loss of overtime or bonuses and even unemployment. I'm sure all of us wish them well however things turn out.
So, in closing, I hope that we shall see normal service resumed as soon as possible and we can look forward to a bright Bang Babes future with your exciting line-up of new recent signings and minimal interference from those busybodies at Ofcom. But just in case we don't, please don't forget to leave us a note before you switch the lights out.
regards
mr williams
Dear Bang Media
As we know that you are aware of and read this forum, I would like to express my concern at the events surrounding the (hopefully temporary) recent loss of service on Channels 912 and 959 on SKY's EPG, and Channel 98 on Freeview (although I note that the satellite channels are still being uplinked and transmitting as normal).
I am sure that you are aware of the old saying “any publicity is good publicity”, and this is borne out by the fact that in just a few days the discussion thread about the loss of service has already had getting on for 40,000 hits. Sunday 21st saw the biggest ever one-day traffic flow in the history of this website, and not forgetting, of course, that the subject has been discussed in countless other forums across the web.
However, as we enter the fifth day of this “problem” there comes a point where the almost complete lack of information to your customers is causing a subtle but noticeable trend where the tone and content of the comments stops being speculative and they start becoming negative. It is then only a short step to them becoming dangerously and even irreparably damaging to your business.
Although I simplify the general opinion of the posters on this forum is that the problem comes down to one of four causes:
1. there is a a genuine technical/engineering fault
2. you have a financial/contractual issue with SKY over the use of the EPG
3. you are in dispute with OFCOM over fines/programme content/your broadcasting licence
4. your business is in financial difficulties or has cashflow problems, possibly contributed to or stemming from a combination of any or all of the above points
If it genuinely is a complex technical fault - the “official line” on the little information you have given out so far - then why not just put minds to rest with a message either on your website or on-screen, or get the girls to announce it on-air with an indication of how long you think it will take to fix?
Your failure to do so leads me to believe that it is probably one of the other causes and in that case you have my every sympathy as I appreciate that there are all sorts of commercial and/or possibly legal reasons why it would be commercial suicide for you to make any sort of public announcement, and could ruin any talks you could be having with your bank or lawyers about refinancing the business etc.
BUT every business needs one thing more than any other, and that is to keep its customers on-side, and that rule applies just as much to a company selling telephone sex as it does to a high-street supermarket. What do you think would happen if Tesco closed its doors for four days without explanation? Apart from the loss of income their staff would probably start looking for other jobs and their customers would certainly start taking their business elsewhere.
What the events of the past few days has shown beyond all doubt is the rich vein of loyalty and support that exists within forum members towards your company (and don't forget that less than one in ten people reading this site at any one time are members). This is not as strange as it first sounds, as we would be just as loyal towards our football clubs or our local pubs or even our favourite takeaways - it is the marketing man's dream, the lads holy trinity of “Sex, Booze and Soccer”. With a few misguided exceptions, none of us should be so naive as to imagine that the girls on screen will ever be anything other than a fantasy for us, but through the medium of television we invite them into our homes; we get to “know” them, we're daft enough to pay £1.50 a minute to chat to them, we see their characters and personalities and yes, we “bed” them, even if only into a tissue. But most of all we get to care about them.
A sizeable number of threads have commented on how many girls haven't had shifts over the weekend or have had shifts cancelled or truncated at short notice and whilst we know that many of them have other sources of income they, like so many of us in these difficult times, could face the problems of short-time working, loss of overtime or bonuses and even unemployment. I'm sure all of us wish them well however things turn out.
So, in closing, I hope that we shall see normal service resumed as soon as possible and we can look forward to a bright Bang Babes future with your exciting line-up of new recent signings and minimal interference from those busybodies at Ofcom. But just in case we don't, please don't forget to leave us a note before you switch the lights out.
regards
mr williams