HOW LIMITED IS THAT UNLIMITED !!!???

HOW LIMITED IS THAT UNLIMITED !!!???

When I had come to Madras for the first time in 1980, I was an ardent movie watcher. We had plenty of cinema halls in Mount Road in those days. Anand, Safire, Blue diamond, Emerald, Wellington, Casino, Devi, Devi kala and Devi Paradise were prominent among those. When I again I came back in 2006, meanwhile Madras has been renamed as Chennai and the Mount Road of Chennai has undergone sea changes too. Old Spencer Building with its colonial look has given way to a modern Spencer Plaza and most of the cinema halls like Safire, Blue diamond, Emerald, Wellington and Anand have been demolished.

Ok, I am going to tell you something about one of that cinema hall. After 27 years, I do not remember correctly. But it must be either Blue Diamond or Emerald, one of the two run continuously one movie from morning 10 A.M. to night 10 P.M. Just pay ten Rupees and you can be inside from morning to night. Apparently it looks very cheap. Considering one English movie lasts for 90 minutes, in those 12 hours of 10A.M. to 10 P.M. you can watch the same movie for nine times. But, I do not think anybody has the patience to watch the same movie for so many times continuously. But somebody may argue that it is a good hiding place for criminal or for any outsider who has to catch a late night train but has nothing important to do throughout the day. But that criminal or that outsider must have foresight to enter into that cinema hall with woolen blanket in hot summer of Madras. It is out and out chill inside that cinema hall. One deserves congratulation if he she can sit inside more than two hours wearing normal clothe. I remember watching a movie called "Moscow Olympic 1980" in that cinema hall. I lasted for one show though I was tempted to watch those beautiful gymnasts from Soviet Russia many more times.

Later on when I studied management I realized that my experience of watching "Moscow Olympic 1980" was my first encounter with that great marketing concept of "UNLIMITED OFFER". Then too I realized how a street side hotel with "unlimited meal offer" makes profit even though big eaters thong to that hotel as primary customers. I need not tell you the name of that chemical in that cooked rice which defeats those big eaters.

Have we ever analyzed how limited is that unlimited? I do not think anybody of us has given a serious thought to that "unlimited offer". No business man is doing a charity here. Then how can we get unlimited return by paying limited money? Without naming those companies I will give here some examples of those unlimited offers which are prevalent in Indian market now. My non-Indian friends can add their experiences in form of comments.

Example-1

Friday, May 25, 2007: ABC Communications has announced an unlimited plan for ABC customers who can now make unlimited calls to any local ABC mobile for free under both pre-paid and post-paid schemes. The offer is introduced for residents of Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. For pre-paid customers, unlimited plan is available at Rs 490 for 30 days and gives Rs 100 bonus talk time for other calls. It also offers different rates for calling other phones. Similarly, in post-paid plan, the subscriber can opt for a pack worth Rs 375 to get the benefits of unlimited calling while roaming on any post-paid plan.

It sounds great. Ok. Now please let me know your experience when you have made phone calls approximately 1.5 times the paid value in normal rate.

Does your SMS go smoothly?

Does your phone get disconnected automatically just when you have started conversation?

Do you get a smooth connectivity?

These are few symptoms to convert that unlimited offers to a limited one.

EXAMPLE-2

Xyz Company offers unlimited Broad brand internet connectivity in Rs950/month to the home user. They have a different slab for business offer.

Again a great offer. But look for these symptoms too after certain uses, particularly in the second fortnight of your billing month.

E-mails do not open. It says "opened but with error in pages".

It takes comparatively a considerable time to upload a photo, song or video.

Suddenly your favorite sites do not open. You get a message "This page can not be displayed."

So my friends, I do not want to test your patience by writing an unlimited a blog for a limited message. The message is that "unlimited is limited beyond a certain domain". It is another marketing concept which acts in the principle of maximization of wealth rather than maximization of profit. The crux is that it does give a win-win scenario within a limited domain. Cross that domain the service provider shall resort to all kind of unfair means to stop or discourage you from an unlimited use. After all, synonym of business is not charity. Novices like me, be watchful. Do not fall into trap if you do not have any necessity for necessity is created here. Do not convert a luxury into a necessity.

HERE IS A VIDEO OF UNLIMITED PHONE CALL. TRY YOUR LUCK.



















UNLIMITED PC-TO-PHONE CALLS!! - The most amazing bloopers are here