SubscriberWise® Risk Management Solutions for the Cable Industry

“Times have changed dramatically for the cable industry,” explained John Farwell, VP Business Operations of BendBroadband. “We’ve gone from a single service to the triple play and from little to no equipment to putting several hundred dollars to a thousand dollars of equipment in customer’s homes with DVR and HD set tops and MTAs. With our move to all digital we are facing a dramatic increase in risk of bad debt and unreturned equipment losses. The alternatives are to accept this as an added cost of business, or to take proactive steps to prevent the loss via qualifying subscribers and requiring deposits where it makes sense. We’re delighted to partner with SubscriberWise and implement a tool that we believe will be both efficient and cost effective at minimizing bad debt.”

“In one week’s time we have applied $4270 in deposits – and averages $137.74 per customer whom we have charged a deposit. This sets us up for about $17K per month we’ll be collecting and storing in an interest bearing account to help offset some of the bad debt. I’m pleased with the results and overall adherence to SubscriberWise – great start!” Kelley Carson, Director Customer Services, BendBroadband.

“The inclusion of the SubscriberWise platform in our new customer provisioning suite of tools could not be more perfectly timed for TVMAX, as we begin the rollout of advanced digital set-tops costing far more than the converters of the past,” explained David Curtin, COO at TVMAX. “With the knowledge gained through the use of this system, we will be able to manage the transition to an all-digital network confident that we are properly caring for the capital investment being made in high-end consumer converters, such as High Definition DVRs.

“Most risk management solutions simply provide a credit score to a cable or satellite operator,” said Matt Zemon, President, Element Customer Care. “SubscriberWise solutions significantly expand this score by combining cable-specific and proprietary decision models with the highly predictive FICO® score to precisely segment subscribers into various risk and selling categories. SubscriberWise gives operators all the tools and know how they need to understand subscriber payment behavior in the most effective manner, protecting their assets and without giving up sales. SubscriberWise is a complete turn-key solution to risk management that delivers incredible results.”

“GLDS sought out SubscriberWise as part of a larger commitment to helping WinCable users better understand their customers,” said Garrick Russell, VP Operations at GLDS. “SubscriberWise has a field-proven solution that, when combined with customer information from WinCable, will provide operators with an unparalleled understanding of their customers.”

“SubscriberWise has given us the ability to confidently implement a system of identity verification and appropriate security deposits while still pursuing aggressive marketing tactics in our increasingly competitive market,” explained Bob Gessner, President of Massillon Cable TV. “The instant decision provided by SubscriberWise treats every prospective customer equally and fairly. That’s very important. Our significant investment in expensive equipment is protected by deposits when appropriate. Our collection and recovery efforts benefit from accurate customer information. Plus, our marketing efforts are further enhanced by instantly recognizing the very best prospects. I can’t imagine operating without it.”

“Five hundred bucks for those big boys [DVR set-tops]: It suddenly makes a lot of sense to pay attention to credit,” said Chris Hilliard, president of USA Cos., with 18,000 subscribers. Hilliard visited Massillon Cable, and said he owes Gessner a debt of gratitude for the tips he got about setting up subscriber prequalification [SubscriberWise] at his operation.

“Partnering with SubscriberWise is a win-win for everyone – especially cable operators looking to better locate the right party for debt collection,” said Ron Fournet, leader of Acxiom’s Risk Mitigation Organization.